Study abroad – is it for your student?

When you think of study abroad, you may imagine students wandering through the Louvre in Paris or visiting the Colosseum in Rome. While students are able to engage in tourist activities, these activities represent only a small portion of a student’s experience.

In addition to tourism, study abroad is an integrated classroom experience that can include volunteering, internships, and directed travel, as long as learning goals drives these activities. Mason students have engaged in a variety of activities while studying abroad such as studying Andean civilizations at an active research station in Peru, interning with a member of the British Parliament, and accelerating their language learning by being immersed in the target language.

Study abroad opportunities are available for many different majors and programs of study. For example, Mason’s bioengineering program has mapped a curricular match with the University Carlos III of Madrid with courses taught in English. Faculty in the biology department lead students to undertake transect surveys to evaluate the health of coral reefs, and students in the School of Business attend KEDGE Business School, an institution in the top 10 of the Grande École (Great School) system in France.

Although you and your student may think that study abroad is out of reach due to financial burdens, many program costs are equivalent to the cost-of-attendance at Mason. Financial aid and scholarships can be applied toward the expense of study abroad, and additional scholarships and travel grants are available.

If you and your student are worried about safety, we want to assure you that studying abroad is a great way to be independent in the world without being alone. Protocols are in place to vet programs with experts before they go. Your student will be prepared with information on how to stay as safe as possible while abroad. Emergency medical insurance is purchased to cover emergency medical care and evacuation in the case of medical concerns, natural disasters or other crises. Many programs are faculty-led, so a trusted advisor is there to guide students.

Visit the Global Education Office (GEO) online at studyabroad.gmu.edu or email GoAbroad@gmu.edu. to schedule a time to stop by the GEO office in the Johnson Center, Room 235. Your student can also attend George Mason University’s Study Abroad Fair on Thursday, February 14 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall.

Achim Loch
Senior Marketing and Outreach Specialist
Global Education Office

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