Our campuses, our courses, and our commitment to YOU!
From St. John’s signature first-year programming designed to engage students from day one to our short-term and semester-long study abroad and service programs internationally, the Office of International Education (OIE) serves as the central resource for the St. John’s community regarding global opportunities beyond our New York campuses.
In keeping with the University’s global mission, OIE strives to provide international opportunities at every level of your degree. St. John's innovative core and major-specific programming offers opportunities for students in nearly every discipline to engage in cross-cultural experience and gain invaluable skills for the job market, opening doors to future opportunities. Starting with the Global Passport Program in Freshmen year, to our semester programs at St. John's European campuses, all the way up to our graduate programs around the world, St. John’s students hear the call – over 40% of St. John’s students participate in some form of study, internship or volunteer opportunity abroad!
Start exploring your options today...
Global Passport
St. John's nationally unique first-year program engages your Core academics from day one!
Semester
Whether you travel to one country or three, St. John's offers you full cultural exploration and immersion through our Semester in Paris, Semester in Rome and Western Europe Semester programs.
Short-Term Programs
St. John's offers a wide range of short-term, faculty-directed programs all over the world, with travel ranging from 7 days to 2 months.
Exchange
For the more independent student, we offer a variety of exchange programs with partner universities around the world, including Sweden, Japan, Colombia, Australia, Chile and more!
GLOBAL is part of the St. John's MISSION!
Given how often you hear about study abroad at St. John's, would it surprise you to learn that only 10% of college grads nationwide take advantage of this incredible opportunity? At St. John’s, our global mission pushes us to consider that a challenge, driving us to create new and innovative programs that encourage all students to study, volunteer, and live outside the U.S.
Study abroad is not only a fun and personally rewarding experience, it helps to set you apart on the job market and gain invaluable global competencies. And who knows? You may come back with new ideas for where your career may take you. Many St. John's students go on to pursue other international opportunities, and we're confident that you will too!
So what makes St. John's programs unique?
Academics
Locally informed scholarly inquiry is at the core of our study abroad programs. With that in mind, we offer intellectually engaging classes taught by dedicated, highly trained St. John’s faculty throughout the world, with experiential components at the core of every course. That means you won't just be sitting in a classroom abroad but directly engaging your coursework in the cities, histories and landscapes that surround you. What's more, these are our programs, so you know the courses are designed for YOU, work for your major and core requirements, and, most importantly, keep you on track for graduation.
Affordability
Study abroad should be accessible to all students. To make that a reality, St. John’s offers generous financial aid and scholarships that aim to accommodate every student, independent of their financial resources. Plus, most of your St. John's financial aid package will travel with you... that's the beauty of a St. John's program!
Safety
We want you to expand your intellectual and personal horizons, safely. Our full-time student life and academic support staff in each of our semester locations work with you to make sure you’re able to make smart choices. And when things don’t go perfectly? You’ll have St. John’s-provided international health insurance and worldwide emergency assistance – all covered by your program fee.
The Vincentian Difference: Giving Back
Helping to change lives is an inspiring experience – one that sets studying abroad with St. John’s programs apart from most others. Each year, our study abroad students commit roughly 5,000 hours to service sites worldwide. You’ll make a real difference through activities like teaching English to local students, serving in soup kitchens, and working with the elderly. Best of all, giving back often forms a central part of your academic experience. Through our Academic Service-Learning offerings, you’ll work with the community while fulfilling course-based experiential education requirements.
Student Support—Before, During, and After the Program
At St. John’s you’ll receive personal attention. We’ll be with you every step of the way, making sure you are fully prepared to get the most out of your experience. We’ll even (happily) talk to your families and provide resources to help them understand how St. John's guarantees that you’ll have an amazing... and safe... experience abroad!
Office of International Education
Marillac Hall, Room 210
Tel: 718-990-6105
[email protected]
Hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Meet the OIE Team
Christian Andrade
Associate Director of Partnerships and Short-Term Programs
Natalie Artiles
Coordinator of Outbound Student Services
Education
B.S. in Marketing, St. John's University
M.B.A. in International Business, St. John's University
Relevant Experience
Natalie’s passion for international education started while she was a student at St. John’s. She studied abroad three different times as an undergrad, which included the Global Passport program to Rome, the Discover the World semester program to Spain, France, and Italy, and a Global Destination Course to Athens, Greece. After graduating from St. John's, she worked in different industries including pharmaceuticals at Pfizer, digital ad sales at Yelp, and financial services at Piper Sandler. In her current role as Coordinator of Outbound Student Services at OIE, Natalie works directly with SJU students to prepare them for their study abroad experiences through pre-departure orientations, visa advisement, health insurance registration, and more. She is dedicated to making students’ preparations for studying abroad run as smoothly as possible.
Fun Travel Fact
Natalie is bilingual in Spanish and has traveled to a total 18 countries in 4 different continents. On one of her study abroad programs with St. John’s to Athens, Greece, she met two of her now closest friends. Since then, they have continued to travel together internationally.
Jamia Brooks
Coordinator of Partner Student Services
Gregory Bruhn
Director of Outbound Programs
Education
B.A. in French Language and Culture, University of Connecticut
M.A. in French Literature, New York University
M.Phil. in French Literature, New York University
Relevant Experience
Greg has over 30 years of experience in international education in a variety of roles including as an international student advisor at NYU; as a classroom educator in literature, English as a Second Language, and French language and culture at a number of universities; and as a study abroad administrator in the U.S. and France. Greg studied and worked for three years in France, and has directed service and academic programs in France, Italy, Guatemala, and Peru. His work has also included translations for W.W. Norton Press, as well as interpreting work for the Paris Opera Ballet and Theatre des Bouffes du Nord during their performances with the Lincoln Center Arts Festival.
Fun travel facts
Greg has hiked in Patagonia and completed the Inca Trail in Peru. He was also able to attend a wedding in a castle in Germany, and stayed in an Italian villa that had a private library with manuscripts pre-dating Christopher Columbus.
Dennis Cuadros
Assistant Director of Short-Term Programs
Anna Torres
Coordinator of Study Abroad Academics and Scholarships
Education
B.A. in Psychology, St. John’s University
Relevant Experience
Anna comes with over 23 years’ experience in Higher Ed. She began her higher ed career at St. John’s as part of the University’s Executive Vice President team implementing various research projects and studies for new initiatives. One of her early projects includes working with the development team, performing research for the Discover the World program, now known as Western Europe Semester. Anna has worked in the OIE for over 8 years. She works closely with Advising Deans and students as they prepare and plan academically to study abroad.
Fun Travel Fact
Anna grew up living in Greece during the summer months and is bi-lingual in Greek. She has traveled to 4 continents. Some of her favorite experiences include exploring many of Greece’s beautiful islands with her family, swimming beneath a waterfall in Costa Rica, and wave-running in the turquoise waters of Bora Bora.
Genie Smiddy
Coordinator of Short-Term Programs
Bianca Sylvain
Assistant Director of Outbound Student Services
Education
B.A. in Psychology, Mount Saint Mary College
Masters in Business Administration, Mount Saint Mary College
Relevant Experience
Bianca has worked in the field of International Education for over four years, as a study abroad advisor in the SUNY system. Throughout her career, Bianca has focused on making study abroad accessible to all students, through study abroad scholarships. Bianca is committed to making study abroad affordable to students by taking advantage of the funds provided by the national scholarships, such as the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship. Bianca herself is a recipient of the Gilman scholarship.
Fun Travel Fact
Bianca’s fascination with travel started with her own study abroad experience in the Czech Republic during her undergraduate career. Since then, she has traveled to more than 25 countries on five different continents. During her travels, she has stayed in a hut located in the middle of the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Colombia and technically missed her 24th birthday because she was flying to New Zealand and skipped a day because of time zones.
Mary Zouvelos
International Education Office Assistant
Education
B.S. in Legal Studies, St. John's University
Relevant Experience
Mary graduated from St. John's University in 2021 and worked in the non-profit sector for the American Ballet Theatre and Origami USA, in sport entertainment at Madison Square Garden, and as an elementary and high school teach before returning home to SJU, where she's enthusiastic to support our student as they make their way around the world!
Fun Travel Fact
Mary has traveled across three different continents, being fortunate enough to spend many summers in Greece and a semester abroad at St. John's Rome campus. Last year, she attended the University of the Peloponnese in Kalamata, Greece, where she studied Greek history, language and culture. She loves studying new languages and is currently working on her Greek, Italian & Spanish skills.
Susan Peterson
Associate Director of Global Engagement
Sue Peterson is the Associate Director of Global Engagement at St. John’s University, New York City, with responsibilities for developing and communicating about global programs, events, and initiatives. As an educator, Ms. Peterson has been an ESL/EFL teacher, program administrator, workshop leader, curriculum developer, and teacher trainer in the U.S., Mexico, and China. At St. John’s, she has developed curriculum for a variety of programs including the Global Online Learning Exchange Program. She is the co-author of Prism: Listening and Speaking, Intro with Cambridge University Press, and Writing Power, Books 3 and 4 with Pearson Education.
Tiecher Adams
International Education Office Assistant