Opportunities | Unplash by Razvan Chisu
Opportunities | Unplash by Razvan Chisu
FEBRUARY 22, 2023 — UTSA students interested in gaining exciting new experiences are invited to stop by the Spring 2023 Study Abroad Fair that will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28, at the Sombrilla Plaza. The fair is hosted by the UTSA Study Abroad office, a unit of Global Initiatives, the division helping to provide students, staff and faculty a learning environment that is open to global engagement.
UTSA students who study abroad experience new perspectives, learn how to navigate different cultures, work with diverse peers and communicate in other languages. The life-changing experiences, confidence and intercultural understanding students gain through study-away opportunities align with the university’s Classroom to Career initiative. Study away programs are a popular way for UTSA students to expand their networks and increase career opportunities.
This spring, 141 students and five faculty members are spending the semester in locations throughout the world, including Costa Rica, Japan, France, South Korea and Italy. Another 36 students traveled to other countries to participate in various winter programs between the fall and spring semesters. Last fall, 137 UTSA students studied abroad, joined by eight faculty members.
The fair will give Roadrunners the opportunity to hear from program leaders about courses that are arranged and led by UTSA faculty or staff members. Students can sign up for programs, some of which will begin as early as this summer.
“My students who went all agree that they've grown in a lot of ways, primarily in terms of independence.”
For over a decade, Urbino, Italy, has been a destination for Roadrunners studying away. The UTSA Global Study Center Italy (GSCI) provides students in a variety of degree programs with the opportunity to spend time in Italy through faculty-led programs. What started in the 2010-2011 academic year with 14 UTSA students has grown to an average of 85 to 100 per semester, with approximately one UTSA faculty member for every 12 to 15 students.
“The biggest advantage I see for students studying abroad is the global and cultural awareness that they gain from the experience,” said John Murphy, associate vice provost for global initiatives and executive director of the GSCI. “This comes from living in an Italian town, learning in an Italian context. We literally see students grow in front of our eyes. They truly return to the U.S. as personally and academically evolved people.”
Of the 141 students studying abroad this spring, the GSCI is hosting 90: 72 architecture students and 18 political science and global studies students. Last fall, 72 UTSA students studying architecture/interior design and 12 environmental science and biology students, along with 12 guest students from the Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, participated in GSCI programs.
“Participating students are able to travel throughout the country and beyond during their studies,” Murphy said. “During our fall break in 2022, 80 out of 96 students left the country to travel to other European locations, with over 20 different itineraries and over 35 different groups traveling together. It was an amazing example of student exploration.”
The faculty members leading programs in Urbino have seen firsthand just how valuable this global exploration can be for students. Gwen Young, associate professor of instruction in the UTSA Department of Integrative Biology, experienced this when she led the first ever College of Sciences group to Urbino this past fall, working closely with 12 students.
“My students who went all agree that they've grown in a lot of ways, primarily in terms of independence,” Young said. “Many of them had not even been out of Texas before, and there they had weekends free for long trips to different cities; they all went to Amsterdam and Switzerland and Paris and London and Scotland and Ireland. They just really took advantage of the independence and the ability to travel so easily. They've also learned a lot about being global citizens and how there are cultures very different from the United States.”
Roadrunners currently have many opportunities, beyond the GSCI, to participate in study away programs. Students who select a summer program can enjoy the benefits of learning in a new environment without the time commitment of an entire semester away. In the summer of 2022, 152 UTSA students took advantage of this option.
Isabelle Hall, a senior lecturer in the UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts, leads students on a month-long trip to France in the summer. She has also seen the positive impact time abroad can have on her students studying French.
“It’s an eye-opening experience, getting out of your bubble,” Hall said. “Everything becomes tangible when you live it, applying the language you’ve learned. It can be life changing. You come back a different person. These trips open doors.”
EXPLORE FURTHER
Watch UTSA Study Abroad’s First Steps video
Learn more about study abroad opportunities.
Visit the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards for details about international awards programs.
In addition to the numerous UTSA-led programs, there are a wide variety of exchange and affiliated programs open to students. Students can explore all the available options in the UTSA Study Abroad office. The office regularly offers online Study Abroad 101 sessions and virtual office hours that teach students about the many opportunities that are available. Students needing financial assistance can apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, a federal program designed to open up these valuable international experiences to a wider and more diverse group of students.
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