Students Life

Learn by Living

Minerva University's ILOs include:

Self-Management and Wellness
Interpersonal Engagement
Intercultural Competency
Professional Development
Civic Responsibility

Minerva University makes each location you live in an extension of your learning environment. Learning includes in-person experiences, pushing you to apply your knowledge to real-world scenarios in culturally diverse settings. At Minerva University, you'll focus on sharpening your knowledge and understanding of five Integrated Learning Outcomes (ILOs) that put you on a path to success and lifelong growth.

All Minerva University courses require students to complete integral portions of the coursework based on Location Based Assignments (LBA). These assignments must be completed in person on location and are a required and substantial portion of students’ work.

current and upcoming ROTATION CITIES FOR UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

San Francisco

Berlin

Buenos Aires

Hyderabad

Tokyo

Seoul

Taipei

San Francisco embodies the full depth and breadth of the full Minerva University student experience. During your time in this bustling city, you will enjoy intensive, location-based learning with leading figures and organizations. Outside of the classroom, everything from intensive civic projects to morning rituals, running, yoga, and many other stimulating activities are right at your doorstep.

When you are not engaging with the city of Berlin as a globally-curious student, you can engage with it in ways that intertwine with your studies and make a real difference. During your time at Minerva University (not just in Berlin), you’ll have many opportunities to get involved with local organizations to help them tackle relevant real-world issues through dedicated civic projects.

Argentina’s cosmopolitan capital city is where you will find yourself engaging in discussions on human rights, climate change, cognitive challenges, and more with local experts. You may attend workshops on human rights activism, and in your free time get your body moving with tango lessons or a visit to the local horse stables.

Visit textile companies for business assignments, attend coffee-making workshops, take in the sunrise at Khajaguda Hill. There is even an opportunity to learn how to cook local dishes for your classmates. At Minerva University, you might carve out a space for yourself in Hyderabad and make lifelong memories with your classmates and the locals.

Tokyo and Japan offer a unique environment where you will immerse yourself in a rich blend of tradition and innovation. In Tokyo, the bustling metropolis, you may engage in discussions with local experts on topics such as technological advancements, sustainability, and cultural identity. In your free time, explore serene shrines and vibrant markets, try your hand at calligraphy, or witness the cutting edge of pop culture in neighborhoods like Shibuya and Akihabara.

In South Korea’s fast growing and vibrant capital city, you may find yourself engaging with locals and your classmates in high-energy settings. Whether you are studying infectious diseases, embracing your artistic side and getting inspired by the awe-inspiring city around you, or immersing yourself in K-pop culture, there is no shortage of activities and learning opportunities in Seoul.

Ever wondered what it would be like to tour the first-ever botanical garden, or attend a workshop dedicated to learning about traditional Chinese medicine? In Taipei, you may experience all this and much more. You can also attend forums on global youth trends, network at events, and visit Ircad Taiwan, a state-of-the-art telesurgical training center.

Learning in Context

The global experience at Minerva University include five categories of site-specific learning.

Minerva University Labs

To expand the global reach of hands-on learning, Minerva University offers a series of student-focused labs in locations around the globe to provide immersive research and project opportunities available to students in the summer and during the school year.

Hosted Events

Blend your studies and personal interests by attending regular activities with local individuals and organizations. Through an ongoing series of discussions and presentations you gain exposure to new people, places, and perspectives.

Minerva University students at a palace in Seoul, Korea immersing themselves in the local culture.

City Experiences

Each location you visit allows you opportunities to delve into significant local topics. Participating in curated city experiences expands your understanding of the city and culture you are living in.

Activities & Assignments

Extend your understanding of the concepts and skills you learn in class into the real world. Bringing your lessons to life, assignments are connected to city-based activities and work sessions that blend course concepts and local topics.

Community-based Projects

Make a positive impact on society by practicing skills and applying concepts you learn in class through projects with local partners. You will work with partners in each city on impact projects that connect your formal studies to real problems organizations face.

Exposure

Meet new people, discover new places, and get a whole new perspective on your studies and your future in every city you visit.

“Our students are active participants, not tourists, in the community. They meaningfully engage and contribute to the city by applying their knowledge to civic challenges and location-based projects.”

Engagement

Collaborate with your peers, challenge your ways of thinking, explore site-specific issues, and come up with actionable solutions.

Immersion

Develop an appreciation for different cultural and political contexts by living in diverse global cities. Deepen your understanding of important issues by connecting with local people and organizations.

Impact

Get involved with real-world projects, initiatives, and organizations. Use your practical knowledge to develop realistic solutions to the problems our world is facing.

Student Community

A cornerstone of your education at Minerva University is the connections you make with your classmates. These memorable relationships will follow you throughout your life.

Communal Meals

Socialize, share simple meal prep tips, and gain a world of cultural understanding as you break bread with your global classmates and enjoy opportunities to share and demonstrate your culture through food.

Storytelling

You and your classmates will be invited to share stories with one another to broaden your exposure to different backgrounds and build your understanding of the human experience.

Milestone Events

Community Traditions

Milestone events mark significant moments in your Minerva University journey—from arriving in a new city to celebrating community mid-semester. These moments foster a strong sense of community within the university, encompassing students, faculty, and staff alike.

Elevation

At the start of each semester, students attend Elevation, a dynamic orientation program designed to immerse them in their new global rotation city and prepare them for the exciting journey ahead. Over several days, students connect with local staff, get a feel for the city's unique culture, and gain a clear understanding of the expectations for the semester.

Friendsgiving

Every Fall semester, you will gather with your Minerva community and connect through food, student performances, and reflection activities at our Friendsgiving Feast. Inspired by the American tradition of Thanksgiving, this milestone event is a moment for you to celebrate and express gratitude to the people in the community who support you through difficult times.

Quinquatria

Each spring, students come together to celebrate Quinquatria, a vibrant tradition inspired by the ancient Roman festival honoring our namesake—Minerva, the goddess of wisdom. This event is a time for students to reconnect with one another, engage with faculty and staff, learn about the mythology of the goddess Minerva, and participate in specific traditions and rituals.

Symposium

At the end of each Civic Project cycle, students showcase their work at Symposium, presenting to local partners, peers, Minerva staff, and faculty. This event is more than just a presentation—it's an opportunity to immerse in a professional setting, where students refine their public speaking and formal presentation skills in diverse cultural contexts.

Continuum

At the close of every semester, Minerva’s community gathers for one last milestone event, Continuum. Students reflect on their integrated learning growth, discuss how local cultures have influenced them, and share how their perspectives may have shifted. Continuum isn’t just a farewell—it’s a bridge to the next semester, highlighting the ongoing nature of learning and growth at Minerva.

Residence Halls

In our residence halls students will live, learn, and build lifelong friendships. At Minerva University, you have access to a range of programs and services, including:

On-call student RAs
Professional live-in staff
Nearby medical facilities
A 24-hour emergency hotline

In addition to the above, you can take part in formal programming on topics that range from exercise and nutrition to the prevention of sexual assault that equip you with techniques for maintaining a healthy lifestyle and keeping yourself safe.

Nearby clinics, medical facilities, and mental health professionals are readily available to you, as needed. Every residence hall incorporates appropriate security measures.

Browse through our gallery to see how previous Minerva University students have lived and studied in numerous cities around the world and get a feel for what your time with us could look like.

Student Profiles

Lean into your exploratory and investigative nature by learning more about Minerva University students and their successes. We have collated a list of profiles for you to gain an understanding, not only of our students but of the experience you can have at Minerva University.