Advising for Study Abroad

Students may ask you for advice regarding their study abroad plans. Refer them to the Office of Study Abroad for logistic and program selection questions. If you have experience traveling and/or going abroad, do share your interest with them and encourage them in their plans. It is strongly advisable that they start planning early- a year in advance of being away.

An important step for students while they are selecting a program is course selection. All college courses taken abroad on approved programs transfer back to MSUM as electives. Some students take courses that apply toward the major. Approval of courses for the major is done by the student’s faculty advisor and department chair. Students will provide course descriptions to their faculty advisor to help in this determination. An approval form is completed and signed before the student departs so that they know which, if any, classes will count toward their major requirements.

Students are encouraged to not only choose which classes they will take, but to list alternates as well, in case the original courses are not available.

Best semester to go abroad?
Varies by individual preference and major requirements and course availability.

Where?
Global options.

Cost?
Anywhere from 'equal to MSUM plus a plane ticket' to 'the sky's the limit'. Financial aid generally applies toward cost.

Type of program?
LASC
language acquisition
major-related coursework
Service-Learning
Internship

Definitionally
'Study Abroad' refers to a student going abroad for a semester, school year, or summer. 'Short-term faculty-led course' refers to a course abroad for a short amount of time.

MSUM has two Exchange Programs that are linked to specific majors

• Lincoln, England: Film, Graphic Comm, Mass Comm, Entertainment Industries & Technology
• Japan- language acquisition for students with 2 years of college level Japanese- East Asian Studies + others

Third-party providers feature coursework in a number of majors.

Study abroad options by student grade level
(Students must meet entry requirements/complete prerequisites, if any)

What can departments do to encourage your students to study abroad?

First, offer specific options that will tailor well with your curriculum.

• If your major features heavy coursework in the junior and senior years, recommend that students go on a LASC- based program during their sophomore year (Eurospring, Norway, Australia, Keele, others); offer programs with transferrable coursework within the major for the junior year.
• If your major is a four-year curriculum with little room for variance (such as certain Education & health majors), offer options that can be fit it to that reality, such as short-term faculty-led courses, or summer programs from third-party providers. Education also offers student teaching abroad.

Second, consider including study abroad in your four-year degree plans, and encourage faculty to talk up recommended programs to freshmen and sophomore advisees.

Finally, refer interested transfer students immediately, as later planning can result in more difficult placement into an appropriate program.

Want to set up a departmental meeting or ask questions?
Contact the Director of Study Abroad.