Welcome to Education Abroad!
As you may already know, education abroad opportunities are often life-changing experiences, not only for the student abroad, but for her/his family as well. We encourage you to learn about education120 abroad yourself, so that you can help your daughter or son as s/he embarks on this journey and so that you can be informed about the various issues related to education abroad. These include San Diego State policies and procedures, the patterns of cultural adjustment, health and safety abroad, and so forth.
A Very Brief History of Education abroad at San Diego State
Education abroad at San Diego State is a growing trend. Before the Education Abroad Office first opened in the spring of 2001, approximately 350 students studied abroad each year, and 21 programs were offered. In 2002-2003, more than 1,100 students studied abroad on our 90+ programs! Each year more and more students go abroad. During the 2007-2008 academic year, the number of students who took advantage of this incredible experience was up to 1,600!
Our current offerings include approximately 100 programs in countries all over the world, in Africa, Asia , Oceania , and North, Central, and South America . Some programs are university-based, meaning that students live in one place and commute to school to take university courses. Other programs are field-based, meaning that they focus more on fieldwork and independent research projects. Some programs specialize in a particular area of study--for example, music, classics, environmental science, or social justice--while others are general programs, with a full range of university offerings.
Why Education Abroad?
San Diego State University views education abroad as a crucial part of a well-rounded undergraduate education, so much so that a number of majors now require an education abroad component as an integral part of their degree.
The San Diego State Education Abroad Program
The education abroad program at San Diego State University continues to expand and improve with each passing semester. The office now consists of a staff of five, including an Assistant Director, three full-time Study Abroad Advisors, an Administrative Assistant, as well as 4 student Peer Advisors. Some of the primary work that we do to help students in the education abroad process include the following:
- Administer a variety of educational programs, including information sessions, pre-departure events, (packing and traveling, self-defense, European educational systems, keeping a journal, preparing for future careers, etc.), and special events for students who have returned from education abroad. These programs are intended to provide students with the practical, educational, and emotional knowledge that will help them do a number of things, such as:
• Choose the education abroad program that best meets their needs,
• Make the most of their time abroad, and
• Continue to learn from and utilize their education abroad experiences once they return
- Work closely with faculty and administrators throughout the campus to clarify and streamline education abroad materials and policies
- Produce informational materials on education abroad for students, faculty, and administrators
- Advise students on an individual basis
- Talk with parents/guardians about education abroad and related issues
- Assist students when registering for coursework abroad and assist them with registration for the semester they will return to campus.
- Maintain contact as needed with all students abroad.
- Work with our Office of Advising and Evaluations to facilitate the transfer of credit once students return to campus.
Navigating this Web Site
In this "Family and Friends" section of our Web site, we have included links to information that seems most relevant to parents/guardians, families and friends of students studying abroad. We hope you find it helpful.
The links take you to the core sections of our Web site. Browsing through them should give you a good understanding of how education abroad works at San Diego State , academically, financially, and logistically.
In addition, on our "Downloads" section of our website, we have included very important information concerning documents students need to submit for participating in an SDSU affiliated program as noted below:
Study Abroad Handbook
This is the handbook that we give to students when they attend one of our mandatory Pre-departure Orientations or access the information from our website. Print a handbook out if you would like a hard copy of the information that is contained in the core sections of this Web site. It also includes checklists intended to help students in preparation for the program abroad. Other information includes: packing tips, safety concerns, money and banking, on-campus requirements and culture shock and readjustment information.
Additional Information
The Education Abroad Office has additional resources available to families and friends to help understand the emotional adjustments students undergo throughout the study abroad experience. If you would like additional information mailed to you, please feel free to use our contact information below.
Contact Us at Any Time!
If you have any questions or concerns--or if you have a suggestion for how we might improve this Web site--please contact our office at any time. We are happy to talk with you about any issue, no matter how small.
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