International Study at Crane
Many students consider taking a semester overseas as part of their undergraduate education, and this opportunity is available to you at The Crane School of Music. We encourage you to think more broadly about overseas experiences - to think beyond the semester overseas! Below are some examples of the international educational opportunities Crane students are able to take advantage of. The SUNY Potsdam Lougheed Center for Applied Learning can often provide funding assistance to students, thereby putting these experiences in the reach of all students.
Semester Abroad
Students at SUNY Potsdam can take advantage of a number of semester-long study abroad opportunities. SUNY Potsdam have specific exchange programs, two of which are specifically designed for music majors: the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and York St. John University. Exchange students from these colleges also join us at Crane. Students can also opt to take a study-abroad semester at any university that has an agreement with any SUNY school, opening up a world of options.
Typically, students choose to take their semester overseas during their junior year. There can be challenges to staying on schedule for graduation, though, especially for music education majors, so students are encouraged to talk to their advisors early about their desire to study abroad.
Travel Courses and Ensemble Tours
Faculty in a variety disciplines across campus offer occasional or regularly scheduled courses overseas, often in the summer or over shorter breaks. These offerings will change from year to year. In music, one of the recent "occasional" course offerings for example as has been Dr. Shelly Tramposh's Irish Ensemble course in Ireland.
Crane School of Music ensembles occasionally tour overseas, too. In recent years, the Crane Concert Choir has had summer experiences in Europe and Puru. The Crane Latin Ensemble has traveled during spring break in both Puerto Rico and Cuba (in partnership with the Universidad de Cienfuegos).
Summer (and other) Opportunities
Students can also take advantage of summer programs overseas, and the faculty at Crane guide and encourage our students to apply for a variety of experiences. Some faculty have particularly close ties to certain programs or countries. If a student is interested in having an overseas experience in the summer, they should speak to their studio teacher and/or advisor early in the school year.
A Final Word
Many of these experiences are highly competitive, but by encouraging students to think broadly about overseas study, we hope many more students are able to take advantage of at least one of them. For more information, visit the SUNY Potsdam International Office's Study Abroad webpage.