Unlock Global Opportunities: A Guide to UNC Charlotte Education Abroad Programs

Embarking on an education abroad experience can be a transformative journey, offering unparalleled opportunities for personal and academic growth. UNC Charlotte Education Abroad (EA) provides a wide array of programs across the globe, empowering students to broaden their horizons and gain a global perspective. With hundreds of program options in over 70 countries, the possibilities are vast. This article serves as a comprehensive guide to navigating the UNCC Education Abroad programs, ensuring students make informed decisions and maximize their international experience.

Prioritizing Safety and Well-being

The safety of students is Education Abroad’s top priority. While students can study or intern abroad almost anywhere around the globe, there are some restrictions. Note that conditions can change rapidly in a given location at any time, so students should check their intended destination’s advisory level regularly. Examples of reasons the Department of State might issue a particular travel advisory level may include unstable government, civil war, ongoing intense crime or violence, or frequent terrorist attacks.

Discovering Program Options

UNC Charlotte Education Abroad (EA) offers hundreds of study abroad and intern abroad program options in over 70 countries. Before diving into program specifics, students are encouraged to reflect on their individual priorities for a study abroad program. Understanding the different program types is critical.

Program Duration

Programs can be as short as one week, and as long as one year. When researching program options it is important to consider the host university/program academic calendar, as it will likely differ greatly from the UNC Charlotte academic calendar. Each program will have different dates, and in some cases may overlap with another term at UNC Charlotte.

Language Considerations

Students do not have to be proficient in another language in order to be eligible to study abroad. While there are many great programs offered in English-speaking countries, these locations can sometimes be among the most expensive places to study in due to cost of living. EA highly recommends that students consider pushing themselves outside of their comfort zone to study in locations where their native language is not a national language. Many programs still offer courses taught in English, and offer language immersion experiences outside of the classroom. Immersion is the number one way to learn or improve language skills.

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Timing Your Experience

Students can go abroad almost any time during their undergraduate or graduate career at UNC Charlotte. Remember to check the eligibility section to see some guidelines and restrictions. It is each student’s individual responsibility to determine which is the best semester for them to go academically, financially, and personally.

Exchange Programs: Immersive Experiences

Exchange programs are geared towards students who are independent and ready for cultural immersion. Students will essentially be treated as a local student at the host university. The term “exchange” means that UNC Charlotte students study abroad at partner institutions and an international student studies at UNC Charlotte (essentially “swapping places”). Exchange programs are offered on a fall, spring or year basis only. Some programs may not offer a fall semester option because the host university’s academic calendar does not align with UNC Charlotte’s academic calendar. There are three different types of exchanges: UNC Charlotte Exchange, Statewide Exchange and ISEP Exchange. Combined, there are over 150+ exchange programs to choose from in over 50 different countries. One exchange type is not better than the other; the program structure and universities are simply different. Students are encouraged to research each exchange type to find the right fit for them. A Cost Estimate Worksheet for each exchange program will be listed on the program brochures.

Navigating the Application Process

Navigating throughout the study abroad process can be a bit overwhelming. EA has a team of study abroad alumni who serve as Study Abroad Ambassadors and Interns in the office each year. These students have been through the program selection process, applied, and studied abroad successfully and they want to share their experiences with prospective students. The first step to applying is completing the Study Abroad 101 requirement. After completing the 101 students should request access to an application by filling out EA Application Request form. Students applying for an exchange program will need to complete two or more applications. The first step will be to complete EA application in order to receive approval to go abroad. The second step will be to complete supplemental application materials either to the host university or a third party organization (e.g. First, EA will determine if the student meets the general eligibility requirements for study abroad as well as any program specific eligibility requirements. After the application deadline passes, EA will review and evaluate all application components to see if the student can be approved to participate in the program. Once approved, students will then be placed with a host institution. Note that approval and placement is not guaranteed. Students will have the opportunity to list a second and third choice university from the list of UNC Charlotte exchange programs in their EA application. Once a student has been notified by EA that they are approved and placed at a host university, the student will then need to complete supplemental application materials required by the host university, the sponsoring institution, and/or ISEP in order to receive official acceptance into the program. Upon your placements, EA will provide further instructions on supplemental application requirements, how to complete them, and deadlines.

Academic Credit and Course Selection

An important part of studying abroad is the “study” component. Each program brochure will have an “Academics” or “Courses” section where students can access a list of courses offered at that institution. Students may find it helpful to first find out what UNC Charlotte courses they will need to take in the upcoming semesters to complete graduation requirements by meeting with their academic adviser.

Ensuring Credit Transfer

Students should reference the Can I Get Credit? PhaseDescriptionBefore Research Programs- Meet with your Academic Advisor(s) - Determine what UNC Charlotte courses you have yet to take to complete your degree requirements While Researching Programs- Look at list of courses this program offers -Compare it to the courses you had yet to take to complete your degree requirements - Determine whether or not the program offers courses you’re interested in taking or that you think would satisfy your degree requirements - Compare the course descriptions of the host courses with the UNC Charlotte course you think it matches - If there are several courses that you think might work for you and the course descriptions are similar, chances are your academic department will be able to assign the equivalent credit Applying- Once you determine a program is a good academic, financial and personal fit for you, apply to UNC Charlotte Education Abroad in order to receive approval and placement Upon Approval & Placement- If and once you receive approval and placement, you will then be given access to a document called a Course Equivalency Form.

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Course Registration Procedures

Once approved to study abroad, students will be enrolled in courses at UNC Charlotte and/or abroad. Students participating on an exchange, affiliate provider, direct enrollment or freestanding faculty-led program will be enrolled in a placeholder course by EA for the semester of their program abroad. The placeholder course ensures students remain enrolled at the University for the duration of their program in order to access financial aid, scholarships, as well as to be awarded the credit from their study abroad program. This placeholder course will appear on a student’s UNC Charlotte transcript while they are abroad (FRST 3000 for undergraduate students and FRST 6000 for graduate students). Students participating on an Embedded Faculty-Led Program will enroll in the actual course credit tied to their program during the registration window for the term abroad. Students on Faculty-Led Programs will generally only be registered at UNC Charlotte as the courses are set by the faculty member leading the program.

For students participating on Exchange, Affiliate, or Direct Enrollment programs, registration will be very different than registering at UNC Charlotte. For some programs, the full list of courses may not be available until a few months before the program and registration will occur on-site. For other programs, the courses may be available upon approval and registration may occur prior to departure or may occur on-site upon arriving. Students may or may not be able to choose the days and times of their class schedule. It is important that students do not plan any personal travel until they know what their final course schedule will be. Students also need to recognize that courses abroad are never guaranteed. Similar to UNC Charlotte, courses can close due to capacity or be canceled due to lack of enrollment.

For students studying in non-English speaking countries, most programs will offer language courses to help students gain fluency or for those who need to learn some basic phrases. For those intending to focus on language, a placement test will be required to determine the student’s level in the language. This test may be administered online or given in-person upon arrival. If a student needs a specific course to stay on track with graduation requirements it may be possible, however, students will need to consult with EA and their Academic Advisor before doing so. Learning and adapting to a new academic environment may increase your workload.

Faculty-Led Programs: Guided Experiences

Faculty-led programs are credit-bearing study abroad experiences that are developed and led by UNC Charlotte faculty and/or staff members, managed by UNC Charlotte, and that deliver specific UNC Charlotte courses partially or mostly abroad. Most programs are offered during semester breaks (i.e. There are two primary types of Faculty-Led Programs: Embedded and Freestanding. Embedded simply means that the study abroad experience is a required part of a UNC Charlotte course(s) taught during the Fall or Spring semester. A Freestanding program is still managed by UNC Charlotte and offers UNC Charlotte course credit; Freestanding simply means that the course content is delivered entirely on-site abroad. A budget for each faculty-led program will be listed on the program brochure in the Money Matters section. Students should reference the Can I Get Credit? Participants are required to register for the corresponding on-campus course by the University add/drop deadline for the applicable term. The Faculty Director will provide participants with the section number for the course tied to the study abroad program or will enroll all participants in the applicable course. Students will be unable to register in the study abroad course if they have a hold on their UNC Charlotte Student Account. EA will register participants into a non-tuition bearing study abroad “placeholder” course, called “FRST”. The FRST course allows participants to remain active students at UNC Charlotte while abroad. The actual UNC Charlotte credit students will receive for the program will be added to your UNC Charlotte transcript after the program ends. EA processes the grades awarded by the Faculty Director and sends them to the Registrar. Grades will post to transcripts within 4-5 weeks after EA receives all the grades awarded by all Faculty Directors/institutions as applicable. The first step to applying is completing the Study Abroad 101 requirement. After completing Study Abroad 101, students will be able to apply directly to the open program of their choice by visiting the relevant program’s webpage. Faculty-Led programs operate on a rolling admissions basis up to the final application deadline, or until the program fills. Should the program reach its maximum enrollment prior to the final application or confirmation deadlines, the program will close and further applications will no longer be accepted. First, EA will determine if the student meets the general eligibility requirements for study abroad as well as any program-specific eligibility requirements. Once EA has reviewed each application, it will then be forwarded on to the Faculty Director for a final review and admission decision. When students confirm their intent to participate in a program by submitting an application fee and signing the confirmation documents, the Education Abroad office begins to make financial commitments on their behalf, both administratively on campus and also to our international partners.

Financial Considerations

Many students ask “how much will it cost to study abroad?” The answer is that there is no one answer. There are many factors that go into determining the total estimated cost of a program. With so many program options to choose from, it can be daunting to find one that is the best academic, financial, and personal fit for a particular student. Many scholarships are available for students to make study abroad possible. Please create a profile in the NinerScholars Portal and apply for one of the many scholarships available to you.

Making the Right Choice

There are a lot of factors that go into picking a study abroad program. Many students first think about where and when they want to go, but taking the time to also think about academic credit, costs, program structure, and personal fit will help them sort through their options.

Benefits of Studying Abroad

Study abroad experiences bring both cultural and linguistic components to language and cultural study that cannot be experienced in the classroom. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte offers many study abroad opportunities. You can choose to participate in a Faculty-led experience during Fall and Spring Breaks as well as during the summer. Live in a dorm or with a host family. Take classes in the language, which you are studying and in English.

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