Registration for studying abroad in Fall 2024 is coming to a close. To help students looking for their overseas destination, here is a guide to Cal Poly Study Abroad.
Over the past year, Cal Poly has sent more than 1,000 students abroad, ranking highly among American universities and fourth among master’s programs in 2022. Surrounded by thousands of students and hundreds of programs, finding the right location and right country can be a daunting task. However, Cal Poly’s international center provides resources to help students begin their search.
“Coming and working with us is a good way to narrow it down,” International Center Assistant Director Stacey Shimizu said. “So many [options] can be overwhelming, but if you utilize the resources we have, then that will help you figure it out a lot more.”
One resource to use even before meeting with the International Center is the Study Abroad 101 Module, a supplementary course that pairs with the Study Abroad 101 workshops.
“There’s so much information that can help students before coming to work with a peer advisor that can maybe even help answer the questions themselves,” Peer Advisor Erin Powers said.
The modules cover topics ranging from passport and visa requirements to financial planning. Affiliated and non-affiliated programs range in cost, some of which cost even less than Cal Poly tuition. Exchange programs maintain Cal Poly’s regular tuition costs and the tuition for an academic year in Germany through Cal Poly costs as low as $7,400, not including added expenses.
“Come to the one-on-one workshops. We have a whole section on finances and how that works,” Powers said. “With our international exchanges and the Cal Poly Global programs, you’re just paying Cal Poly tuition.”
Scholarships, which are widely available both through Cal Poly and national applications, can be found at the bottom of the International Center financial planning page. Awards can cover either a portion of or entire study abroad experiences and they are often more accessible than students think.
“A scholarship called the Benjamin Gilman, which is for students with high financial need… offers up to $8,000 for a study abroad experience,” said Shimizu, “Thousands of students apply, but about one out of every six students gets an award. Applications are reviewed in batches of 60 or 70… so the reality is you’re not competing against 5000.”
The deadline for the Benjamin Gilman scholarship ended on Thursday, but many other scholarships at Cal Poly are just as accessible.
“I sit on two different scholarship committees that select students for scholarships, and one of the major problems that we have is a lack of applicants,” construction management professor Scott Kelting said. “Sometimes we end up giving it to everyone who applies.”
Kelting has traveled to Nicaragua, Panama and Prague with Cal Poly Study Abroad programsvand is currently the faculty lead for Cal Poly in Panama: Sustainability. The program offers a shorter study abroad experience over spring break where students can learn about sustainable construction hands-on during a week abroad.
“We’re going to remote regions and getting involved with the community in Panama and getting an opportunity to give back,” Kelting said. “It also lends itself to students that might not be able to take [longer programs].”
Cal Poly has partnered with many programs that give students first-hand experience in their respective fields, taking traditional classroom learning out into the world.
“[Study abroad] really fits in with Cal Poly’s Learn By Doing motto because it definitely is, very hands-on, very active,” biology sophomore Paul Steinke remarked, “It’ll really help me find out if research is something that I want to pursue in the future.”
Steinke is traveling to New Zealand with Wildlands Studies in the Spring quarter of 2024 on a six-week program, taking part in conservation and restoration projects while hiking both the northern and southern islands of the country.
There are many options for students looking to study abroad, with different time frames and specific focuses for different interests. Once students have gone through the first steps toward studying abroad, peer advisors are available for one-on-one meetings to help students find the right program for them.
“We’re the experts on all the different programs. So we know the different areas of different partner programs and what is special about those programs,” Powers stated. “We can help give them more of an idea of what would work for them.”
Students can also find programs using the International Center’s advanced search page, which offers options from Cal Poly Global Programs, Cal Poly International Exchanges, Cal Poly Partner Programs, CSU International Programs and National Student Exchange, all of which provide experiences in over 75 countries.
“All of our partner programs every five years get reviewed again,” Powers said, “There’s a lot of effort in making sure that the program is academically sound and provides the kind of computer support and assistance we feel the students deserve.”
Non-affiliated programs are also an option for students looking for something different, although choosing a program not yet cleared with Cal Poly can provide its own difficulties, Powers said.
“They don’t have the same connection to Cal Poly as those ones do. They don’t get the pre-approved classes that we have and you’re not going to be able to have as easy of a flow of getting your credits transferred,” Powers stated.
Students must register for a non-affiliated program through the International Center’s website and fill out course substitution forms for classes that count towards GE or major requirements. The forms may take a few months to process, according to the International Center website.
Look out for upcoming study abroad workshops next week, where students can learn how to get started on their journey beyond SLO.