Please note: This program is subject to a limited enrollment capacity. To encourage thoughtful program selection and intentional planning, applications will not be prioritized by the date of submission. Effective with the Spring 2026 application cycle, applications for limited-capacity programs will be reviewed after the deadline to ensure that students meet any eligibility requirements of their chosen program, including completion of mandatory advising. Study abroad approval is also contingent on individual student disciplinary matters. Application essays will be considered during the review process, and preference will be given to students who have a compelling academic reason for their program selection. For more information, please review our Vanderbilt Study Abroad Selection Process for Limited-Capacity Programs policy page.
We encourage advance planning and research to ensure that a program is a good fit for your academic, personal, and career goals. Given the limited enrollment capacity, students applying to Open Campus are strongly encouraged to have a back-up study abroad application.
CIEE Open Campus allows students to design their own study abroad term by enrolling in up to three 6-week Open Campus Program Blocks. Students select one, two, or three locations* for their semester and take courses in various subject areas. Students must participate in all three Blocks; they cannot opt-into one or two Blocks only. You can learn more about Block locations and how to Design Your Semester here. Vanderbilt students are currently NOT approved to select the Auckland or Athens blocks.
Possible Locations:
Possible Course Subject Areas within Seven Different Tracks:
- Art and Architecture
- Business
- Communications, Journalism, and New Media
- Global and Community Health
- International Relations and Political Science
- Language, Literature, and Culture
- STEM and Society
At some locations, service learning, internship, and research opportunities are available. This program is taught primarily in English. Students who want to focus on language-learning should consider other programs.
Academics:
To review coursework for this program on YES, select CIEE Open Campus in the drop-down ‘Institution’ menu. Do not select anything under the 'Country' drop-down. The last four letters in the 'Class' column on the left indicate the Block location where the course has been evaluated. I.e. classes labeled XXXX-XXXX BRGE have been evaluated for Berlin, Germany; classes labeled XXXX-XXXX ROIT have been evaluated for Rome, Italy, etc.
Please note that not all available courses are listed on YES. Some courses may not yet have been evaluated by Vanderbilt faculty. Learn more about course equivalency evaluations here.
VU students are not permitted to take online courses while abroad. This includes CIEE's Arizona State University (ASU) Online courses.
Financial:
Housing is billed directly to students from CIEE; it is not included in the Program Fee.
Students can use the Budgeting Tool to plug in possible locations and assess budget costs and estimations.
*Note that all location combinations may not be possible based on visa restrictions. It is the student's responsibility to check whether a visa is required for the three block locations they choose. Students work with CIEE to obtain visas, if needed.
