One of the greatest benefits of being a Princeton student is the unparalleled access to international opportunities. Whether it’s traveling for classes and clubs, completing an IIP (International Internship Program), doing fieldwork through HMEI (High Meadows Environmental Institute), taking a Global Seminar course through PIIRS (Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies), or participating in Princeton’s many language programs abroad, many students find ways to leave the Orange Bubble—literally. To become better-informed global citizens, it is important not only to study the world from Princeton, but also to spend time in the world beyond Princeton.
One powerful way to do this is by conducting research abroad. When I was a junior preparing for my senior thesis, I knew I wanted to incorporate an international dimension into my work and, if possible, travel over winter break of senior year. Although I had been fortunate to travel domestically through Princeton, I hadn’t yet taken advantage of any study or research opportunities abroad. Winter break of senior year is one of the last, and most popular, chances to do so. Princeton has a wide range of thesis funding sources, which makes it very possible to take your research to an international site.
From my experience, the two most important pieces to figure out early are funding and visas.
Funding
There is a lot of funding available, but it rarely comes from a single source. You’ll want to think about funding related to any of the following: your major, minors and certificates, the topic of your research, the region or country where you hope to research in, and any identity-based or cohort-based programs you’re part of. You can find all of this information on SAFE.
Many departments offer senior thesis funding throughout senior fall, but if you want the broadest range of options, you should start looking as early as junior spring. For example, I’m an Environmental Studies minor, and HMEI offers applications in March for summer thesis research. Other programs will have internal deadlines early in the semester for winter break or research during the academic year. These are often the funds you’ll rely on for a winter research trip. If you wait until the last minute, you may still find some support, but your options will be much more limited.
When applying for funding, one of the most important things you can do is clearly explain why you need to be there in person. Be specific about what you plan to do on the ground, whether its ethnographic research, interviews, site visits and observation, archival work, or access to local collections. There are a range of reasons to go abroad for research, and funders want to understand how being on-site will meaningfully strengthen your thesis.
Visas
The second major hurdle is the visa. If your citizenship allows you to be visa-exempt in your country of interest, then you may not need a visa as long as you stay under the allowed number of days, which is often 90 days. However, if you do need a visa, you will almost certainly need formal institutional affiliation and an official letter of support or invitation from that institution.
Securing that letter often takes time—sometimes longer than the visa processing itself—so you should begin this process early. One of the first things to do is talk to your thesis adviser and see if they have contacts in your region of interest. If not, you may need to begin cold-emailing professors, researchers, organizations, or centers abroad to see who might be willing to host you.
The key is to get the ball rolling as soon as you have a reasonably clear idea of your project and site. Visa timelines, institutional bureaucracy, and correspondence across time zones can add weeks to your planning.
Research abroad can be one of the most meaningful parts of your Princeton experience, but it does not fall into place on its own. If you start early, cast a wide net for funding, and think ahead about visa and institutional support, you put yourself in the best position to actually leave the Orange Bubble—and come back to create a thesis shaped by the places and people you encountered abroad. I hope this provides some meaningful insight into how you can take your research abroad!
— Shannon Yeow, Engineering Correspondent
