Study Abroad
If you’re interested in experiencing another culture, seeing more of the world, and meeting friends from around the globe—while earning academic credit—an international education opportunity is for you. Taking one course or spending a semester or year studying in another country is an excellent way to enhance your university experience.
Travel-Study
This option is for students who are looking to travel to another country for three to four weeks. With this program, you will travel in a group with a professor to an international destination where you engage in study together using the local setting and culture as materials. You will earn course credit which is recorded on your transcript and counts toward your degree requirements. Recent Travel-Study opportunities were offered in New York City, Ireland, Spain, England, and Italy.
International Exchange
International Exchanges are an excellent way to enhance your university experience. St. Thomas has agreements with several universities around the world that allow students to spend a semester in another country while earning university credit for classes taken while there. While abroad, students often visit more than just the country in which they’re studying.
The deadline to apply for an International Exchange for the 2023-2024 academic year is February 13, 2023.
The international exchanges are offered in many countries:
- Australia
- Japan
- South Korea
- China
- Turkey
- Sweden
- Malta
- Spain
- France
- England
- Ireland
- Brazil
- Chile
- Ecuador
- Peru
Immersing Yourself in Another Culture
Some international education experiences involve homestay, where you would be living with a host family in the exchange country. This is a great way to experience a new culture first hand; it goes beyond the experience of a tourist. You will eat new and different foods, and have an inside view on how people really live in this country.
The Academic Side of the Experience
Although there is no question that studying in another country will be a lot of fun, it is also a serious academic program. It’s important to keep in mind that you will spend a lot of time studying. It’s also important to note that a student in the Exchange Program can only take four courses per semester. This may have an impact on your graduation date or your scholarship status, so it’s best to make an appointment with your academic advisor to discuss your options.
Before you leave you’ll need to be ready to book flights, obtain a passport and possibly a study permit, get health certification from your doctor, communicate with the host institution and host family, among other things.
Resources
Exchange Application Form 2023
International Exchange Partners
Carrie Monteith-Levesque
International Student Coordinator
George Martin Hall, Room 303
506-452-9593