As the spring academic term comes to a close, some students can choose to continue their studies through summer courses at Princeton or other four-year institutions, both across the country and abroad.
“Students may take a variety of summer courses for credit,” Elena Fratto, associate professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures and a faculty adviser for A.B. majors, wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian.
Fratto explained that students are able to take language programs abroad that are hosted by several of the University’s language departments, as well as enroll in Global Seminars managed by the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies.
There are 90 Princeton-sponsored summer programs for 2025, including classes hosted by the Writing Program, as well as the math and neuroscience departments. Students must apply for approval of a summer transfer credit course with the sponsoring department. In any given summer, students can earn no more than two units of course credit at either domestic or international institutions.
Summer courses taken for transfer credit must be offered by an accredited four-year institution on an in-person basis as part of the institution’s regular curriculum that advances degree progress for its own students.
Peter Bogucki, the associate dean of undergraduate affairs at the School of Engineering and Applied Science, wrote to the ‘Prince,’ “After matriculation at Princeton, B.S.E. students may count up to four pre-approved courses taken at other schools toward their course requirements.”
“Very few B.S.E. students take four outside courses, but some take one or two,” he noted.
Joshua Nanyaro ’27 took MAT 202 — Linear Algebra with Applications — at Princeton in Summer 2024, and said that the teaching style was “excellent.”
When asked about the difference between summer courses and academic year courses, Nanyaro noted that he felt there are “more hours in one class than in a Princeton semester.”
However, Nanyaro also emphasized the positive elements of the summer courses’ timing. He shared that “[the course] ended up feeling a little more relaxed because you have so much time — you don’t have to rush.”
“That was the biggest, most positive aspect of the program for me,” he added.
Nanyaro explained that a combination of great professors, academic support systems, and a decreased workload compared to the academic semesters helped him succeed in the MAT 202 summer course. “When you only take one class, you can really spend time and focus on it, and really try to understand what the content is,” he said.
Internationally, economics lecturer and A.B. faculty adviser Swati Bhatt explained that the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom and Bocconi University in Italy were popular options for economics, Operations Research and Financial Engineering (ORFE), politics, and math majors.
Bhatt noted that summer courses are also a popular choice for those wishing to complete their distribution requirements.
“There are a whole set of courses that you can take that could clear the required language requirement, as well as spend some time abroad — I think summer courses abroad are a great, great option,” he told the ‘Prince.’
While Jillard de Fiesta ’27 wanted to fulfill a distribution requirement through his global seminar in Japan and China, he also highlighted that the program was the “opportunity of a lifetime” to explore his interests in Asian culture and politics.
“Coming from Guam, I interacted with a lot of Asian immigrants, and I wanted to learn more about these Asian countries that I’ve never been to,” de Fiesta told the ‘Prince.’
Bhatt added, “I think [summer courses] are actually much better than taking a junior year abroad. It’s less disruptive, and it’s a great experience because you can also travel around the place.”
“It’s a less well-known option, but a wonderful option,” he added.
Sena Chang is a senior News writer for the ‘Prince.’ She typically covers campus and community activism, the state of higher education, and alumni news.
Sarah Mashiat is a News contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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