A Quick Guide to MTSU Study Abroad

Have you been thinking about studying abroad? Did you try to do some research on it and then get completely overwhelmed and give up? If you answered yes, I don’t blame you. Studying abroad, especially when you know nothing about it, can seem incredibly complicated and daunting. There is so much information out there that it can look like an extremely confusing process, but in reality, it’s very simple.

When you start thinking about studying abroad, likely the first thing you’ll do is look at destinations and what courses are offered in your ideal country. There are three different types of programs offered by MTSU:

1. MTSU Signature Programs, which are short (typically 2-4 weeks), faculty-led, specialized courses often during the breaks.
2. Program Providers, which are third-party organizations that offer study abroad programs in a variety of different countries. These usually offer both short-term and long-term programs, and you study with students across the U.S. rather than just other MTSU students. CIEE, ISA, and USAC are examples of program providers.
3. Exchange Programs, in which you study at a host university in a different country. These programs are usually long-term (a semester or an academic year) and give you the opportunity to study with students from your host country.

If you’re on team “C’s get degrees,” you might be wondering if you even qualify to study abroad. Turns out, the requirements aren’t too hard to meet! Here are the basics:

• You will need a minimum GPA of 2.0 for short term programs, or 2.5 for long-term (i.e. semester/academic year).
• If you’re a transfer student, you need to have transferred at least 12 credits to MTSU, completed one full semester, and have at least a 2.5 GPA.
• If you’re a freshman, you’re highly encouraged to have completed a full year before studying abroad. However, you can always talk to the study abroad office if you have different plans.
• You have to be at least 18.
• You have to pay an Education Abroad fee of $50.

We all know college isn’t cheap. You might think it’s outrageously expensive to study abroad, but it typically is pretty reasonable and there are tons of resources out there to help you pay for your trip. Financial Aid can be applied to your program as long as it meets your degree requirements (so basically just ask your advisor if the program you’re thinking about will fit into your degree plan). To receive financial aid abroad, you much take at least 12 credit hours for a semester or 6 for summer. Also, MTSU offers multiple scholarships specifically for study abroad programs, which I will list below:

• MTSU Office of Education Abroad Scholarship
  • Minimum GPA of 2.8
• MTSU Office of Education Abroad Grant
  • GPA of 2.0-2.799
  • Only for summer term
• MTSU Office of Education Abroad Commitment Scholarship
  • MTSU Signature Program Only
  • $500 award (covers non-refundable program deposit)
  • Only for the first 8 students in the program
• MTSU Office of Education Abroad Media Scholarship
  • MTSU Signature Program Only
  • Only 10 available, only one per signature program
  • Propose your own media project

So you’ve been researching, you found your perfect program, and you’ve made your decision. What’s next? Depending on the type of program you chose, you might have separate requirements to meet for your specific program. But generally, MTSU’s study abroad journey goes like this:

1. Request preapproval on the Education Abroad website.
2. Pick your program and apply for it. If it’s a provider or an exchange program, there will usually be a section in the application for you to enter in your study abroad advisor’s email so the program can notify MTSU that you’re planning to study abroad.
3. You’ll want to make an appointment with your regular advisor and have them fill out a course approval form (which is available for download on the MTSU education abroad page). This form is basically your advisor telling the Education Abroad office that your program will count toward your degree path, thus letting you receive Financial Aid. It also tells the Education Abroad advisors which class to give you credit for once you return.
4. You’ll receive a Pathway Packet from the Education Abroad office a few weeks prior to the deadline. The packet is a set of documents online that you’ll need to complete before going abroad. This is where you’ll pay your Education Abroad fee of $50 and your insurance fee if your program requires it. It also includes a course approval form, a medical surrogacy form, and some documents that require online signature.
5. A few weeks before your program starts, you’ll attend a mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation. At the orientation, you’ll receive a booklet customized to your destination country that gives you some basic history, facts, and tips.

This can seem like a daunting list, but MTSU’s education Abroad office genuinely makes the process as easy as possible. However, if you’re using a provider or exchange program, you will need to continuously check those requirements to ensure you’re meeting all the deadlines. Some programs require a visa, and that process needs to be started as soon as possible because it can take the longest. My personal advice getting a planner and writing down all of the deadlines far in advance so you can stay on top of it.

The most important thing to note from all of this is that you have an abundance of resources to help you through this process. MTSU makes it incredibly easy to experience the opportunity to study abroad. If you’ve read this far and you’re thinking about applying, here are some more resources for you to check out:

MTSU Study Abroad Forum

The MTSU Study Abroad Forum is a public Facebook group filled with people who have either studied abroad and are looking to share their experiences, or people who are thinking of studying abroad and have questions to ask. The MTSU advisors are members as well, so any question you might have can be answered here or has been answered here.

Global Ambassadors

The Education Abroad office usually recruits Global Ambassadors, or students who have studied abroad in various countries with various programs who can help you with the process. There is a Global Ambassador section on the MTSU study abroad website that lists the emails of the Ambassadors.

MTSU Office of Education Abroad

The Education Abroad office is literally there to help you study abroad, and they will do anything they can to get you there. Located in Peck Hall room 207, they have walk-in hours every Wednesday from 1:00pm – 4:00pm. If you need to make an appointment, you can email educationabroad@mtsu.edu and they’ll set you up.

This information came directly from the MTSU Office of Education Abroad website. To start your study abroad journey, please visit them at mtsu.studioabroad.com.