25th Anniversary
In 2025, Fordham University’s International & Study Abroad Programs Office is celebrating its 25th year. In these first 25 years, we have supported over 16,000 students to study abroad around the world. To celebrate the occasion, we have traced our 25 years of history from our founding to today.
2000–2005: Global Foundations
On September 7th 2000, The Ram announced the creation of a centralized International & Study Abroad Programs Office under the direction of Dr. Ronald Mendez-Clark, a professor of Spanish and former director of Fordham's Latin American and Latino Studies Institute. Original study abroad countries included the United Kingdom, El Salvador, Ireland, Mexico, South Korea, Spain, China, and Australia. Offices were located in Faculty Memorial Hall at the RH campus and off campus on W.60th street at the LC campus.
2005–2010: Stepping out onto the Global Stage
In the early 2000s, Fordham University acquired Marymount College’s prestigious London Dramatic Academy- a conservatory-style acting program in London. This marked the beginning of a new era for Fordham abroad. In 2008, the University launched its first business-focused study abroad program, sending 22 students to join the theatre program in London at its original location in Brownlow Mews. A year later, to accommodate growing interest, Fordham relocated its London Centre to Heythrop College in Kensington. Then in 2010, Fordham expanded into Southern Europe, opening a semester-length study abroad program at the historic Universidad de Granada in Spain.
2011–2015: Expanding the Global Classroom
Fordham continued its international momentum by broadening academic opportunities for liberal arts and science students in London. By 2013, students were able to supplement courses at Fordham's London Centre with classes at City, University of London; Queen Mary University of London; and the University of Westminster. In 2012, Fordham launched a community-engaged learning initiative with the University of Pretoria in South Africa. To meet the growing demand and interest in study abroad, the University introduced the Study Abroad Portal, making access to its global opportunities more accessible than ever through this innovative software.
2016–2020: A Home in London, A Place in the World
August 2018 saw the opening of the state-of-the-art Fordham London Centre in Clerkenwell, East London—cementing Fordham’s commitment to global learning. The following year, Fordham’s efforts were nationally recognized when it achieved the major milestone of 50% of undergraduates participating in study abroad programs, earning acclaim from the Institute for International Education Generation Study Abroad initiative.
Today: 25 Years of Global Impact
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Fordham Study Abroad supports over 1,000 undergraduates studying abroad across the globe each year. Fordham ranks 32nd in the nation for study abroad participation according to the 2024 IIE Open Doors Report. With over 100 programs in more than 50 countries across 6 continents, Fordham is not just sending students abroad—it's shaping globally minded citizens and standing as a leader in international education.