2021-22

We interviewed Sara Branley, the Director of Study Abroad, about the SCU Study Abroad Program.  We asked Sara to share with us some insights into applying to the Study Abroad Program. Read her answers below.

What are some of the important points for students to be aware of?
What are the tips to navigate the course database? 
If the course has not been approved for the Study Abroad program, how do you petition to get the course approved?

Advising for Fall Quarter

Applications for Summer 2022, Fall 2022, Winter 2023, and Spring 2023 study abroad programs are officially open in the SCU Program Database!
Advising is currently open and you can learn more about our advising options for the fall quarter on the Advising section of our website. 
Don't forget, it is mandatory to attend or watch all webinars in the Summer + Get Started Series prior to booking a 1 on 1 virtual advising appointment with our peer or staff advisors.

Competitive Nature of Study Abroad at SCU

The number of applicant nominations varies from year to year and is dictated mainly by our allotted program budget. The Study Abroad program budget is allocated in the same manner as other academic program budgets. While demand for the program and overall university enrollments have increased, the budget has not. Other factors that are considered in the nominations each year are the review committee recommendations, cost of programs, and program capacity limits.

In addition to the program as a whole being competitive, individual programs may have enrollment constraints and may be internally competitive. SCU has a cap of 30 students per study abroad program for all programs during the fall, winter, and spring terms.

Remember the deadlines! 

The applications for students interested in studying abroad during the next academic year. The deadline for Summer 2022. Fall 2022, Winter 2023 & Spring 2023 programs is January 3, 2022 11:59 PM PST.

We are recommending that students submit their applications by noon on Monday, January 3, 2022 to ensure that all materials are received and completed on time. Students should be aware that the Global Engagement Office will close at 5 p.m. on Monday, January 3, 2022. Study Abroad staff will not be in the office or checking email after 5 pm, so if there are any technical glitches or if students have questions, we will not be able to help. 

How do students decide what is the “right” program for them?
When it comes to selecting the program preferences for you, there are a few things students should consider, including: 

• What courses do you still need to take to graduate on time
• What you hope to gain from studying abroad
• What you plan to accomplish while studying abroad (aka, setting your personal, academic, and professional goals)

SCU Study Abroad has a lot of resources that can help students select program preferences that students are both confident and proud of. Click here to learn more about the process. 

Then, when it comes to selecting abroad courses, follow our step by step guide for finding courses. Click here for details.

What do you look for in the essays?
Students will be required to complete three essay questions during their study abroad application that must be no more than 300 words per essay. Students’ essays should be tailored to your #1 program preference. When students submit their study abroad application, their essay questions will be reviewed by the Application Review Committee using the Essay Grading Rubric. 

What should you know:

• Drafting essay statements may take several weeks, plan ahead!
• When developing your statements, you should first review the Essay Grading Rubric to further understand what reviewers will be looking for.
• We encourage you to have the HUB Writing Center and a friend, peer, or family member review your statements in conjunction with the Essay Grading Rubric to provide candid feedback.
• Remember, the Application Review Committee is made up of SCU Study Abroad staff and trained SCU staff and faculty from across campus, be as clear and specific as possible in your essays.

What do business students need to know? Are there programs that offer internships for business students?
We look for the number of classes students can apply for their major or minor. If they have a minor, the courses could apply towards both or just their minor. 

Generally speaking, the program will require students to take 5 classes; most are semester programs. For non-English speaking programs, the language counts as one out of five courses. A strong academically aligned program would have 2-3 courses towards the major, minor and/or business core and one towards general SCU core requirements. 

There are over 25 programs that offer internships. Many are business, but a lot of the internships are in communications and political science. Few have a mandatory internship. The students can find information about internships under the courses listed for the program; they are all academic internships and will have a seminar included.  If the student is interested in the internship, the student should pick the internship course as one of the five classes.

What support is offered through the Global Engagement Office for the applicants?
Students can make an appointment with our Peer Advisors and Study Abroad Advisor on our website. We also have a LiveChat right on our website for any quick questions students may have. Students can also drop by our in-person Advising on the Lawn in front of Varsi Hall every Thursday this Fall from 4-5pm. For more information on all these options, please visit our Advising page. 

If you have questions, email studyabroad@scu.edu. Students can make an appointment with a Peer Advisor or Staff Advisor via the Advising section of the Study Abroad website.

In addition to our website and advising appointments, we can assist students in connecting with returned students. We have returned students that help with questions. Students can request to be connected with a returnee by emailing our Study Abroad Peer Advisors at sapeeradvisors@scu.edu.