Riley Scott

OU Across the Globe

05.30.19

Study abroad and foreign exchange programs allow students to broaden their perspectives

Courtney Perrett / For The Post

Ohio University offers a wide range of study abroad programs of which students are encouraged to take full advantage.

There are a variety of programs that are tailored to different kinds of students. The study abroad program gives students the opportunity to travel and meet different people while experiencing new cultural and school environments.

To go abroad, students can choose to study, intern, work, volunteer or teach overseas. There are options to study abroad throughout the entire academic year. Various locations are offered based on the different programs offered.

““Sure, you can point to a map and think you know a country and its people, but going there and genuinely caring and learning about them is so different.”Katie Pittman, Ohio University alumna

One such type of study abroad programs are the “OHIO exchange programs.” These programs allow students to live abroad and take a full semester of courses at overseas universities. These programs can last for either one semester or a full academic year, according to The Office of Global Opportunities’ website.

The Ohio International Consortium, or OIC, also offers opportunities to study abroad. OIC is a study abroad program made up of 13 public universities in Ohio, and through a pooled access agreement, it is able to send Ohio students out of the country for their studies.

The next type of study abroad program you can find at OU is CISabroad, which offers semester, summer and internship programs. The most popular programs are in Australia, Spain, Italy and Thailand, but there are 5 semester programs that cost less than a semester at OU. These include opportunities to study in Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Peru, South Korea and Thailand.

All three of these types of programs allow students to apply their financial aid and scholarship packages to the cost of overseas tuition.

OU students can also take advantage of the many affiliate programs run by trusted providers to travel overseas. These include the American Institute for Foreign Study, Academic Programs International, Cultural Experiences Abroad, Council on International Educational Exchange, International Studies Abroad and University Studies Abroad Consortium.

The Office of Global Opportunities has open advising hours each week to help students find a budget friendly study abroad program that meets their academic needs and is suitable for their major.

“I highly recommend study abroads because it is a great way to step outside your comfort zone and get a chance to experience things you may be unfamiliar with,” said Baylee Gorham, a senior studying media production. “My trip really helped me grow both personally and professionally.”

The Ohio International Consortium and CISabroad are both independent programs that collaborate with the Office of Global Opportunities to provide a wider range of programs for students at OU.

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ILLUSTRATION | RILEY SCOTT

Katie Garrity, a sophomore studying communication sciences and disorders, studied in Australia for six weeks. During that time, she was able to take a course on the indigenous people of Australia, meet two lifelong friends, travel to some gorgeous beaches and go skydiving.

“Going to Australia had always been a dream for me, and once I finally had the opportunity, it was an eye-opening experience,” Garrity said.

OU also offers exchange programs for students to live and study independently at a foreign university for a semester.

The Office of Global Opportunities helps students find scholarships or alternative funding to finance their travels. Financial aid can be used to fund study abroad and exchange programs, which has allowed students to attend school and continue their classes while they’re abroad.

There are 14 scholarships, grants and awards offered through the Office of Global Opportunities and 10 scholarships offered from other OU offices.

Katie Pittman, a 2019 OU graduate who studied Spanish and journalism, was able to take nine credit hours abroad.

“I knocked out my specialization, some Spanish requirements, and a mandatory study abroad for my Spanish degree, too,” Pittman said in an email. “I also was able to work remotely for the journalism school, too, which helped me with costs.”

All three students spoke highly of the lifelong friends they made, the unforgettable experiences and the skills and lessons they learned that will help them in their careers.

“Studying abroad reminded me that the world is so much bigger than we think it is,” Pittman said in an email. “Sure, you can point to a map and think you know a country and its people, but going there and genuinely caring and learning about them is so different.”

OU has a bachelor of global studies program that prepares students to work in different societies. There are bachelor’s degrees offered in African Studies, Asian Studies, European Studies, Latin American Studies and War and Peace, according to the Global Affairs and International Studies’ website.

There are also 14 certificate programs that students from any major can study in.

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