Receive credit internationally through UAA study abroad programs

Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience in which you gain cultural knowledge and skills that accompany you for a lifetime.

UAA offers a study abroad program for students, with multiple program types and scholarships available. Abroad programs can last a few weeks to a full academic year.

Assistance with payment for abroad fees is available through most UAA and third party scholarships to ensure a more inclusive experience, according to UAA’s Education Abroad Scholarship Information page.

Students who are a part of the international exchange program can attend universities in places such as Japan and Italy.

One UAA program offers Japanese language and culture classes as an area of study for an immersive experience.

UAA also has a culinary and hospitality program in Italy.

Ella Bryner, a former exchange student who spent nine months in Granada, Spain attended classes such as Spanish Cinematography and Intercultural Development during her study abroad program.

Bryner also participated in a student-teaching internship, where she taught English to Spanish speaking children.

Students studying abroad will continue to receive credits for their degree at UAA and “will still be considered a UAA student and may choose to continue working on major requirements within their degree, fulfill classes for a minor, work on language skills, or dive into a new area of study. All course work will return to the student's UAA transcript and will be calculated within their GPA” according to the Preparing for Education Abroad webpage.

You must be a degree-seeking student at UAA to be considered eligible for the program.

New students will need patience as they must first complete 2 full-time semesters or 24 total credits and have a minimum GPA of 2.5, according to the Minimum Eligibility Requirements page.

After being accepted into a program, maintenance and organization of acquired documents is important when studying abroad. It is recommended that all students keep “any course syllabi, course schedule or outlines of courses that you take while you are abroad” as this helps when determining which UAA requirements are met by courses taken abroad. 

Study abroad programs do not utilize UAOnline to sign up for classes. With assistance from the Education Abroad Coordinator, students will sign up for the program by registering for a placeholder course.

UAA study abroad programs are limited to 16 credits per semester. For example, if a student received 19 credits, it can not be guaranteed that the exceeding credits will be counted toward graduation or a degree.

Third-party credits are also considered resident credits. Resident credits are credits that directly affect GPA, eligibility for honors and financial aid.

Nearly everyone who is interested in abroad programs worries about the price, but assistance is available from third-party providers. 

Students may “use financial aid to help pay for program costs” at organizations like International Studies Abroad, Semester at Sea or other partnered international exchange programs.

Comparing the cost of UAA classes, in-state and abroad, Bryner felt both domestic and foreign classes were comparable in price. “I still received my performance and other scholarships so it's pretty comparable. It was all included within my one study abroad fee,” said Bryner.

When it comes to the cost of living day-to-day, Bryner felt that “it really depends on what kind of situation you're living with. The first semester, I was with the host family and so all the food was covered. The second semester, I was in an apartment so I paid for my own food, but it still was very minimal compared to what groceries would cost here.”

In addition to international exchange programs, faculty-led programs may interest students.

Faculty-led programs are in a foreign location with classes taught by UAA professors to UAA students and are generally shorter classes during summer or winter break.

For interested students who are seeking more information, UAA hosts study abroad general information Zoom meetings to explain UAA’s abroad process, according to the Study Abroad Session Schedule page.

Any students are welcome to attend the meetings, but “each session will focus on programs in a specific area of the world.”

Leaving home to study abroad in an area where English may not be the primary language can be daunting for anybody, but many programs “are taught in English and/or offer beginning-level language courses.”

Offering language courses can help ease the transition into a study abroad program but interested students may want to participate in language courses before applying to the program.

Because of Bryner’s understanding of the language before going abroad, she said her transition to the country was much easier.

Bryner notes that adjusting to life abroad can be difficult, but if students are aware of some of the complications before traveling, it can help you through the culture shock of visiting any new nation.

Bryner felt her greatest experience while studying abroad was the immersion of herself into the culture.

Taking the steps toward studying abroad can be quite tiring and competitive, but these obstacles may add to the feeling of accomplishment once living and learning somewhere new. 

“Definitely go for it. It's a lot of fun. Know that you will change as a person if you're willing to be open to the culture and open to finding how you fit within it,” said Bryner.

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