Study Abroad!
The Auburn Abroad Experience
Service to the World
Have you ever wanted to study another culture up close , learn about your major from a different prospective, work with an international team, see the world’s man-made and natural treasures, see incredible sites, meet interesting new people and learn about yourself? If you have, then Auburn University’s Auburn Abroad Experience is for you!
Each year, over 900 graduate and undergraduate Auburn students study or intern abroad in programs lasting from a few weeks to multiple semesters. Auburn students have studied on every continent, including Antarctica.
Programs abroad feature a variety of disciplines, cultural experiences, service learning opportunities and courses taught by faculty from every College and School at Auburn. Each program has the type of housing which compliments the learning and service activities in the program – from homestays for language majors to university flats and field housing for science projects abroad. Faculty led and Exchange programs provide AU course credit and the opportunity to use Auburn Scholarships.
The benefits Studying abroad last a lifetime. They include:
Academic – Learn a foreign language in a country where it is natively spoken, gain geographical and historical knowledge, take classes that may not be offered at Auburn, and gain exposure to a different culture with different customs. Bring back a different perspective to your on-campus coursework.
Professional – Make professional contacts abroad, gain a sense of direction for future careers and education, bolster your resume, and develop critical foreign language skills. Many internships lead to positions at home and abroad.
Personal – Explore your heritage, gain a greater appreciation for your own country and customs, and strengthen your sense of personal identity, flexibility, and creativity.
Intercultural – Increase your interest in other cultures, develop knowledge and skills within a cultural context, and gain insight into how others perceive your own culture. Become a Global Tiger.
Program features include:
- Language classes at all levels
- Interactive learning as you travel to museums, theaters, excavations
- Excursions
- Service learning opportunities(*)
- Corporate visits (*)
- Department specific exchange programs with prestigious international universities.
- Housing varies by program and includes homestays, dorms, flats
- Meal plans (or kitchens within housing)
- Required orientation and predeparture sessions
- Risk Management and insurance coverage while abroad
- Length: 2 weeks to several semesters
(*) Selected programs
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who can study abroad?
Almost any Auburn student can! The requirements are:
- undergraduate, college level GPA of 2.25
- 19 years of age or older
- No pending collegiate judicial actions
- Obtain department approval for Exchange program participation.
When and how long can I study abroad?
You can go as early as the summer after freshman year if you meet Auburn’s basic requirements. Most choices range from a short summer program (4 to 6 weeks), a semester program, or an academic year abroad, depending on your needs.
FUN FACT: The Auburn University Band traveled to China, for Auburn Credit, to perform over spring break.
Where will I live while studying abroad?
Housing options vary by country, program and duration of program. Some of the options include: dorms (on campus), apartments (on or off campus), residencies (group housing) or home stays.
FUN FACT: Wildlife and Forestry Majors studied the Watershed area in Costa Rica while Agronomy majors studied farming practices with Chinese students in Chengdu, China - bicycling to many of their classes.
What does it cost?
Program costs include tuition or program fee, housing, some meals and some excursions. Students interested in a particular program abroad should complete a budget which takes these items into consideration as well as the cost of all meals each week not just those provided by the program(breakfast, lunch, dinner), the cost of excursions on the program and those you want to go on (excursions are often cheaper within a program than on your own), international transportation, local transportation (do you need to take public transportation to class, excursions). The best place to start is with the faculty director of the program your are interested in. The Auburn Abroad Experience’s on-line search engine and application provides links to all programs and leaders.
Can I use financial Aid, PACT, Scholarships?
Financial aid, PACT, scholarships can be used for faculty led and exchange programs. Some programs have scholarships attached. In addition, colleges offer scholarships. There are even National Prestigious Scholarships available for abroad programs. Dr. Paul Harris in the Honors College is the Director of National Prestigious Scholarships and he is available to assist students who are interested in applying for these scholarships.
If I don't speak a foreign language, can I still study abroad in a non-English speaking country?
Yes! Most countries have universities that offer courses taught in English.
How do I decide what and here to study?
1. Outline your graduation requirements.
2. Consider your personal and family interests.
3. Check with your department for programs specific to majors.
Attend and orientation session, meet Global Tiger Peer Advisors, these are returning study abroad students. Many have already studied where you want to go. Talk to your faculty, you will be surprised with their international experience. Meet with the Auburn Abroad staff.
What do our students say about their experience?
"If I could tell someone the one thing I think is most important to do during their college life, it would be to study abroad and travel. Nothing strengthens you as much as experiencing a new culture and place. That spontaneous trip to the Auburn Study Abroad Office during the summer of my freshmen year changed me forever. I would not be the woman I am today without the experiences I had while studying abroad during college. I feel passionately that every student should spend at least one semester in another country to experience adventures of their own.”
– Lindsey Harris, Australia and Antarctica
“Studying abroad in Nice has forever changed me and those experiences will be with me forever. The opportunity to travel and see the world will never again be presented to me in such a way, before the stress of a job and family life begins. I would recommend the program to anyone who is considering going abroad and hope that they can learn and mature as much as I did. Bon Voyage.”
– Matthew Wallwork, France
It’s hard to give a brief summary to such a huge experience. Studying abroad in Ghana has been the most important decision of my life to date. Not only was I able to complete a whole semester of coursework in a unique setting, but I traveled throughout country and met friends from around the continent and the globe. I never expected I would have had such a full experience in a developing country, but after doing everything from volunteering with slum residents to recording a song with an up-and-coming hip-hop artist, I find myself wishing it had never ended. Studying abroad is something I would do again and again; not even an Auburn football season can compare. After all, who doesn’t love monkeys!?
– Sam Broadway, Ghana
The four weeks I spent in Taormina, Italy were undoubtedly some of the best of my life. Having the opportunity to travel to this breathtakingly gorgeous region of Europe with such rich culture and history is a once in a lifetime chance, and I couldn’t be happier to have studied there. Taking classes in culture, food and language in Sicily was highly rewarding, but most of my development abroad took place outside the classroom. My eyes were opened to a simpler, easier way of life, and it was a privilege to adapt to the laid back Sicilian “life-is-good” attitude. The friends I made through studying abroad will last a lifetime, and we will forever bond over the incredible encounters that we will never be able to adequately explain to our friends back home. The entire experience was a dream come true, and I would do it all over, exactly the same, in a heartbeat.
– Taylor Humm, Italy
Want to learn more? Contact us at auab@auburn.edu. Search our program site: www.auburn.edu/studyabroad and click on “Program Seach” in the cloud map. Facebook: facebook.com/auburn.abroad. Drop in on one of our 30 minute orientation sessions, every Thursday at 3 p.m. and Friday at 11 a.m. in room 242 Foy Hall (every week that the university is open).
For more information: Contact Deborah Weiss, Assistant Director, Auburn Abroad and Exchange Programs. Email: weissds@auburn.edu, or call ( 334) 844-5007.