Study Abroad
All International Studies majors are required to complete a semester-long study abroad program in a location that corresponds to their I.S. language and Area Studies. The study abroad program must allow students to use their second language and cultural training through coursework in the second language, living with people from the focus culture, and/or working with local people. I.S. majors who have completed their study abroad program often remark on how important their immersion into the local culture was, not only for their second language skills, but also for their understanding of and participation in the focus culture.
When abroad, students take a variety of courses. Most often they take language and culture courses, but we strongly encourage consideration of other coursework relevant to individual academic and professional goals. At least 12 hours taken abroad must be taken for credit and grades, and to complete the study abroad requirement, at least 12 graded hours must successfully transfer to UIUC.
All graded and transferred courses from a first semester abroad apply toward the major study abroad requirement. Of these courses, up to 6 hours may be used to fulfill other requirements of the I.S. major, such as Language, Area Studies or PTS Core. Students choosing to study abroad for more than one semester are allowed to apply all of their study abroad coursework toward their major after their first semester, if an I.S. academic advisor determines that it is appropriate to do so.
The Study Abroad Process
Students should begin study abroad research early in their college career, even during the first year, to gain familiarity with deadlines and scholarship opportunities. Campus resources for study abroad research include:
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences: www.las.uiuc.edu/students/studyabroad
• Study Abroad Office: www.studyabroad.uiuc.edu
• International Programs and Services (Scholarships): www.ips.uiuc.edu/scholarship
Generally, International Studies students study abroad sometime junior year. Study abroad second semester sophomore year or sometime senior year may also be possible, but it is often not ideal. Regardless of when you hope to study abroad, please note that all students should be on the UIUC campus for one year prior to their semester-long study abroad program. Exceptions should be discussed with an I.S. advisor and must be petitioned to Dean Rich in the LAS Student Service Office, 270 Lincoln Hall.
Majors must get their study abroad program approved by an I.S. advisor prior to submitting their application and should have their Major Plan of Study completed prior to that time. Upon acceptance into a study abroad program, majors must have their intended study abroad coursework approved by the relevant department. For instance, the French Department approves French courses and the Political Science Department approves political science courses.
In some cases, students will not have sufficient course information for complete approvals before they leave for their term abroad. However, even in such instances, they should meet with departmental advisors to discuss how each department approves courses. Many departments, such as History, have very rigid standards of what constitutues a particular course level. Consequently, it is absolutely essential that all students are aware of these standards (click here to see the History example, but note that this example is not a guarantee that courses that meet these standards will necessarily be approved at a particular level -- speak with the history advisor for clarification).
Once courses are approved by the departments, students must then have the courses approved by an International Studies academic advisor. The advisor will not sign off on required Course Approval paperwork until the student has completed a Major Plan of Study. Once they arrive at the study abroad site, students should contact their I.S. advisor if they are not able to take the courses that were pre-approved and should indicate what their course options are at that time.
Upon return to UIUC, students will not have their study abroad coursework appear on their transcript until all course approvals have been completed, UIUC has the student’s transcript from the host institution, and the grades have been translated. This process usually takes several weeks, and in some cases far longer.