Study Abroad Home Page

STUDY ABROAD PLANNING

In order to determine which university abroad or study abroad program best fits your personal and academic needs, you will need to ask yourself a great variety of questions. The staff in the International Programs office will work closely with you to answer the questions you will need to ask yourself in order to choose the right study program Some of the questions that you will want to consider include the following:

Academics: Do I want to.....

take classes with students from the host country or classes with fellow American students?
complete major course requirements?
take courses taught in English only?
take some courses taught in English and others in the host country's language?
take courses taught completely in the host country's language?
take courses that I could never take at the University of Scranton?
follow an academic calendar similar to the University of Scranton?
take classes on the history and culture of my host country?
have small classes or large lecture classes?

Language: Do I want to.....

learn a new language?
achieve near fluency in a language?
take courses taught completely in the host country's language?

Personal: Do I want to.....

study for a semester, a year or for a short duration?
explore my family's heritage?
study in a certain country or region of the world?
live in a large city?
live in a rural area?
study during the spring, winter, fall or summer?

Other: Do I.....

have special needs which may require support services while abroad?
have health or medical issues I need to consider?
study in a more or less developed nation?
want to develop specific skills that will augment my academic training?
want to participate in an internship related to my career goals?
want to participate in a service program while studying abroad?

University Life: Will I......

live and study in a campus environment or within an urban setting?
live with other American students, with students from the host country, with a family or by myself?
have to cook for myself or will meals be provided?
live on campus or will I have to commute?
have access to facilities that are important to me (gym, computer labs etc.)?

Financial: What will.....

it cost to get to my destination?
the cost of living be like?
it cost for local transportation (bus, train, taxi, streetcar, subway)?
it cost to travel to other cities or countries?

Type of study program: Do I want.....

to enroll directly in a foreign university?
to enroll in a study program designed specifically for American students?
to enroll in a study program that allows me to study with American students as well as students from the host country?