The Office of International Programs (OIP) serves students and faculty in providing information about study abroad, in encouraging and facilitating organization of faculty-led study abroad programs and in coordinating group exchanges for students and faculty.
Why Study Abroad? Incorporating an international experience into your curriculum is a great way to take what you learn at SFA to a new level. Study abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity whose benefits go far beyond academic learning. Study abroad will provide you a chance to explore first-hand the language, history, and people of another land and, in the process, you will become more self-reliant, empathetic, and sensitive to other cultures and you will gain a competitive edge in the employment marketplace.
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Attention Business Students! The Nelson Rusche College of Business has exchange agreements with two excellent institutions which offer business courses in English: La Rochelle Business School, France and MCI Management Center Innsbruck-The Entrepreneurial School, Austria. For information, please contact Ms. Lone Wittliff, lwittliff@sfasu.edu
Read the Blog of an SFA student studying this semester at University of Plymouth, England and the Blog from another SFA student studying at University of Dundee, Scotland.
Begin Your Journey Here
Applying for a study abroad program is a step by step process. Before you set off on this life-altering experience, you need to complete a few important steps. Each step along the way is important for your application and program plan to be a success. This guide provides an outline of the path you should follow when taking your first steps to studying abroad. Please read through each step carefully, keeping in mind that the steps are presented in the order that you should follow when investigating and applying to a study abroad program, your acceptance and your final preparations for departure. If you are feeling lost, remember you can always contact OIP with any questions or concerns you may have.
After you have answered the questions below and have a better idea of your Study Abroad goals, visit the Students section of our website for more information.
Define your objectives
The program you ultimately choose will be determined by your own, individual objectives for study abroad. The following questions are designed to help you define your goals. Remember, there is no "right" or "wrong" answer.
- Why do you want to study abroad?
- Where do you want to go? Why?
- How will study abroad fit into your academic program at the SFA?
- Courses: Do you want to take coursework in your major? (Have you declared a major?) Have you completed your general education requirements? Do you have elective credits at your disposal?
- Language: Do you want to study in a foreign language? Are you proficient enough in that foreign language to enroll directly in a foreign university? Do you have the minimal proficiency required by the specific programs(s) you are considering? What are you doing now to improve your proficiency?
- What degree of cultural immersion are you ready for? Do you want to attend classes with students from your host country, or with other American students? Can you handle classes requiring a lot of independent work?
- When would you like to go? How long would you like to stay?
- How much money can you afford to spend? (The cost of study abroad varies widely according to program, location, exchange rates, and personal spending habits.)
- Do you have family support?