Study Abroad Fair provides opportunity to explore ASU programs
The ASU Study Abroad Office will host its annual Study Abroad Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 21, in the Memorial Union, Arizona and Ventana rooms on the Tempe campus. ASU students are invited to attend, as well as ASU faculty and staff who would like to learn more about study abroad programs.
Study Abroad Office staff, ASU staff from service departments around campus, ASU faculty members and study abroad program providers will be available to assist students in exploring programs in more than 55 countries – totaling more than 250 different programs. Students also will be able to engage with previous study abroad students and international students currently attending ASU, view photos and videos taken by ASU students while abroad and enjoy a DJ’s international music.
There are various funding opportunities available for study abroad experiences. All ASU majors are welcome to study abroad and earn ASU academic credit while experiencing life in another part of the world.
Jenna Ward, a business management major and current ASU senior, studied abroad in Australia the summer after her sophomore year.
“The Study Abroad Fair is one of the best ways to get information about studying abroad," says Ward. "All of the Study Abroad Office International Coordinators are there, as well as many ASU Faculty Directors and study abroad program providers to answer questions and provide information about their programs. I loved being able to walk from country to country and learn about different programs!”
This year, ASU faculty members have developed – in conjunction with the Study Abroad Office – more than 60 faculty-directed study abroad programs for students to participate in during summer 2014. These programs focus on a particular area of study and range from two to eight weeks long.
Students and the faculty member(s) travel and learn together in the host country, forming a close-knit cohort. Most ASU colleges offer at least one faculty-directed study abroad program and many colleges have several opportunities. For summer 2014, new programs have been developed by the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, School of Transborder Studies, School of Life Sciences, School of Nutrition and Health Promotion, School of Letters and Sciences, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts, and the Global Institute of Sustainability.
In addition to these faculty-directed programs, the Study Abroad Office partners with universities and partners around the world to offer approximately 200 other study abroad opportunities for ASU students. These programs are available in the fall and spring semesters, the summer and for an entire academic or calendar year. There are two types of these programs: partnership and exchange.
Partnership programs provide students with on-site staff in the host country to assist them throughout their study abroad experience. Students take classes with local students, international students and/or American students. Many of the courses are taught in English, so local language proficiency is usually not required. Exchange programs are the most independent type of study abroad program at ASU. Students take classes at a local university, so foreign language proficiency may be required. Housing, flights and visas are all arranged by the student.
“Students who study abroad tell us that they, on average, have an easier time securing a job upon graduation because they have a ‘stand out’ academic experience on their resume," says Adam Henry, ASU’s Study Abroad Office interim director. "Students indicate that they gain new knowledge and expertise, independence, cultural understanding, the opportunity to discover new places and a competitive edge upon graduation ... while at the same time receiving ASU course credit. Studying abroad can teach students about themselves as well as the world. Some of ASU's approved programs even offer research and service learning opportunities for students.”
More information is available at https://studyabroad.asu.edu/.