Be sure to check out our opportunities for Off-Campus Study and Language Learning.

We love Maine and confess that we’re a bit infatuated with our campus and environs. We have a truly inspirational location in which to live and learn. But our curriculum spans the globe.

On campus, international history and politics classes include The Cold War, Introduction to Global Politics, International Wildlife Law, From Native Empires to Nation States, and French Food Politics. You can explore other lands and countries through literature classes such as World Literature and Contemporary Women’s Novels. Anthropology classes such Blood and Postcolonial Islands give students a cross-cultural perspective on notions of race, nationhood, and identity.

Study and travel internationally

Faculty Todd Little-Siebold and students harvesting coffee in Guatemala.Faculty Todd Little-Siebold and students harvesting coffee in Guatemala.Learning about other countries is one component of international studies. Another important skill is learning to work in global settings. Knowing how to problem-solve and collaborate with people from other cultures is essential if we are to make progress on the big issues facing the planet. How can you live and work responsibly in a culture that is not your own? How can you function effectively in international collaborations such as a scientific field station or a UN climate negotiation? These are skills best learned through real-world experience and mentoring. There are many opportunities at COA to travel and study internationally so you can gain that experience.

Courses

  • <div class="lw_blurbs_body"><p><strong>Reminder</strong>: ‘Areas of Study’ aren’t the only way to think about courses.  Browse and explore <a href="https://www.coa.edu/academics/courses/">here</a>.</p></div>
  • <div class="lw_blurbs_body"><p><strong>Reminder</strong>: Areas of Study at COA aren’t majors or formal concentrations. All COA students design their own <a href="/academics/human-ecology-degree/">major in human ecology</a> and are free to chart their own path. Your major is defined by you, not us.</p></div>

Faculty