How UT Students Can Begin Planning Their Education Abroad
- Jul 16, 2020
- Suvi Bhalgat
Global experiences are an essential part of UT's highly diverse and well-connected campus. Incoming Longhorns can start planning the many ways they can integrate global learning into their degree plan today.
Our program coordinators are ready to assist with each step of the application process via virtual advising sessions. Advising sessions are advantageous as they can introduce students to financial and academic avenues as well as help students find the perfect program that suits their needs. We recommend that students download the Explore Abroad checklist beforehand to help assess their goals and needs.
Students interested in education abroad opportunities must watch a virtual pre-recorded information session about going abroad, covering various regions and program types. After students complete an info session, they can join our program coordinators in regularly scheduled live Q&A sessions to ask about any aspect of studying abroad, such as receiving academic credit abroad, choosing between different programs and tracks and availing financial aid resources like scholarships and grants.
In addition to information sessions on each international program type and geographical region, Texas Global offers additional resources for students to further explore the many Education Abroad tracks available. Students can plan ahead by checking which courses they can take while studying abroad will help them advance their degree plan via My Credit Abroad. For example, certain colleges at UT require students to learn a foreign language, and several of our programs provide an excellent avenue to either start or continue language learning.
International education opportunities are transformative experiences with lifelong benefits. Thousands of UT students have returned from global learning experiences with valuable cross-cultural skills and broader perspectives. Enrolling in an academic exchange program, an international internship or faculty-led program is an excellent way to make a resume stand out.
Computer science alum Avi Minocha studied and interned in Singapore last year, where he acquired new insight into his strengths as well as indispensable work experience.
“It was such a unique experience that allowed me to grow personally and professionally,” Minocha said. “It helped me realize I really enjoy connecting with people and learning about their cultures. Studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that can open your eyes to the world, so everyone should try to take advantage of it!”
From take-off to landing, program coordinators are prepared to help students through their round-trip journey. Javier Romero spent the spring of his junior year taking computer science and philosophy classes abroad in Edinburgh, Scotland, and says his advisors were accessible and helped him throughout his time abroad.
“My advisor was really good at helping us with questions and being accommodating on the whole departure right from UT to Edinburgh,” he said. “If I felt confident about anything, it's that my advisor was able to help us with the transition home.”
Advertising major Rebecca Chen spent a summer researching colorism in Ghana through the President’s Award for Global Learning. She says the international experience changed her world view.
“My time in Ghana has transformed my perspective on life,” Chen said. “It made me realize that I’m in a larger equation of what’s happening in the world whether I like it or not, and I have a part to play in making the world a better place.”
The class of 2024 can find out more about Education Abroad and other international programs at the Take the World by the Horns presentation during the Discover UT blocks at freshman orientation.
All students can start planning for their future by taking advantage of virtual advising and information sessions to learn about UT’s many exciting global learning opportunities both on campus and off campus, as well as dozens of scholarships and grants for students going abroad.
Students can also visit the Education Abroad Get Started page, which outlines good goal-setting practices, our extensive advising resources, finding the right program, incorporating international experiences into degree plans, taking advantage of financial resources and the entire application process.
Get started on planning your education abroad
