Frequently Asked Questions
 What
is Global Eł?
Who
is eligible to participate?
Where
can I go?
What
disciplines are available?
What
are the costs?
Can
I do an internship overseas?
How
do I apply to participate in Global Eł?
Do
I need to speak the language of my host country?
Is
financial aid available?
Can
I earn a degree at a university overseas?
How will I be graded?
Do
I need a visa? Do I need to register in the country when I
arrive?
What have participants said about Global Eł?
More questions?
What is Global Eł?
Recognizing a growing demand for more well-rounded, global-minded
engineering graduates, a consortium of leading universities
around the world established the Global Engineering Education
Exchange (Global Eł), administered in the United States by
the Institute of International
Education (IIE). This program provides opportunities for
students at member institutions to receive academic credit
for courses taken at overseas institutions, and practical
training in a foreign setting. Through participation in the
program, Global Eł graduates gain the necessary foreign language
ability, cross-cultural skills, and professional experience
to excel in the multinational/multicultural business environment
of the 21st century. Global Eł is supported by ABB,
the National
Science Foundation (NSF), and institutional membership
fees.
Who is eligible to
participate?
Engineering and Computer Science students at member institutions
are eligible to participate prior to the completion of their
regular academic degree program. In the United States, Global
Eł students are typically in their junior year. Students who
have completed their engineering degree or are not registered
students at a participating university, and students who have
completed less than one full year of university are not eligible.
Currently over 80 universitites in 18 countries are members
of the Global Eł program, including about 35 universities
in the United States. Students at universities which are not
members of the Global Eł program are not able to participate.
Find out if your school is a
member of the Global Eł consortium.
Each participating university sets its own criteria for student
eligibility. If your school is a member of Global Eł, please
contact your Global Eł campus representative to find out the
grade point average, foreign language ability, and level of
study requirements at your university. Please email Global
Eł if you do not know the name and contact information
of your on-campus advisor.
Where can I go?
US students may study in any country overseas where there
is a participating Global Eł university, provided that a Global
Eł member university in that country accepts them for study.
Students at universities outside the United States may apply
to study at participating US universities.
A list of universities participating in the Global Eł Program.
What engineering disciplines
are available?
Almost all engineering disciplines are available among the
many Global Eł member institutions, although not every discipline
is available at every school. Please visit the home pages
of the universities to determine if your preferred courses
are offered. Some humanities courses are also available as
electives for those students who wish to pursue other interests
in addition to their engineering studies, with the approval
of their academic advisors.
In countries with more than one participating member institution,
students may express a preference of schools at which they
would like to study. However, since space is limited, placements
at specific institutions cannot be guaranteed. In addition
to academic achievement, universities select those students
from the pool of applicants for whom they can provide a meaningful
academic and practical experience which meets the goals, requirements,
and expectations of the student and host campuses.
What are the costs?
In order to minimize the increased costs associated with most
study abroad programs, Global Eł consortium members offer
"tuition swaps" where students pay tuition to their
home campuses, and not to the host universities overseas.
Housing, meals, health insurance, and airfare costs are the
responsibility of the students for the most part, with host
campuses helping to identify or provide inexpensive housing.
Some
financial aid is available for American students.
Can I do an internship
overseas?
Yes!
Internships are an integral part of the Global Eł program. US
students in particular are strongly encouraged to do an
overseas internship as part of their study abroad program.
Paid practical internships in industry are usually arranged by
students through contacts provided by host institutions.
Internships are
available in Austria, France, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, and Turkey.
Non-US students are often able to obtain positions assisting
US professors in on-campus research. US students may increase
their chances of receiving financial aid by electing to do
an overseas internship in industry. Finding an internship
generally takes considerable initiative on the part of the
student with assistance from the host university.
Do I need to speak
the language of my host country?
For US students, courses in the following countries are offered
in English: Austrailia, Denmark, Finland, Germany (Fachhochschule
Munchen only), Hungary, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South
Korea, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Students who wish to
study in the following countries must take courses in the
language of that country: Austria (German), France (French),
Germany (German), Italy (Italian), Mexico (Spanish), Spain
(Spanish), and Sweden (Swedish). Students are encouraged to
learn some of the local language whether they plan to study
in English or in another langauge. It is strongly recommended
that those who plan to study in a langauge other than English,
arrive in their host country early to take intensive language
classes. Many universities offer intensive langauge classes
for engineers in the summer. Please check with your host university
advisor for more information about such classes.
Demonstrated proficiency in English is required for all Global
Eł students coming to the United States.
Is financial aid available?
Two scholarships are available exclusively through
Global Eł for American students planning to study abroad. One
scholarship, for female engineering students is generously supported by ABB; and the
other scholarship is available for under-represented students in
study abroad. Global Eł also offers a scholarship for students
planning to study in Japan. Additional scholarships are available
to students planning to study abroad with demonstrated financial
need, students planning to go to study in particular world
areas, and more.
Click for more scholarship information.
Can I earn a degree at a university
overseas as a Global Eł student?
Global Eł is a non-degree student exchange program. Students
receive credit from their home institutions for courses taken
abroad, which can be used toward a degree at their home university.
They also have opportunities for internships in industry or
academic laboratories.
Overseas students studying in the US are registered as undergraduate
exchange students and may enroll in master's level courses,
but may not earn a master's degree under the Global Eł program.
Students wishing to earn a master's degree at a US institution
must apply to the graduate school of engineering at the institution
they wish to attend and not to the Global Eł program. If they
wish, foreign students coming to the United States through
the Global Eł program who are taking master's level courses
as undergraduate non-degree students can apply to the graduate
school of engineering of their host campus after arriving
in the United States. If accepted to a master's program, they
may be able to apply those courses towards their degree, but
must begin paying tuition in the next semester once they formally
enter the graduate degree program. Some graduate students
may have tuition waived in exchange for services as teaching
or research assistants; however, the number of such positions
is limited and varies by host university.
Do I need a visa? Do I need to register
in the country when I arrive?
All students participating in Global Eł need to secure the
proper visa for their host country. Visa regulations vary
widely from country to country. In almost all cases, visas
must be secured prior to departure for the host country. We
strongly recommend that students contact the consulate of
their host country at least 6-10 weeks prior to departure.
It is the responsibility of the student to secure the proper
visa. Some countries also require foreign residents (usually
those residing over 3 months) to register with the local authorities
in their region. When you contact the consulate, please check
whether or not you will be required to register.
Click
here for a link to the foreign embassies in Washigton DC.
Please note that some consulates require that you apply for
a visa at a specific consulate office (for example, if you
are a resident of Colorado, you may specifically be required
to apply for a visa in California, or specifically in Texas,
or specifically in another state depending on the requirements
of the consulate). Please read through the consular requirements
carefully, and discuss any questions with your on-campus advisor.
How do I apply to participate in Global
Eł?
Each member university sets its own deadlines for applications
to the Global Eł program, but generally, completed applications
for the fall semester must be received at Global Eł by mid February
and applications to study abroad in the spring semester
must be received by mid September. For current application deadline dates please refer to our home page. Contact your Global Eł campus
representative for the deadline (which may be earlier) at
your university. Applicants must provide the following to
their Global Eł campus representative by the application deadline
set by their home university.
- a brief essay in the language of the host country describing
the goals to be achieved through participation in the program.
(If you are applying to study abroad in a country where
the local language is not English, but your courses will
be in English, you may submit an English language essay.)
- demonstration of ability to fulfill host campus language
requirements.
- one faculty recommendation.
Students wishing to study
in Australia, Japan, Mexico, the
UK and Singapore must also complete a separate applications.
available from their Global Eł campus representative and must
submit their applications by the deadline.
For more information
If you have additional questions about the Global Eł program,
you may send a message to ge3@iie.org
or contact your Global Eł campus representative.
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