An internship is the ultimate complement that results in international work experience.
Study abroad is an academic endeavor and, because of this, the total cost of study abroad is eligible for financial aid. Here are some academic considerations as you explore programs:
Students who study abroad should consider taking coursework for one of the following goals:
Most students who take courses for their major or minor abroad take courses that fulfill upper-division elective requirements within the major or minor. Often majors and minors will have sub-area requirements with flexible coursework. This is another area of flexibility for major and minor coursework. Some students are able to find one or two courses that fulfill specific course requirements abroad such as vector calculus or fluid mechanics. These tends to be the least flexible requirements to fulfill abroad.
Natural Sciences and Engineering students usually have general education requirements in social sciences and/or humanities. Often SSHA area courses taken abroad in areas like Spanish or sociology can fulfill this requirement.
SSHA students, in particular, can take advantage of the requirement to complete four (4) non-major upper-division general education courses from SSHA areas as varied as English literature to economics. Most SSHA students complete one or more of these required courses while studying abroad.
Language and culture programs usually have a built in culture component focusing on areas like art history, literature, sociology, food, etc. But for students who don't plan to study language intensively, there are several UC Center programs where students can spend much more time focusing on culture such as the UC Centers in Rome, Paris, or London. Students have access to a wider range of subjects in these programs while still taking a foreign language (except in London). Often these courses are upper-division SSHA area courses that might fulfill GE requirements, or even major or minor electives in some cases.
While students usually have access to the local language through either an intensive language program or simply through a host university, there are programs in which students intensively study languages like Spanish, Chinese, French, Japanese, Portuguese, Arabic, Italian, or Russian. Except for advance language learners, the courses tend to be lower-division but allow students to spend significant time learning a new language for graduate school, the job search, or even personal enrichment.
For those not sure where to start, here are some suggested programs by major:
Keeping in mind that study abroad offers academic opportunities in every UC Merced major, these are simply a list of suggested programs and are, by no means, a comprehensive list of academic opportunities for each UC Merced major. The UC Merced Office of International Affairs has identified these as suggested starting points for students, particularly those overwhelmed with the number of choices for study abroad.
UCEAP has also cultivated lists of programs suggested for students in specific areas, including some in majors that do not exist at UC Merced:
With a few exceptions of previously approved courses (ask your academic advisor), courses will need to be approved to meet individual degree requirements. In these cases, students will use the Course Approval Form for the school that would typically offer such a course at UC Merced:
The school will usually require a syllabus or equivalent in order to do a review. Keep in mind that syllabi may be protected intellectual property of certain professors or universities and may not be publicly posted online. If it is a UC Center program, you may be able to acquire syllabi through your study abroad advisor. If the program is with a local host university and the course is not posted online, you may be able to inquire with the instructor or host university in some cases.
Remember that, no matter your primary goals for study abroad, you should be prepared to demonstrate academic intent, whether it is to complete degree requirements, pursue an academic interest like a foreign language or classical art, or personal enrichment toward grad school or career goals. This will be important for statements of purpose, either for study abroad itself or a scholarship.
Want to stand out on your next job application or boost your chances into getting into grad school? Or are you looking to expand your worldview, perhaps explore a side interest? Whatever your goal is, there’s a good chance study abroad can help you achieve it.
Engineering students have several general education requirements that they can easily tackle through study abroad:
These requirements represent the most flexible general education requirements for Engineering students planning to study abroad.
Technical electives serve as the next most flexible degree requirement category. Study abroad advisors suggest that engineers who wish to pursue engineering coursework while abroad and take advantage of the specializations of uniquely-positioned world-class universities save as many technical electives as they can while enrolled at UC Merced and instead target core, prescribed engineering requirements. Technical electives should value at least 3.0 semester units or students should plan to combine more than one course to fulfill unit requirements in this area.
Whenever possible, study abroad advisors recommend that Engineering students aim for more of their major and School of Engineering degree requirements when selecting a program and using the general education requirements as fallback options in case the targeted engineering course requirements do not pan out. In this way students continue to make progress toward their degrees while maximizing their scholarship potential and the the opportunities to integrate an international experience with their academic interests.
For Engineering requirements, students will have courses reviewed through the Engineering course approval form, assuming the courses have not already been previously approved to fulfill a degree requirement.
The School of Engineering has made some previously approved courses for Engineering substitutions and/or requirements available to the public. This is not a comprehensive list of courses available but it may be a starting point in your research.
Additionally, the School of Natural Sciences has some previously approved courses listed online. This is not a comprehensive list of courses available, either, but it may help with SNS coursework to fulfill Engineering requirements.
With a few exceptions of previously approved courses (ask your academic advisor), courses will need to be approved to meet individual degree requirements. In these cases, students will use the Course Approval Form for the school that would typically offer such a course at UC Merced:
The school will often require a syllabus or equivalent in order to do a review. Keep in mind that syllabi may be protected intellectual property of certain professors or universities and may not be publicly posted online. If it is a UC Center program, you may be able to acquire syllabi through your study abroad advisor. If the program is with a local host university and the course is not posted online, you may be able to inquire with the instructor or host university in some cases.
No matter your academic intentions while studying abroad, you should consult your academic advisor and your MyDegreePath report to plan out your study abroad academic goals. Once you narrow your search to 1-3 study abroad programs consult your program page or ask your study abroad advisor about resources for researching courses in your program.
Start planning for study abroad with your academic advisor as soon as you can. One of the keys to maximizing academic success abroad is early planning and scheduling course loads before, during, and after study abroad. This includes strategies such as targeting a study abroad term to exploit areas of flexibility in your academic plan.
Be sure to make use of UCEAP course credit resources below, too.
One of the challenges with academic planning and completing the Academic Planning Form is finding courses. While there is never any certainty with course offerings and study abroad always requires a little calculated academic risk, there are some techniques to minimize the risk and exploit unique educational opportunities through study abroad.
For nearly every UCEAP program page, there will be a tab labeled “Courses & Credit.” Within this tab you will find information and links in the “Course Opportunities” area. The course resources are listed in order of relevance. Depending on the program, you might find any of the following resources:
All UCEAP coursework taken in the last five (5) years is listed in the UCEAP Course Catalog. There are a few things you should consider when using the UCEAP Course Catalog:
There are a few resources available showing coursework previously approved for study abroad online. The resources are limited but they do represent some of the more recent course approvals:
Your academic advisor or school may insist that you need syllabi in order to determine whether a course abroad will substitute a particular degree requirement. While this is generally true, this does not prevent you from planning out your academic schedule abroad and determining what type of degree requirements a course may fulfill.
Sometimes your study abroad advisor or UCEAP can acquire a syllabus on your behalf; however, this is not always the case. Please understand that syllabi are often considered intellectual property and may not be shared until the course begins. Previously approved courses (see above) are often your first go-to resource to select courses.
