<p>Wanted to start this thread specifically for study abroad courses that also count as honors credit.</p>
<p>I’ve heard one poster say their D is on the Oxford program. Would love to hear feedback on that one.</p>
<p>Anyone attend any other honors study abroad courses, or just study abroad courses in general?</p>
<p>Thanks for any feedback.</p>
<p>BTW, I know it’s early, but I’m assuming there are deadlines and probably interviews for those programs, so never too early to start asking questions. Once they start classes, the time is going to fly and they’ll be scrambling to get info and meet deadlines.</p>
<p>There are several outstanding study abroad classes where students receive credit.</p>
<p>My son took the Alabama Action Costa Rica class twice. He went there for 10 days the past two Mays and did a service learning project that included teaching English. He received honors credit for each class. This class runs about $1500 including the flight.</p>
<p>Right now, he is doing a study abroad program in Belgium. He takes two classes with UA professors. His journey has included a weekend in London and soon, a weekend in Paris. He has been to the Netherlands to visit the Hague. This past weekend, he and his roommate jumped on a train and headed to Cologne. The study abroad program to Belgium ran about $4400, excluding his flight. My son and his roommate decided that they would take the long way to and from Belgium. On the way there, they spent a day in Iceland. On the way home, they plan to see Dublin. </p>
<p>For anyone worried about a language problem, don’t. Nearly everyone speaks English, my son said.</p>
<p>I was wondering about the overseas experience requirement for the International Honors Program. I believe the website says you have to have an overseas experience that’s one semester or two summers (and 6 credits overseas). Do summers include the interim terms? For instance, would momreads’ son’s 2 trips to Costa Rica fulfill the requirement?</p>
<p>There are officially 3 summer terms: Interim, Summer 1, and Summer 2, so a study abroad during interim term (May) should count towards IHP requirements.</p>
<p>Wait…IHP is one of the changes for the Honors College. The IHP req’ts are being reworked a bit because too many kids couldn’t do the full req’t…especially engineering students. </p>
<p>Don’t want to say any more, but just wait. The change should be more favorable.</p>
<p>We’ve been trying to figure out a study abroad option that would not use up a semester without any engineering credits. Other forum posts by engineers studying abroad seems to be used to get their English, Social studies, etc. out of the way. S has all those completed so it would be $ better used elsewhere. </p>
<p>Another possibility he’s wondering about is using the semester towards additional majors in math and/or physics. Any feedback?</p>
<p>Yeah, for engineers like myself that came in with almost all or all of the basic reqs filled, its practically impossible to fulfill IHP reqs, get work experience through internships/co-ops, and graduate in four years. I really do hope that IHP will be revised to consider more individuals in engineering and the hard sciences. Thanks for the hope m2ck!</p>
<p>socal, I’ve previously suggested to Montegut that her son consider studying abroad in Germany or Scandinavia as those are countries where one might find an English-language engineering program. I’m in a similar boat with my major (economics/finance) and my conversations with Dr. Sharpe have basically said that I need to directly enroll in a foreign university or find a really specialized program. I’ve officially added a math major with the idea that I’d complete a lot of the requirements abroad. I know that many CC posters recommend a long-running mathematics program in Budapest (St. Olaf College in Minnesota is the US-based partner) that I’ve been looking into and also that a similar program exists in Moscow. As for physics, look at universities with strong physics programs to see what they offer and also consider countries that are traditionally strong in physics. For example, the Large Hadron Collider is located in France and Switzerland, so those would be good countries to consider.</p>
<p>I’m really excited for the new UHP/IHP requirements to be announced and hope that it will be easier for those of us in programs where it is rare for students to study abroad to meet IHP requirements. Thank you m2ck for informing us that changes to UHP/IHP requirements are on the horizon!</p>
<p>Thanks SEA-tide. As of yet his only real option so far is Trinity College in England (although for engr it’s either a full year or only Fall semester). </p>
<p>We were looking at Germany for the engr. but haven’t found anything that wouldn’t require some German language knowledge but still looking. I will have him check the St. Olaf options for math. We’ll have to re-check France/Switzerland for physics options. </p>
<p>I know he was hoping to do this in the Spring sem. but he may just have to wait another year. What with trying to find options and taking into consideration Honors requirements, this isn’t as smooth as we’d anticipated. </p>
<p>BTW anyone know, do we go through Study Abroad office, registrar, department - to find out if a program would transfer?</p>
<p>socal2bama: Perhaps your son could approach his adviser in the engineering department to see if some type of study abroad program could be put together for just engineering majors. In the past, engineering majors have gone to Spain during the summer. It may be worth a try to see if an engineering professor would be willing to take on the responsibility of doing a study abroad with his/her students.</p>
<p>The study abroad office is primarily used for help in finding a program and for pre-and post-study abroad paperwork. They could likely help with finding out if a program would transfer, but it is the department and the registrar that ultimately decide what is transferable. Remember that there are many excellent study abroad programs not found on UA’s study abroad site. For example, I know people who study abroad with [USAC</a> - Find your program](<a href=“http://usac.unr.edu/programs/search.aspx?aos=125]USAC”>http://usac.unr.edu/programs/search.aspx?aos=125) and many on CC recommend checking out Swarthmore College’s study abroad page [Swarthmore</a> College Off-Campus Study Office](<a href=“http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/nonenglishspeaking.html]Swarthmore”>http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/planning/nonenglishspeaking.html) for ideas of programs (note that the latter highly discourages taking and will not grant credit for so-called “island programs” where US students are grouped with US professors in a foreign country, which is a common arrangement for many university-led study abroad programs).</p>
<p>The questions that arise are what does your son want in a study abroad program? Does he want to directly enroll in a university and be amongst students from the host country, a program with a mixture of international students, a program with students from across the US and Canada, or a program with only UA students? Does he want to do a homestay or live with other students? For example, there are some students who do not want to do a program primarily attended by students from a single university. For others, a program that they entered not knowing anybody would be an unpleasant experience for them.</p>
<p>A word of caution about exchange programs: as an OOS student, it will often be cheaper, sometimes by thousands of dollars, to pay the host university’s tuition rather than UA’s OOS tuition. This also opens up the possibility of more universities where one can study abroad.</p>
<p>So when UA quotes its program costs (exclusive of airfare and personal expenses) on its website, are they basing it on in-state tuition, such that it will be more for OOS students?</p>
<p>There is no OOS surcharge for UA’s summer study abroad programs. The cost of a program is dependent on the length, number of credits, activities planned, and cost of living in that locale. For instance, Alabama in Bangladesh had a program cost of $2,050 this summer, while Alabama in Oxford had a program cost of $7,450 this summer.</p>
<p>D has had nothing but fantastic things to say about the Alabama at Oxford program. 3 UA professors accompany the group (this year: Dr. Halli, Dr. Jones & Dr. Selesky) and I believe the program is capped at around 30. Students choose 2 classes (6 UA credits.) Classes are held Monday-Thursday mornings. Friday & Saturday are faculty led excursions to London, Canterbury, and Dover. They also do an afternoon trips to the Globe Theatre to see a Shakespearean production, as well as a visit to Blenheim Castle. This year the profs were also able to arrange a special tour of the Royal Courts (unfortunately they did not see Rupert Murdoch.)</p>
<p>The professors also do a good number of guided walking tours around Oxford based on the authors of Oxford (i.e. Lewis Carroll, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, etc.) I know one day one of the walks was 14 miles. If you are a British history or literature buff, this is the trip of a lifetime. </p>
<p>This years group was lucky enough to be able to see the final Harry Potter movie at the midnight showing in Oxford (and of course, many of the scenes in the movie were filmed on campus.) A small group also took a side trip to the British Open where Tom Watson & Phil Mickelson noticed their UA garb & enthusiastic support & gave them a quick smile & wave :)</p>
<p>^^^Did anybody go to Stonehenge? I saw a picture on the study abroad site with a group at that site. Didn’t know if that was the Oxford trip or another one.</p>
<p>Sounds like an amazing trip. Hope your daughter has a safe trip home!</p>