Basic Facts on Study Abroad in the 21 st Century

Consider Other Opportunities Abroad

After investigating academic programs abroad, you may decide you would prefer a different kind of experience. Or you may want to study abroad first, then follow up with a different kind of overseas learning experience. For many students, a study abroad program is the springboard to a lifetime of involvement in international activities. Here are some alternatives to study abroad:

Learning vacations
Designed for adult travelers interested in short-term educational vacations abroad, learningvacations may include archaeological expeditions, historical and cultural tours, or culinary excursions, to name just a few. Sponsors often include colleges and universities, museums, environmental and voluntary service organizations, educational exchange organizations, and commercial tour operators. People over 60 should consider opportunities through organizations such as Elderhostel, a Boston-based organization that organizes educational programs combining classes and hosteling for people of retirement age.

Volunteer work camps
Volunteer work camps offer special opportunities to young people from all over the world to live and work with local people on community development projects. Usually no special skills are required. Most projects take place during the summer for two-to three-week periods. The work is unpaid but volunteers usually receive room and board.

Trainee programs
If you are interested in skilled, short-term employment, you may be able to arrange a traineeship. Most trainee programs are for students who have completed at least two years of college. Traineeships vary in length from a few months to one year, and they usually include sufficient compensation to cover living expenses.

Some colleges and universities have campus chapters of AIESEC, the International Association of Students in Economics and Business Management. AIESEC arranges job exchanges in over 70 countries for students of all disciplines, although opportunities are limited to students at member colleges and universities.

The Association for International Practical Training (AIPT), the U.S. representative of the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), offers a similar network of trainee programs for students in engineering, architecture, mathematics, and the natural and physical sciences. Undergraduates with a minimum of two years of college and graduate students are eligible.

Work abroad
College students looking for work abroad usually find it in the form of internships and traineeships, short-term positions organized for a fee through U.S. organizations, or voluntary service work. Finding a long-term, well-paying position is rare, as such jobs usually go to permanent residents of the country. Remember that most governments require a special work permit or visa, regardless of whether the position is paid or unpaid.

American students can arrange for temporary paid employment in Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Spain, and the United Kingdom through the Council on International Educational Exchange's Work Abroad Program.

Teaching abroad
Various opportunities are available for teaching overseas. One option involves formal exchanges through which U.S. and foreign teachers switch positions and retain salary and benefits from their home schools. Other U.S. educators work for foreign governments to plan curricula or train future teachers at colleges of education. Still another option is to teach at an American orinternational school overseas.

Requirements for teaching abroad vary depending upon the program and type of position sought. In some cases, a bachelor's degree, teaching certificate from a recognized U.S. college or university, and one year of teaching experience are required. In other cases, particularly with short-term English instruction, you can find opportunities to teach English without any formal training. Ability to speak the country's native language may not always be required but preference is likely to be given to candidates who have such ability.

In most countries throughout the world, the demand for English instruction on all levels is great. As native speakers, Americans can usually find work overseas teaching or tutoring English. Your opportunities are enhanced if you have a degree in teaching English as a foreign language, teaching certification, or solid experience.

Minority Student Alumni Project
As part of the Forum on Underrepresentation in Education Abroad, cosponsored by Council and NAFSA, Council's Web page identifies study abroad advisers who maintain lists of past minority participants who are willing to speak with their peers about participating in work, study, and volunteer abroad programs. This information can be accessed by going to Council's Web site at: http://www.ciee.org/council/mindis.htm.

Travelers with disabilities
Students with disabilities who want to study abroad should contact Mobility International USA (MIUSA), an organization active in advocacy for the disabled traveler. MIUSA publishes a quarterly newsletter, books, and brochures that provide useful information for the disabled who are planning international travel and study.

The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange, a Department of State-funded project coordinated by Mobility International USA, is designed to expand the international opportunities available for people with disabilities. Disabled students can get peer advising through the Minority Student Alumni Web site discussed above.

For a listing of organizations and publications offering information about study options abroad, please refer to the Resources for Students and Advisers sections: Organizations and Publications.