SEU faculty and staff play a critical role in students’ interest in study abroad, as well as their success while abroad. Studying abroad is a rigorous endeavor, and faculty and staff can inspire students to develop intercultural awareness, acquire a foreign language, sharpen intellectual curiosity, and make academic progress off campus. Faculty also have the unique opportunity to encourage students to maximize their time abroad, advising them on how a semester or year abroad might complement their academic goals in Austin.

The Study Abroad Office values faculty and staff involvement and encourages members of our campus community, from all disciplines and offices, to become study abroad allies.

Global Teaching Opportunities

As a complement to the approved study abroad programs offered each semester, there are a variety of global teaching opportunities for SEU faculty:

  • Summer Faculty-Led program - available now!
  • Summer co-teaching opportunities with an SEU partner exchange university abroad - starting summer 2023
  • Embedded programs - being reintroduced soon starting in the 2024 academic year
  • COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) opportunities with colleagues and universities abroad - being introduced soon starting in the 2024 academic year

Summer Faculty-Led Program

Summer faculty-led study abroad programs are a wonderful opportunity for faculty to take a group of students abroad for 3-4 weeks.  Faculty are strongly encouraged to propose programs, and a complete guide on the proposal and program development process and timeline is available here.

There will be a call for summer 2024 & 2025 proposals in November, as well as an information session for faculty, with proposals due February 1st, 2023, for the following summer (15 months ahead).

https://stedwards.app.box.com/file/1083994534333?s=498a05i2ut5dri4dqqtu…

Faculty-Led Embedded Program

Learn more information in offering a course with an embedded travel component.

Professional Development

Fulbright scholarship awards provide wonderful opportunities for faculty to lecture, research and collaborate with colleagues abroad. Learn more about this opportunity at the link below and contact Joe Vitone with questions or for more information:

https://fulbrightscholars.org/who-we-are/what-we-do

International Travel Registration

All faculty and staff who are traveling internationally on behalf of the University are asked to register their travel information through the Terra Dotta system via the link below.

https://stedwards-sa.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=32000

Study Abroad FAQ’s

How can I help a student interested in studying abroad?

Identifying which courses students can possibly fulfill abroad is the first big step.  The study abroad staff are not academic advisers so faculty and success coaches are the best people to assist students with this.

You do not need to know anything about the study abroad programs to help students with this first step.

Working with students to identify SEU courses that they could potentially fulfill abroad (gen ed and major/minor requirements) will assist the study abroad office in identifying programs or university exchange partners that would be a good fit for the student.

How do students get started?

It is never too early for students to start planning a study abroad experience. 

When first meeting with a new student, it can be very helpful to ask if study abroad is something they are interested in. 

They should review the Getting Started page on the Study Abroad website which will walk them through the steps and give them an idea of the timeline.  There is also a link on the website to make an appointment with a study abroad adviser.

How can students best academically prepare to study abroad?

It can sometimes be a challenge to find equivalent courses abroad so it is recommended that students save some electives for their junior or senior years since they can provide more flexibility. 

If students need to take a modern language, study abroad is a great alternative to complete that general education requirement.

In addition to the modern language requirement, courses that satisfy the Global Perspectives and Exploring Artistic Works are also good options to take abroad. 

Student can usually find general electives abroad as well.

How do students get courses approved that they want to take abroad?

All students must get their courses abroad approved before the start of their program, ideally the semester before they study abroad.

Students are encouraged to get 6-8 courses approved, in the event some courses are not offered at all or there are schedule conflicts.

View the Study Abroad Course Approval Form.

Do students studying abroad have to register for courses during the on campus registration period?

Students studying abroad the following semester should still meet with their academic adviser to review the courses they plan to take abroad and to get their registration PIN but they do not have to register for courses during the standard registration period on campus.

Later in the semester, study abroad students will register for two courses and the Study Abroad Office will send them the CRN numbers.

  • One of the courses is just a marker course which acts as a place holder and indicates how many credits they will be attempting abroad.  This is not for credit and will not appear on their transcript.
  • The second course is SABR 2150 which is an online study abroad course for 1 credit that students complete while abroad

What scholarships are available?

There is a comprehensive list of external scholarships on the study abroad website, under Finances.

It is important to note that that federal and institutional aid that students receive for the academic year does not apply to summer study abroad. There may be some individual exceptions to this but students are strongly encouraged to meet with their SFS adviser to discuss in more detail.  

How does credit transfer?

All credit for courses taken from a partner university or approved program provider are considered transfer credit and are graded as pass/fail.

How long does it take for foreign transcripts to be sent to SEU?

Foreign transcripts can take 3-4 months to be sent to SEU after the conclusion of the program.  Seniors studying abroad their last semester should  apply for graduation in the following semester since their transcripts will not be received in time to graduate at the end of their study abroad semester.

Do students have international insurance?

All students will have comprehensive medical insurance for the time they are abroad, either through their program or through the SEU policy with AXA.  Please contact the Study Abroad Office for more details.

 

What the Study Abroad Office Can & Cannot Advise Students About

Courses and Credits Abroad

The Study Abroad Office staff work closely with students to help them decide if and when study abroad may be a good option for them.  

While the study abroad office personnel can  advise students on which destinations and programs may be good options for different majors and minors, they cannot advise students about specific courses or tell them if courses will count for credit. 

Those questions can only be answered by their academic adviser and success coach.

Finances Abroad

After courses and credits, the most popular question students have is about financial aid.  The study abroad website contains budget sheets for each program so students, faculty and staff can see the billable and non-billable costs as well as estimated personal expenses for each university or program. 

The study abroad website has a Finances page which contains a list of external scholarships that students are eligible to apply for.

However, the study abroad office does not have access to student financial information and therefore cannot give students any information about how their SEU financial aid and scholarships will apply to their study abroad program.

Those questions can only be answered by the Student Financial Services Office.