Study_Abroad_Luis
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
GLOBAL AND REGIONAL STUDIES PROGRAM
STUDY ABROAD ADVICE FOR MAJORS AND
MINORS
The Global and Regional Studies Program (GRS) considers study abroad to be
an integral aspect of any high quality undergraduate education. But it
is an especially crucial element of your area studies major or minor.
With very few exceptions our students study abroad, for a minimum of a
semester, and in some cases, a whole year. We try to make it easy for
you to fulfill your major and/or minor requirements through study
abroad by accepting up to one-half of the credits toward your major or
minor as transfer credits.
Study abroad provides you with the opportunity to move from learning
about the world to learning in the world; refines language and
intercultural communication skills; and provides a context and depth
for the specific themes you have been studying on campus. With the
right program and frame of mind, you can gain invaluable linguistic,
cross-cultural, and field research experiences that will enhance your
studies, career prospects, and outlook on life.
Planning for Study Abroad
When to go? As long as
you have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA, sophomore status, and good
social standing at the university, UVM will grant you permission
to study abroad. Most students go during their third year. A handful go
during their sophomore year, and others their senior year, but remember
that the university requires you to take 30 of your last 45 credit
hours at UVM.
Keep in mind that some courses required for your major and/or minor
might be offered only during certain semesters. Plan out your major
and/or minor in advance, and consider how study abroad will help
fulfill those requirements.
Seek Advising: In
order to study abroad, you must attend an information session and meet
with a Study Abroad Advisor, both at the Office of International
Education (OIE). You should also meet with your academic advisor as
early in your planning as possible to discuss programs, the application
process, and your plan for completing the major or minor.
Prerequisites:
Different programs have different prerequisites, which may include
language and certain specialized coursework. Be very clear about what
you need for your desired program and prioritize those courses in
semesters leading up to the time you want to be abroad. Some programs
also have minimum GPA requirements.
Choosing a Program
The UVM OIE (
http://www.uvm.edu/~oies/?Page=sa_index.php)
maintains a list of approved programs and exchanges. While
you can petition to receive credits from a non-approved program, we
strongly advise against it. The reason OIE approves programs is that
they meet certain minimum educational standards. If the program that
interests you is not approved by OIE, chances are good that it does not
provide a quality educational experience.
GRS does not recommend any programs in particular. Our students
have gone on virtually every kind of program. We suggest that in
addition to asking other students in your area what programs they have
gone on, you also discuss specific programs with the director of your
area studies program and other faculty members who teach in the program.
Location: For
obvious reasons, most GRS students choose stationary programs in
the region they are studying. Unlike comparative/multi-country
programs, stationary programs tend to emphasize language learning, and
can usually transfer back easily into your GRS major or minor.
Program Type: Do
you want to go for an academic year? One semester? Summer?
Winter
break? Do you want direct enrollment in a foreign university or
to be in a group
with other Americans? Do you want homestays or dormitory/independent
residence? Do you want language immersion or English language? Do
you want a program with a field study component, or primarily classroom
based?
Above all else, we recommend that you seek out programs that offer
sustained immersion in a culture and language different than your own.
Many programs are merely “American Bubbles” overseas and offer very
little or no true cross-cultural immersion. Such programs offer very
little for an area studies education. Many of these programs are
so-called “third-party programs” because they are offered by a
U.S.-based organization or university. But beware that even exchange
programs, which often have U.S. students living in dorms with other
foreign students, are often not much better in terms of immersing you
in the local culture because you live with other foreigners.
Credit Transfer: Find
out from the registrar’s office how the credits from the program you
want to apply to transfer back to UVM:
http://www.uvm.edu/~rgweb/
Financing Study Abroad
Financial Aid: If you
participate in a UVM-approved study abroad program, you will be able to
receive
aid while abroad. However, UVM institutional-based financial aid
no longer covers the costs of some programs. For more information
contact the Financial Aid office and see
http://www.uvm.edu/oie/?Page=sa_cost.php.
UVM institutional aid can
usually be applied to bilateral exchange programs, ISEP, and UVM
faculty-led programs. In addition, UVM now offers two semester-length
programs abroad—in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Belize—and because they are UVM
programs ALL of your financial aid travels with you. Many non-UVM
programs offer scholarships.
Your Application
References: Most
programs require one or several faculty references. You should get to
know several teachers well in advance of your application deadline, and
give them
plenty of lead time to write their letters. Do not wait until the last
minute on this one!
Essay: Different programs
require different kinds of essays. Share your essay with your advisor
and other reference letter writers for feedback well in advance of
deadlines.
Suggested Timeline for Applying
Two semesters before you want to go:
- Visit the OIE. Attend a mandatory information
session and meet with a Study Abroad Advisor.
- Meet with your academic advisor to discuss your
plans.
- Begin researching programs and their deadlines at
OIE, on the web, and by talking to faculty and other students who have
studied abroad.
- If the program has an early deadline, begin
completing the application and request reference letters.
- Contact the financial aid office to discuss your
specific aid situation. Identify financial aid deadlines.
One semester before you want to go:
- If the deadline hasn’t passed, complete your
application.
- Once accepted to a program, you will need to
complete a Study Abroad Approval Form, which requires a number of
signatures, and attend a mandatory pre-departure meeting at OIE.
While You Are Abroad
Journal: You are likely
to experience some culture shock, even if you study in a country with
strong cultural similarities to the U.S., like England or Australia. We
strongly recommend that you keep a journal in which you can work
through the processes of cultural adjustment, reflecting on the ups and
downs of your experience.
Planning for Future Work:
Planning for a study abroad location and experience can provide the
basis for a senior thesis, future work, independent study, or term
paper after you return. If you need help thinking through
possible topics to pursue when you get back, or help identifying
materials and information to collect while you are there, talk with
your program’s academic leaders and contact your advisor back here at
UVM.
Save Everything!
Bring
ALL your
syllabi, copies of
papers, and other documentation back with you to ensure smooth transfer
of credit.
Bringing the Experience Back Home
Adjustment:
Coming back home can be just as challenging as going. You will have
changed in relation to your own culture, and wonder where you fit in
back here. You will probably also miss your lifestyle and friends from
abroad. There are several keys to settling back into life here:
Share
your experience with
others: Attend an OIE
study abroad returnees’ gathering; become
an OIE study abroad peer advisor; organize a round table discussion
with other students to discuss your experience; or hold a slide show
for friends or other area studies students.
Use your
new skills:
Keep your language skills up by seeking out others who speak the
language; hone your cross-cultural communication skills by tutoring an
international student or volunteering in town with groups you might not
normally get involved with (immigrants, community outreach, etc.)
Don’t
assume that you are the
only one who changed: Friends
and family will have experienced
new things and changed while you were away too. Don’t assume
you’re the only one with good stories and be a good listener.
Keep
learning about the
places you went: Take more coursework that focuses on places and
issues you encountered abroad, and try to use course writing
assignments to deepen your knowledge of these themes.
The following is a website that may be helpful when planning to travel or live in the European Union:
http://www.monetos.co.uk/Questions?
If you have any specific questions about study abroad and GRS,
see your academic advisor and/or
Prof.
Luis Vivanco, Director of GRS (lvivanco@uvm.edu).
Last modified August 18 2009 09:49 AM
