Many dream of experiencing life in a foreign country and exploring the diverse lifestyles of a different land.
Here at the University of Tampa, many students are able to make this dream a reality thorough the Education Abroad program.
Education Abroad advisor Elizabeth Mills said that you can participate in the program in basically any country except those “where there is a travel warning from the U.S. Department of State.”
A list of travel warnings issued can be found at travel.state.gov.
According to Mills, the most popular options for the education abroad program are Spain, Australia and London.
“[In] 2010, we sent approximately 140 students abroad on semester-long programs,” said Mills.
“We sent roughly 215 students abroad on UT travel courses and UT Athletics Abroad programs last year, as well.”
UT also offers travel courses for students who wish to go abroad for a few weeks, rather than an entire semester.
The travel courses are courses offered during the spring semester that have a travel component as part of the class.
Thirteen of these classes have already been planned for the semester.
UT also offers students the opportunity to get a Certificate of International Studies in which, according to the University website, “undergraduate students will earn the ‘Certificate of International Studies’ notation on their official UT transcript and will receive an official certificate to complement the UT diploma.”
The program requirements include taking two semesters of a foreign language (six to eight credit hours), completing an oral proficiency interview and writing a reflective essay.
The only requirements a student must meet before applying to the education abroad program are a minimum 2.5 GPA and no sanctions in student conduct.
Once the applications are processed, the students will attend their “first step meeting,” in which they will see how a semester abroad will fit into their academic program, look at housing options and how their credits will transfer.
In most cases program providers are put in place to help with housing, site support and other necessities.
Junior Alexander Krischik studied abroad at Oxford University last semester.
“As Aristotle put it, ‘Happiness depends upon ourselves.’ Go out and experience the world: learn, live and be happy.
There is no nobler fundamental endeavor,” said the economics and philosophy double-major.
Students have a great opportunity to learn about the culture of a country through excursions and attending classes on local history and culture.
“Studying abroad is an eye-opening experience, not only [when it comes] to other cultures, but to yourself,” said senior Kristin Curatola, who studied in Florence last semester.
“I learned more about who I am and who I want to be.”
Junior Raquelle Garcete, who is majoring in advertising and public relations, participated in the program last semester and went to Barcelona.
She said, “The experiences that you have and the people that you meet will greatly alter your views of the world and make you want to accomplish things in the future that you never knew you wanted for yourself before.”
Mills has noticed that “a lot of people come back changed” and they come back more “independent and self-reliant.”
The experience teaches them cross-cultural communication skills and how to learn to communicate in other languages.
Junior Travis Marek, a major in international business and management who studied in Rome last semester, agreed with Mills.
“Through study abroad you are not only given the opportunity to see what you have always read in history books, but also the ability to bring a feeling of self-satisfaction and cultural knowledge back to the University of Tampa,” Marek said.
“Federal financial aid is applied as well as specific scholarships for education abroad,” said Mills.
“UT academic scholarships do not transfer abroad.”
The deadline for the summer or fall programs is March 1. October 1 is the deadline for the spring program.
Shivani Kanji can be reached at shivani.kanji@spartans.ut.edu.