Change Your Way of Seeing
NYSID’s Study Abroad program gives students the opportunity to explore destinations worldwide through a design-focused lens. Led by NYSID instructors alongside local designers and teachers, students learn about architectural and design history in a cultural setting and also get a behind-the-scenes look at studios, architectural landmarks, and private homes.
In addition to a full semester abroad opportunity for undergraduates in Florence, Italy, NYSID offers 10- to 20-day design history-focused travel courses over winter and summer breaks, open to students in all degree programs. Each year, students visit iconic design cities in Western Europe such as Paris and London, as well as farther-flung destinations including Japan, Mexico, Greece, and India.
Each trip is curated around a specific design focus and led by an expert instructor with deep knowledge of the destination’s design, art, and architecture. NYSID’s instructors often have strong local connections, offering students the chance to meet designers, artisans, and other industry professionals while experiencing unique sites that are usually off-limits to the public.
Scholarships for study abroad semesters and independent travel are available for students through the Anne K. Duffy Travel Fund, the Ferguson & Shamamian Travel Award, and the Robert Herring Travel Prize.
“No other college or university offers as many design-specific travel study opportunities as NYSID.”
Study Abroad Opportunities
Trip opportunities are subject to change each year, with locations and course subjects varying. Below is a preview of our current and past offerings.
Semester in Florence, Italy
NYSID’s semester abroad in Florence, Italy, is offered through a partnership with the Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). Students take both online and in-person NYSID classes, along with electives at SRISA. They live in apartments within a 15-minute walk of one of SRISA’s four campus locations, alongside students from around the world. SRISA curates day and weekend trips led by art and design instructors to cities such as Siena, Venice, and Bologna. The program ensures NYSID students can stay on track with their degree program, while having the adventure of a lifetime in another culture.
India
Students experience an introduction to the diversity of India through immersion in its culture, craft, and architecture. This exclusive adventure focuses on the symbiosis between people, the built environment, and nature through the perspective of Indian history and culture. Lectures and site visits explore traditional Indian space-making and the ethos of Indian design.
London and Environs
Students visit significant sites in London, England, and its environs, looking at both historical and contemporary installations. Emphasis is on historical and stylistic analysis.
Vienna and Prague
This study-tour introduces the rich heritages of two central European cities, as well as their vibrant contemporary design scenes. Vienna—the city that provided the backdrop for avant-garde thought that helped shape 20th century design—is home to seminal works by Otto Wagner and Adolf Loos. Prague—a place to walk through the history of European architecture in a single day and played a major role in the development of the early modern movements.
China
Students will explore Chinese art and design in major cities that have played significant roles in the transformation of Chinese culture, including Beijing, Jingdezhen, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Zhouzhuang, and Shanghai. On this once-in-a-lifetime trip, students will discover China's ceramic culture, explore architectural landmarks, and learn firsthand about design during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
Paris
Students visit the iconic sites of Paris, from the gargoyles of Notre-Dame to the treasures of the Louvre Museum. In addition, students come to know a more intimate side of the city by visiting private homes, gardens, and museums off the beaten path. The group will glean insider’s knowledge of the French design scene through meetings with local interior design professionals.
Domestic Travel Opportunities
Chicago
This history of design and architecture in this quintessentially American city begins and ends with the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. This domestic study tour will focus on the moment when the past met the future, exploring why Chicago was the birthplace of balloon framing, the skyscraper, the Prairie style, and Mies van der Rohe’s International Style. Students will learn about the visionaries behind these groundbreaking works that shaped Modernism in the U.S. and influenced the world.
New York
Distance learning students – and even locals – will have the unique opportunity to explore New York City with a design historian through the lens of a timeline of The Gilded Age. They will uncover how the city’s rich history and diverse cultures are woven into its architecture, neighborhoods, and landmarks.
SoCal
American modernism flourished in southern California, where the laid-back culture encouraged adventurous architecture and design. Students visit public and private spaces, including iconic buildings by Greene and Greene, Schindler Group, Richard and Dion Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, and Frank Lloyd Wright, as well as Frank Gehry and Oelli Clarke Pelli Architects. The trip includes an excursion to see Palm Springs’ midcentury houses.
South Florida
This study-trip explores old and new sites in Miami, Miami Beach and Coral Gables, including buildings by Carrère and Hastings, Morris Lapidus, Arquitectonica, Frank Gehry, and Philip Johnson. On tours of art and design districts, students meet designers and curators. The trip includes an overnight excursion to Palm Beach.
Study Abroad Stories
Learn More About Study Abroad
Follow @nysid_studyabroad to get a glimpse into students study abroad experience.
For questions regarding study abroad, reach out to Associate Dean Daniel Harper.