Other Study Abroad Options During Your Degree

In general, other study abroad options during your degree can be broken down into four broad types:

• Independent direct enrollment in a university abroad;
• Studying abroad through a third-party provider;
• Faculty-led programs or field studies offered through your university or other universities; and
• Studying at a secondary campus abroad.
  
  
  

Direct Enrollment

Enrolling directly at an overseas university is another way of studying abroad during the course of your degree. In this case, a student applies directly to a specific university to study there as an international student.

There are many reasons why you might choose to do this, rather than go on an exchange through your university. The most common reason is that you have a specific destination and university in mind, and your university has no exchange agreement with that institution. You may have a unique interest in an academic subject, and none of the exchange options available allow you to study what you want. You may have a personal reason for wanting to go to a particular place. All of these are good reasons to follow your personal and academic interests and apply to the institution of your choice.

There may well be other benefits to this option. Depending on where you are applying, you may actually find that you can pay less tuition by applying directly overseas than you would if you continued to pay tuition to your home university. Some countries have free or minimal tuition fees—even for international students—so in some cases this may work out to be a cheaper option. Specifically, you might want to look at Scandinavian countries, some German and French universities, and also countries like India and Taiwan, if cost is an issue for you. Don’t forget to factor in the cost of living when making cost comparisons.

The challenge with this option compared to an exchange is that you may receive less general assistance from your home university. You’ll be on your own for the application process, and the credit transfer process might be longer and complicated. If you wish to gain academic credit towards your degree then you must speak with an academic advisor before you apply to ensure that what you are intending to do abroad will be an appropriate academic match for you. It may take some patience and determination to get through the various steps independently.

Please also keep in mind also that once you are abroad, you should retain communication with your home university advisors, especially if you decide to change course options. If you do not inform your home university of any academic changes, then you risk not having your credits gained abroad transferred to your degree.

This option requires a certain amount of independence and self-reliance, so be prepared to do considerable legwork if you hope to make this happen. Having said that, while patience may be required, a lot of these steps do not require a PhD, so if you believe direct enrollment study abroad is the best option for you, don’t be afraid to take the challenge. It can be really rewarding to know that you have organized your own study abroad experience independently.

 Third Party Study Abroad Organizations

Studying abroad through a dedicated study abroad organization is a popular option among American students. This can be an attractive option for those who cannot find a suitable exchange and don’t want to go it alone via direct enrollment, or those want to study for a shorter period of time—a couple of weeks or a summer, instead of a full semester or academic year.

Today, there are endless study abroad organizations offering anything from scuba diving off the Great Barrier Reef while studying biology in Australia, to studying Shakespeare in the Bard’s home country, to learning about Italian art and culture in Florence. Many of these options are affiliated with an overseas university, which would supply you with academic credit. This is where the process of narrowing down your options can become really overwhelming!

The real advantage of studying abroad through a dedicated organization—aside from program choice—is that you will be supported throughout the entire process, from initial program guidance to applications, visas, accommodations, vaccinations, cultural adjustment and academic credit transfer. There is such a lot of competition amongst study abroad organizations that they do their best to offer attractive courses and, in general, will work really hard for you. The flip side of this, of course, is that you have to pay for all of this support. Many of these study abroad experiences are expensive.

Many students work with a study abroad organization because it helps them arrange experiences that would otherwise be very difficult to organize on their own, or to experience something very specialized. Some students study abroad in this way if they are not granted a place on exchange with their university, but want to have an international learning experience. Third party study abroad organizations tend to be a little more lenient in terms of your grades or academic performance.

One of these programs can also easily be used as an add-on to another study abroad experience. For example, you might already have been accepted by your university to go on an exchange, but maybe you want to gain some extra credits and add a summer study abroad program following your exchange. Many study abroad organizations offer language programs which are of interest to some students as summer opportunities.

One of the great things about these programs is that they can often be very versatile. It is about doing your research, and finding options that are right for you. You may wish to use Verge Magazine’s Program Search Tool for a look at some of the study abroad organizations and programs available to you. Our How to Choose section will help guide you through the process of deciding if this is right for you, and which program will fit your needs. Some of these study abroad programs also offer volunteer or work abroad experiences at the same time, or as an extra to their course offerings. Have a look through our volunteer abroad information if you are considering taking up one of these options.

Be aware that a large portion of programs offered by third party study abroad providers are not immersion experiences. They often take groups of students who travel and study a particular course or curriculum together. This may mean that during your time away, the friends you make and the people you see day-to-day are people of your own nationality, or Americans. While this can offer familiarity and security, especially for students who have not travelled before, the experience will be vastly different from an exchange or direct enrollment—and benefits in terms of developing global competencies may be far less.

Faculty-led study abroad

In recent years, many American and Canadian universities have started to offer study abroad programs or field studies programs that are led by their own faculty, and open to students at their own university and others.

These programs can vary widely, and include field courses, classroom-based courses, or service learning / volunteering. They may or may not offer credit.

If you are at university, check with your faculty to see if they have any faculty-specific trips. These are usually short-term trips that are run by your faculty, largely for students from your faculty only, and are coordinated by a few of your professors. You may be surprised at the possibilities. For example, arts faculties commonly offer language, art, and cultural learning experiences abroad, especially in the summer, often to Italy or France. Science faculties may offer biology or ecology field trips to destinations like the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica. These can be excellent short-term study abroad options with no transfer credit issues involved and generally solid support available through the whole process.

Secondary campuses abroad

Finally, some universities have secondary campuses abroad. Students can attend courses at the overseas campus and gain the same credits, with the obvious enhancement of a cultural experience—though not quite an immersion experience, as campuses abroad tend to host mostly students from their home country (USA or Canada).

If this is an attractive option to you, do some research about universities with overseas campuses. Universities tend to market these programs quite well, and you may be aware of a few. Examples include: Florida State Panama Canal Branch, Texas University’s Seville campus in Spain, Queen’s University Herstmonceux Castle in the United Kingdom, York University’s Las Nubes Costa Rican Rainforest Tropical Science Centre.

Even if you are not a student at one of these universities, you may still be able to apply to attend: many universities are opening up their study abroad programs to a wider audience. Going through a program organized through another North American university can feel less risky than going it alone overseas, and for some students this something that they, or their parents, might be more comfortable with. Other benefits include an easier application process and credit-transfer process, rather than applying on your own. There may also be increased choice in terms of destination and length of programs rather than those offered through your own university.

Examples of university programs open to all students include: Boston University Study Abroad Programs, University of Toronto Summer Abroad Programs, Queen’s University Herstmonceux Castle in the United Kingdom, Dalhousie University Cuba Programs, McGill’s Canadian Field Studies in Africa Program, and the Trent-in-Ghana Program.