D-Lab Study Abroad

D-Lab Study Abroad is a pilot-stage study abroad program at MIT. The program is a collaboration between D-Lab and the Global Education & Career Development office that will give students the chance to spend a semester living, working and learning in a developing country while earning MIT credit. 

With the D-Lab Study Abroad program, MIT undergraduate students will be able to spend a semester abroad in a developing country, with a small group of other MIT students, working with a long-standing (and amazing!) D-Lab partner. The program will give students and partners the opportunity to have a semester-long collaboration, which will lead to stronger connections in the community, significant progress on research and community development projects, and a more in-depth cultural immersion. In its pilot year, D-Lab Study Abroad has sent two students to work in a community outside of Sao Paulo, Brazil, for the majority of the spring semester. The students are remotely enrolled and engaged in two D-Lab classes, in addition to taking part in an education-related UROP and a Portuguese film and language independent study.

The program is a great opportunity for students interested in international development to gain more field experience, while still receiving MIT credit and completing academically rigorous courses, maintaining a strong connection to the Institute throughout. Students will be able to craft a semester abroad program that meets their interests and keeps them on track for graduation, receiving a standard semester's worth of MIT academic credit, including HASS credit and engineering credit toward majors such as 2A.

We are excited about the opportunities that D-Lab Study Abroad opens up for deepening D-Lab community partnerships, increasing the impact of the D-Lab program, and preparing students to continue international development work.