Study Abroad Programs University of Kentucky College of

Study Abroad Programs University of Kentucky College of Engineering Ilka M. Balk Director of Engineering Career Development and Int’l Programs ilka. balk@uky. edu; 859 -257 -4178

University of Kentucky College of Engineering 9 Undergraduate Majors • • • Biosystems Engineering Chemical Engineering Civil Engineering Computer Science • Electrical Engineering • Materials Engineering • Mechanical Engineering • Mining Engineering Minor Only: Biomedical Engineering

UK College of Engineering Study Abroad Programs Renewable Energy Program in Pamplona/Spain: 4 weeks (without language component or 6 weeks (with language component) Home Stay OR Apartment Stay Local instructors and coordinators Global Energy Issues in Karlsruhe/Germany 6 weeks, classes only take place 2 x/week. Online assignments Up to 10 German students (from KIT) and 10 Univ. of Kentucky students German students come to UK in the fall for a research experience Calculus in Germany 5 weeks, classes 4 days/week, up to 24 students Company visits one day a week Home stay

UK College of Engineering Long-Term Study Abroad Programs Karlsruhe Institute of Technology – Semester-Long Exchange • Mainly Mechanical and Materials, but Computer Science and Electrical Eng students have also participated • Students continue to pay Univ. of Kentucky tuition, Scholarships are applied • Equivalencies are evaluated by the respective departments at UK • Students have to have knowledge of German in order to take a full course load • In 9 years, we have sent 9 students Nagoya (Japan): Semester or yearlong exchange • CS, ME • students must have knowledge of Japanese in order to take courses

UK College of Engineering Long-Term Study Abroad Programs Study Abroad program with INTI College, Malaysia • Part of a 3+2 program, thus many lower division courses transfer (all engineering disciplines) • Not an exchange program • Students pay local tuition only – about 1/3 of the price of UK tuition • All scholarships transfer Consortia: ISEP and others Multilateral exchanges - UK student can go to any of 100+ destinations, and UK takes one student for each student we send from any partner institution • Some of these destinations are more popular and thus oversubscribed than others (esp. those in English speaking countries) • Burden is on the student to ensure courses are counted at UK

Long Term Study Abroad Programs

Issues and Concerns All study abroad programs are very labor intensive: • Students need to be recruited (successful, long standing programs will promote themselves through past participants • Sustainability and continuity are becoming an issue • Long term programs relay on partnerships, so it is critical to develop relations with faculty and administrators abroad. Cost is a factor for many: • For Summer programs, semester scholarships often don’t apply • For semester long programs, students who don’t speak native language often can’t take a full course load - amount of classes taken for the price of full semester tuition doesn’t appear to be a “good deal”

Issues and Concerns for Long-Term Study Abroad Students are likely not going to be in a larger cohort (as they would be in short term programs) Preparation for the experience must be better (not only language, but culture and customs) – Set realistic expectations If things don’t go well, there may not be a program director who is available at a moments’ notice Students often are very concerned with academics before they depart, but while abroad, academics lose importance: they need to be reminded and encouraged to stick with courses Transfer Credit: Inconsistencies among different departments in willingness to accept transfer credits

Experience Before Graduation UK College of Engineering (AY’ 15 -’ 16)