Study Abroad

UT faculty-directed programs allow you to study abroad under the guidance and supervision of a faculty member with a group of other UT students. These are generally short-term programs that run during Winter and/or May mini-term, summer, and spring break and involve taking a UT courses abroad.

These programs can be great for the student who has never traveled abroad before and/or who likes the idea of traveling in a group with UT faculty and staff. Students often build great relationships with each other and their faculty, that can last through college and beyone. This option is also great for students who hope to take specific UT coursework abroad and/or do not want to navigate the transfer course approval process.

GPA requirements and pre-requisite coursework will vary by each program.

Coursework: The courses are taught by the faculty who take the group of students abroad, and may include class time before and after the abroad portion of the course. They may include a mix of lectures, site visits, tests, projects, journals, papers, etc. Since these literally ARE UT courses, the grades will be included in your UT GPA and these courses do not need to be evaluated beforehand, as they are UT courses.

List of Faculty Directed Programs offered in the College of Arts and Sciences

Affiliate programs are coordinated by study abroad companies and other universities that are in the business of facilitating study abroad experiences for students. These program providers offer the greatest variety of schools and countries to choose from. Programs generally are offered in mini sessions, Fall, Spring, Summer and possibly an academic year.
Affiliate programs offer the most options for duration, location, and often times, course selection. They also may be great for a student who seeks more independence or course availability than a faculty directed program might offer, but who also might like the support an affiliate provider can provide, such as coordinated housing, pick ups from the airport, planned weekend excursions, and support staff in the city of your program.
Many affiliate providers have a 2.5 GPA, but there are some with higher requirements. Some allow you to take any coursework, while others might require you to take a language course and/or a certain amount of credits while abroad.
Coursework: Affiliate providers may offer courses themselves through a study center, help connect students with courses at a local university, or both. These courses will ALWAYS be considered transfer courses and will need to be evaluated BEFORE you go abroad, on something called the Request for Transfer Credit Form (RTCF.) Read more about this process in the Academics and Advising section.
Examples of Affiliate Providers:

• ISA
• CIEE
• CEA CAPA
• IES

Exchange programs exist when agreements are made between the UT Programs Abroad office and institutions abroad, where students from UT can apply to attend one of our exchange partners, through a special financial agreement where UT students pay UT tuition. There are limited seats available in each program each year and admission requirements can be higher then that of affiliate providers. Students interested in this option should talk to programs abroad and explore if an exchange program is a feasible option.
Unlike affiliate providers who serve as a liaison between the student and the institution, exchange programs allow students to enroll directly in the university, take courses alongside local and international students, and interact with campus offices and resources directly. This option is great for students who are more independent, resourceful, and self-reliant.
Due to limited capacity, exchange programs can be very competitive, with minimum GPA’s of 3.0, but frequently students are admitted who have higher GPA’s.
Coursework: Like affiliate programs, courses taken through an exchange partner will ALWAYS be considered transfer courses and will need to be evaluated BEFORE you go abroad, on something called the Request for Transfer Credit Form (RTCF.) Read more about this process in the Academics and Advising section.

These programs allow you to enroll directly into a foreign university, without an entity helping to facilitate that process, such as with an affiliate or exchange. These are great options for students who are more independent, resourceful, and self-reliant. Some of UT’s more popular exchange programs also have direct options, so even if you are unable to participate on an exchange, you frequently can study at the same university through direct enrollment.
Instead of paying tuition to UT as you would on an exchange program, you pay tuition (and usually your housing) to your host institution directly. This can sometimes result in a cost savings, though these may also provide less institutional support. (This will vary by program.)
Many direct enroll programs require a 2.75 or higher.
Coursework: Like affiliate and exchange programs, courses taken through a direct enroll partner will ALWAYS be considered transfer courses and will need to be evaluated BEFORE you go abroad, on something called the Request for Transfer Credit Form (RTCF.) Read more about this process in the Academics and Advising section.
One of the university’s most popular direct enroll program is through Lorenzo de’ Medici (LDM) in Florence, Italy. Because it is so popular, we have been able to pre-approve some courses and you can find more information about that here.

Academic internships are available through affiliate providers who facilitate your ability to gain practical work experience in a wide variety of fields, while earning UT academic credit . If you choose and are accepted for this type of program, you will be placed in an internship that directly reflects or relates to your course of study at UT. You have the option of choosing a full-time summer internship or a part-time internship combined with a traditional study abroad program.

This is important because certain types of aid require that you take degree applicable coursework abroad, which requires a lot of planning in advance and the evaluation of your coursework through the Request for Transfer Credit Form before you go abroad, but after you have selected a program.

Not every type of program is available in every location and vice versa, so it is vital to know what is most important to you.

2-3 weeks? 4-6 weeks? A semester? A full academic year?
The duration of your program will vary with the types of programs available, and will impact your costs, access to financial aid/scholarships, how many credits you can take, and the amount of academic planning needed.

Or do you prefer a program where you would not travel as a group?

What types of courses might be good fits for those requirements?
Not every program will offer the kind of courses that are good candidates for the requirements you need, so speaking to your academic advisor early about what degree requirements you should look for abroad, is very important.