Education Abroad Services organize diverse study abroad opportunities in many different international locations for the fall, spring and summer semesters to expand the knowledge and experiences of UTSA students.
Director of Education Abroad Services Brandon Lanners said, “You should go abroad because you are a student, and that status means a lot when you’re in another country. It gives you the space to try new things, ask lots of questions, get lost and even make a goof of yourself.”
UTSA departments host study abroad programs to help their students gain a better understanding of a different culture and how that culture can relate to their major.
The study abroad programs offered by UTSA departments are faculty led; this means that a UTSA professor will take a group of UTSA students abroad for one to three weeks (sometimes more) to focus on a specific subject related to the professor’s work.
“I think these are great because you get to see aspects of that country through the eyes of our faculty. And just like a course at UTSA, you know exactly what credit you’ll get for your course abroad,” says Lanners.
Business majors are presented with the opportunity to study abroad through the College of Business Immersion (COBi) program. COBi is a two-to-four week
summer program offered in China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Italy and Spain. All of these opportunities are faculty led and are meant to immerse students in international business/commerce, technology entrepreneurship and, of course, the host country’s culture.
Bioengineering majors (and all UTSA students) can attend a summer study abroad program with Dr. Xiaodu Wang–UTSA professor of mechanical engineering– in Beijing, China, at Beihang University. The program is an opportunity for students to learn aspects of bioengineering combined with Chinese cultural activities.
College of Liberal and Fine Arts (COLFA) students can attend either a fall or spring semester abroad in Urbino, Italy. Each semester, this program’s course work is focused in one department within COLFA–history, literature, art history etc.
“I wanted to study abroad in Europe–that was a goal of mine in college. The Urbino trip was cool because the program made it where we still had academics and got credit, but we also had a lot of time to travel to other countries and appreciate the one we were in,” said Nicole Ausman, a senior history major who attended the COLFA Urbino program in Fall 2016.
The Urbino, Italy program also offers a study abroad opportunity for architecture majors. Architects can study within the walled, Renaissance city of Urbino, while studying the ideas and designs that shaped the historical buildings and cities throughout Italy.
Lanners concluded, “You should study abroad, because UTSA is here to support you. Between the Education Abroad office and other campus resources, we will help you each step of the way as you find the right program, apply for it and prepare for departure.”
For more information about UTSA study abroad programs, visit studyabroad.utsa.edu.
