Often students travel by public transportation and stay in homes or in small, family operated hotels. Students may have the opportunity for academic interchange with foreign students in the classroom. In the case of courses where site and subject are interdependent, students have the opportunity to travel with an expert in the field. Learning happens through experiencing, touring, and through informal on-site lectures. While each study abroad program has a principal faculty leader, there are frequently several faculty who go along so that students can enrich their field experiences with insights from various experts.
Some expeditions offer a range of courses.
On a recent trip to Russia, for example, students could select a course in modern Russian studies from a professor who had studied in Russia and was fluent in the language, or they could choose a course that focused on the performing arts in Russia and was taught by a member of the threatre faculty. Every May, the Spanish discipline sponsors a May Term trip to Spain or to a Latin American country. Recent destinations have included Peru, Argentina, and Brazil. Students can work on a language through formal instruction by MBC and native speakers, as well as through homestays. Timid speakers will gain confidence, while more advanced speakers will perfect and expand their abilities.