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Choose Your Program

Understanding Your Opportunities

UAlbany students in ALL majors and minors are eligible to apply for an education abroad program earning degree credit. When you meet with your education abroad advisor, academic considerations will be part of the discussion.

Types of Programs

Exchange programs allow you study at a university abroad and directly enroll in coursework as a visiting international student. Exchange programs tend to be the most affordable type of study abroad program because you pay regular SUNY tuition and mandatory fees plus your living, travel, and personal expenses. Depending on the cost of living in your choice of location, your costs to study abroad on an exchange program can be relatively similar to what you are currently paying to study and live on campus at UAlbany for the equivalent amount of time. Due to varying levels of on-site support and possible language barriers, exchange programs may require a higher level of independence. Exchange programs tend to have a higher level of cultural immersion because you typically enroll in coursework along with local students and taught by local professors. Most exchange programs are semester-length or year-long opportunities.

UAlbany has maintained a presence in Spain for over 50 years! An integral part of the UAlbany experience is spending a semester or summer on the UAlbany in Valencia, Spain program. Seize YOUR opportunity to be a part of this cherished UAlbany tradition. No prior study of the Spanish language is required and there is a variety of courses and academic tracks to choose from, including coursework taught by UAlbany faculty in the summer. Study psychology, communication, art history, politics and more with UAlbany in Valencia, Spain!

Study abroad programs are arrangements with overseas universities, institutes, and other educational entities by which you complete part of your degree requirements through educational activities outside the United States. Study abroad programs tend to exist in locations where an exchange program is not feasible, because coursework in English is not readily available or because a higher level of student support is required or desired. Study abroad programs can vary widely in cost, length, and type of coursework available. UAlbany offers a variety of study abroad programs during the semester (fall/spring/academic year), wintersession, spring break, and summer terms. Some study abroad programs offer language training and/or excursions and activities.

Faculty-led programs abroad are targeted opportunities for you to learn from UAlbany faculty experts in a particular field while traveling abroad to locations that are particularly relevant to that field. Study social policy in Africa, explore teaching and learning in Belize, and much more! The faculty led program options available are continually updated and refreshed.

NOTE: UAlbany faculty led programs are currently “on pause” through at least Summer 2024.

 

Internships are work-related learning experiences intended to develop hands-on skills within a certain occupational field. An international internships provides you with real-world, hands-on training, mentorship, and professional experience in your field of study. It also provides exposure to international business and culture, through which you gain valuable knowledge of other customs while increasing your self-confidence, characteristics often desired by prospective employers. Examples of placements include partner university labs, businesses, NGOs and not-for-profits, as well as IT, media, and design firms. Students with the greatest fluency in the local language have access to the greatest variety of internship placement options. Internships may range from part-time to full-time and from a few weeks to an academic year. There is no better preparation for entering today’s multinational corporations and multicultural wok environments than an international internship.

International projects at universities and research institutes prepare you for the future of research, which includes increasingly multi-sited and interdisciplinary projects and teams. STEM laboratories, environmental science field sites, archives, museums, and city streets are a few examples of where you can make discoveries and solve problems under the supervision of faculty experts from UAlbany and partner universities. Project duration and location vary widely, although summer is the most common time to research abroad.

Service learning is a process by which you learn by doing and experience personal development through organized volunteer activities. When actively participating in projects driven by local community priorities, you  apply your skills and knowledge in real-life situations, while gaining valuable hands-on work experience. Service learning abroad or global community engagement relies upon ongoing open dialogue and partnership with participating communities.




ELIGIBILITY

Academic Requirements

You are eligible to participate in any program for which you meet the prerequisite courses and GPA requirements. Please check the individual program pages as requirements vary by program.

University Restrictions

You must be in good academic and disciplinary standing. You cannot be on probation of any kind.

Financial Requirements

You need a clean student account. You cannot have any financial blocks on your account. Please see the Office of Student Accounts to make sure all blocks have been listed. If not, you will not be allowed to register for any education abroad courses.

Learning More

Information Sessions and Fairs

There are information sessions or campus tabling events throughout the semester to help you learn about the different programs that we offer and will cover the basic information you need to know about studying abroad. We also hold study abroad fairs at the start of the fall and spring semesters. Session details are announced on our Facebook page and Events page.

Meet Your Program Coordinator

Every student who is interested in an education abroad program receives individual advising and guidance before they apply and go abroad. You can go online to schedule a meeting, call (518) 591-8172, or stop by the Center for International Education and Global Strategy located in the Science Library, G40.

Advising appointments typically last 20 to 30 minutes. During the meeting, you will have the chance to discuss your program options in detail.

Globally-Focused UAlbany Academic Opportunities

Global Distinction Milestone

The Global Distinction is a structured sequence of courses and experiences that prepares UAlbany students to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and perspectives to succeed in a globalized world – to become Globally Competent.

Represented as a ‘milestone’ on your official transcript, the Global Distinction is what sets you apart from peers without a similar experience, particularly when competing for admission to graduate schools or for jobs with prospective employers. It conveys that you possess a global understanding of your field, that you can work with diverse groups and across cultures, and that you can effectively navigate new environments.

Global Distinction Milestone

International Studies Minor

Are you curious about how cultures and languages intersect, how societies solve problems, how one nation’s path of development shapes their neighbors’, and how you can make a difference? Then the International Studies Minor might be the right fit for your interests and aspirations. The International Studies Minor requires 18 credits, 9 of which must be upper-level (300-400). You can use up to 12 credits from studying abroad through UAlbany, so why not just “go away”? International Studies is the easiest and most effective way to document your study abroad credits.

International Development Studies Track

Join social and physical scientists, whose research spans the globe, in exploring the causes and consequences of development, underdevelopment and over-development in communities, and in engaging in real-world problem-solving.

Cultural and Social Area Studies Track

Combine 6-12 credits from any UAlbany study abroad program with 6-12 credits completed on the UAlbany campus, to customize your unique blend of interdisciplinary, cross-cultural studies, including foreign language study.

International Studies Minor