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Located in the International Programs and Services Office in room 118 of Whitesitt Hall, the Study Abroad Office offers programs for students who wish to study abroad for a semester, a summer, or a full academic year. Additionally, the Study Abroad office serves PSU faculty who wish to lead short-term programs abroad.
Students can apply online or in the Study Abroad Office.
“…Once they (students) apply, it will be reviewed by a Study Abroad… (Committee) and once they approve your application, then you can start doing all the other paperwork..,” said Emily Ruble, International Recruitment and Communication Coordinator.
With the current COVID-19 situation, students will be able to study abroad in the upcoming academic school year however the situation is being monitored.
“…Just like pretty much everything else, things can change (at the) last minute but generally most places are accepting (students studying abroad)… Things might change as the world changes, as the pandemic goes… It also depends on the country.”
The most popular exchange schools include Finland, France, Malta, South Korea, and Spain. Some universities abroad, including institutions in Finland, Malta, and South Korea, offer courses compatible with PSU’s general education requirements.
If students apply for a non-English speaking exchange program and plan to take classes in the language used in the country they plan to travel to, students must have a recommendation from the Modern Languages and Literature department. If the language of the host institution is not taught at PSU, students should contact Moots for more information.
Ruble advises students not to let degree requirements keep them from studying abroad.
“…Even if it’s not a program that they’re (students) directly linked to… (or it’s not) necessary for their degree, they (students) can still go on study abroad programs even if it’s the short term ones. Even though there is an academic component, sometimes it can be like you take it as an elective or something. So, don’t let your degree get in the way of going on an exchange program if you want to…”
The deadline to apply for a spring semester study abroad program is Oct. 1. PSU has exchange programs to Italy and France in the spring.
Once a study abroad program opens, students can apply anytime they’d like but students should be aware that the Department of State requires that students have their passports for 18 weeks prior for routine processing or 12 weeks for expedited processing to their departure.
“…Don’t plan on doing it last minute because you have to get your visa, there’s a lot of forms you have to put in… I don’t think there’s a time that it’s too early to apply. Probably the further out the better that way you have more time to get everything in order like your passport, your visa, all the documents.., everything like that.”
The Study Abroad Office can assist students with things such as getting a passport.
“…They actually help you through every step of the way,” Ruble said. “… Even if it’s not directly hands-on, we always point the way out for how to get things done and… (be) a helping hand.”
