Simpson encourages students to make the world their classroom! Internships and travel abroad provide students the opportunity to learn skills in an exciting yet practical setting. Simpson is even listed as one of the top 100 colleges in the nation by US News and World Report, for the highest percentage of students traveling abroad.
Simpson is on a 4-4-1 calendar: two four-month semesters and one three-week term in May consisting of one concentrated course, making it easy for students to see the world.
May Term: Three Short Weeks...Endless Opportunities
May Term gives you the opportunity to explore in-depth interests you have outside your major, or to explore your career choice through an internship or career observation. The flexibility of May Term allows for various study experiences including travel abroad or in the United States, an internship in your 
career choice, and various on-campus classes, such as "The European Economic Community", "Film Study: American Cinema", "Environmental Ethics" and "Culture and Personality."
One of the most popular offerings during May Term is the opportunity to travel within the United States or abroad. Whether students are touring the remains of the Berlin Wall in Germany or walking the Great Wall of China, May Term trips are experiences most students won’t soon forget. For many, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity that offers students a taste of another culture while teaching them a great deal about their own.
May Term Travel Courses for 2009 include:
Courses traveling to Europe:
- Expanding the European Union: Germany and Poland
- Irish Arts: Mirror or Mover
- Media in Ireland
- Discover Britain and Ireland 2009: Historic Locations in British and Irish History
- Bringing the Flemish and French Renaissance to Life with The Madrigal Singers
- America and France in the 21st Century
Courses traveling to Central or South America:
- The Ancients Knew Us: What the Inca of Peru Can Teach Modern Civilizations
- Contemporary Argentina: Culture, Trade & the Economy
- Natural History of Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands
Courses traveling to Asia:
- China: The New Dynamo
- Thailand: the Culture and People of a Developing Nation
Courses traveling to Africa:
- Rwanda: Service Learning through Arts Education
May Term Travel Courses for 2008 include:
- Roman England: An Archaeological Adventure
- Natural History of Madagascar
- Sights, Art, and Schools of New Zealand
- French Polynesian Culture
- China in the 21st Century: Progress and Human Rights
- Global Health: Confronting AIDS in Namibia
- Globalization and Development in Costa Rica
- Irish Arts: Mirror or Mover
- Politics of a New Democracy (Brazil)
- Ghana, The Heart of West African Culture
- Culture, History and the Arts in Great Britain
Beyond the Campus
In addition to the May Term travel courses, Simpson offers semester-long study experiences in foreign countries and throughout the United States. These programs include internships, supervised work experiences, independent research projects and semester-long study arrangements.
Programs offering off-campus domestic study include the Washington Semester at American University in Washington, D.C., and the United Nations Semester in conjunction with Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.
Simpson offers semester-long programs in which a Simpson faculty member leads the group, serves as the resident director, and teaches one or more of the courses. Such programs are located in:
London, England
Live and learn with other Simpson students, accompanied by a Simpson professor, in one of the world's great historical, cultural, political, and economic centers. Study tours to sites outside London also included. Next scheduled for Fall '07.Schorndorf, Germany
An intensive learning experience led by a Simpson professor where students study German language, culture, history, and literature while living with German families. Included are visits to historical and cultural sites and week-long study tours to Munich and Berlin. Next scheduled for Spring '09.Seville, Spain
Spend a semester immersed in the culture, history, language and literature of Spain under the direction of a Simpson professor. Work on your language skills while getting to know your Spanish host families. Visit important historical and cultural sites and be a part of a week-long study tour of northern Spain. Next scheduled for Spring '08.
If you would like more information about any of the international programs, please contact:
Jay P. Wilkinson
International Education Coordinator
Simpson College
701 North C Street
Indianola, IA 50125
(515) 961-1288
toll free (800) 362-2454, ext. 1288
jay.wilkinson@simpson.edu