Steps to Study Abroad
1. Attend an Information Session (Required for Exchanges; Optional for SIPs)
2. Program Research
3. Let Us Know Who You Are
4. Schedule an Advising Appointment
- Advising appointments are mandatory for students interested in a BBA Exchange Program. Stop by the Undergraduate Program Office (CBA 2.400) or call 471-0690 to schedule a study abroad advising appointment
- SIP Students may either attend an information session or make an appointment with Maria Terrazas through the Undergraduate Program Office (CBA 2.400) or call 471-0690.
- Discuss your specific goals with a BBA International Programs Coordinator
- Discuss options and ask questions
- Review funding and scholarships
- Go over application requirements
- Learn what courses are required for completion before going abroad
- Discuss courses available and how they fit into your degree plan
5. Application Due Dates
- March 1 is the priority deadline for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 Exchange Programs.
- Please note the NEW deadline for ALL Summer Exchange Programs is now February 1!
- BBA SIP Enrollment Deadline is February 15. Please note that programs fill-up long before the deadline and students are encouraged to enroll before this date!
- Application is on-line for Exchange Programs.
- Enrollment Application is on-line for BBA SIP Programs.
- October 1 is the secondary rolling application final deadline for Spring 2014 exchange programs that still have openings available
6a. Notification/Decision (Exchange Programs)
- Applicants will be notified of results by early April
- For secondary October 1 deadline, applicants will be notified within 3 weeks
- After notification, students have 1 week to accept or decline offer
6b. Notification/Decision (Short-Term International Programs)
- Enrollment is managed on a first-come, first-served basis until program capacity is reached.
- After notification of accepted enrollment, students will have 2 days to complete required enrollment documents.
- Applicants who successfully submit all required documents are automatically accepted into the program.
- If program capacity is reached, the student may be placed on a waitlist.
- MPA Students - see Lottery Enrollment Process
7. Pre-Departure Workshops
- Meet other students going abroad; talk with returning students; find out about requirements, dates, housing, etc.
- Country and program information
- Cultural and administrative preparation
- Travel, health, and immunization counseling and information
8. Paperwork Due
- Complete all forms and paperwork, including physical check-up with a doctor
- Apply for and obtain student visa/residency permit
- Complete host school and housing applications (if participating in an exchange program).
9. Have a Life-Changing Experience!
- BBA Exchange Participants - Share your travel stories, photos and videos by serving as an official blogger on the BBA Abroad blog
10. Welcome Back!
- When you return, attend a re-entry session and complete a questionnaire about your experience
- Provide any missing course materials so we can start processing your grades
- Sign up to be a Global Ambassador and talk about your study abroad experience to prospective students
- Serve as a McCombs Buddy and help welcome new international exchange students to UT
- Submit an image for the Study Abroad Photo Contest
Information Sessions
If you’re interested in studying abroad on a BBA exchange program for a summer, semester, or even a year, you MUST attend an information session before you are able to schedule an appointment with one of our study abroad coordinators. These information sessions (conducted in open-forum style) are designed to answer any questions you may have and provide basic information on what you need to do in order to go abroad!
View Information Session Schedule
Note: Separate information sessions are held for CIBER Summer Programs, UT Faculty-Led Maymester and Summer Programs, and any other UT exchange programs not coordinated by the McCombs BBA International Programs Office. Check the links below to find out the info session schedule for these programs.
Advising Appointments
You can schedule an appointment to meet with a study abroad coordinator while you are researching, but you must first have attended an Information Session. Please visit the Undergraduate Program Office in CBA 2.400 or call 471-0690 to schedule an appointment.
How to get the most of your appointment and what will be discussed:
Before our meeting, you should:
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First, attend an Information Session before making your appointment.
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Think about your goals: what is most important to you from a study abroad experience? (language acquisition, cultural development, resume building, professional enrichment, personal growth, travel, etc.)
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Start some basic on-line research
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Approach your search for a study abroad program as you would a job search; the benefits will last a lifetime - longer than a job!
During our meeting, we will discuss:
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Your major, courses you could take abroad, classes to take to prepare, and classes to save.
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How to find the best destinations by matching up your major, courses, timing considerations, and your personal, professional, and academic goals.
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Your desired program locations and what you hope to achieve when studying abroad.
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The application process and requirements, including notification.
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Scholarship possibilities and funding options.
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Competitiveness of selected programs, and what is considered in determining selections.
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How to find and use resources for further research and preparation: program materials, media “library,” printed and on-line questionnaires, partner schools’ websites and course listings, course equivalencies database.
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Expectations. For a successful study abroad experience, you need to be flexible, independent, resourceful, and responsible. We expect you to share your findings with your parents and keep them informed about costs, the process, health and safety concerns, and for you to be the source of information to answer their questions.
Enter yourself into the Prospective Study Abroad system to let the BBA Study Abroad coordinators know your tentative plans.
Study Plans by Major
Determining when and where to study abroad depends on factors specific to each student – your major or majors, credit already completed, where you want to go, and deadlines for scholarship applications, to name a few. Course offerings vary by location and semester, so what you want to take while you’re away plays a role, too. Plan early – beginning by fall of second year is ideal - so you can customize a plan to fit your academic, internship, financial, and personal needs.
Except for students in the BBA/MPA integrated approach, studying abroad during fall or spring semester of third year fits well for most students. The examples below show some common ways that McCombs students of various majors fit a semester of required classes into study abroad. Other approaches are possible.
Pre-Requirements:
Students must have successfully completed both Economics and Math courses prior to studying abroad. Such courses do not have to be completed at the time of the application deadline, only before the student goes abroad. It is also highly recommended for students to take ACC 312 prior to departure.
Course pre-requisites do not apply to students wanting to participate on BBA summer exchange programs to Mexico, Denmark, Norway or Hong Kong (CUHK).
Possible Timing, All Majors (Except BBA/MPA: integrated approach)
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Semesters 1-3: Follow general guidelines; Save the “upper-division study abroad course”
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Semester 4: Apply to study abroad by March 1 to spend semester 5, 6, or both abroad
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Semester 5 or 6: Research, interview, secure internship for the following summer
PLEASE NOTE: These are general examples, and more classes may be possible, such as Social Sciences or Fine Arts/Humanities. Each student's situation is unique. Meet with an International Programs coordinator and your Academic Advisor to discuss your plans. See also: Major Degree Plans and 4-Year Sequences.
ACCOUNTING
Semester 5 or 6: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - |
BBA/MPA integrated approach
Semester 4: Semester 5: Semester 6: Semester 7: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - FIN 367 (LEB elective for tax track) Business Elective (LEB elective for tax track) MKT 337 MAN 336 OM 335 Upper-division study abroad course Upper division non-business elective
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BUSINESS HONORS |
ENGINEERING ROUTE TO BUSINESS
Semester 5, 6, or 7 (depending on blocks): *Engineering block courses may be possible at select locations |
FINANCE
Semester 4: Semester 5 (could be abroad semester): Semester 6: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - FIN 367 FIN track course(s) (up to 3) MAN 336 or OM 335 MKT 337 Upper-division study abroad course Upper division non-business elective x 2
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INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
Study abroad is required in a country/region that matches the student’s area studies and foreign language. Multiple approaches are possible. Many IB majors spend a year abroad to become fluent in their foreign language and gain greater cultural understanding. Semester 4: Semester 5 and/or 6: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - |
MANAGEMENT
Semester 4: Semester 5 or 6: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - MAN track courses (up to 3) FIN 357 MKT 337 Upper-division social sciences (up to 2) Upper-division study abroad course
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MIS
Semester 4: Semester 5: Semester 6: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - MKT 337 MAN 336 or OM 335 FIN 357 Upper-division MIS elective Upper-division study abroad course Upper division non-business elective x 2
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MARKETING
Semester 4: Semester 5 or 6: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - |
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
Semester 4: Semester 5 or 6: Possible Courses to Satisfy Abroad - *A maximum of 3 OM courses may be taken abroad |
To start planning your study abroad experience, attend an BBA Study Abroad Information Session, and then schedule an appointment with an International Programs Coordinator and your Academic Advisor in CBA 2.400.
Returned Student Surveys
What better way to learn about what it is like to live and study abroad than reading your peers’ first-hand feedback regarding specific information on courses, safety, culture shock, housing, and money for each of the partner schools.
Course Equivalency Database
Curious about what classes you could take overseas? Search through the Course Equivalency Database to see what business and non-business courses McCombs students have taken abroad and how they transferred to UT.
Important Notice Concerning the Database of UT Equivalencies
You must read and acknowledge your understanding of this policy before you can access the online database.
The database is a very helpful tool intended to help students explore course offerings at partner schools. It cannot replace the specific guidance students receive in an individual advising appointment. To use the database most effectively, it’s important to understand what information it conveys as well as its limitations, as outlined below.
- The database reflects the courses students have taken at some point abroad and the UT credit they received. A student who takes the same business course at the same partner university may expect to earn the same credit, barring any substantial changes to the course content. (See #4 below for more information).
- Each partner has its own guidelines on what type of coursework it makes available to exchange students. Exchange advisors help students match their course plans and goals with partners’ offerings. (At the University of Bath, for example, UT students are expected to choose from advanced 4th year classes).
- Students are not restricted to the courses listed in the database. It is a living, growing document; as additional courses are evaluated, they are incorporated into the record. Courses must be re-evaluated every three years. Courses due for re-evaluation are indicated as "was XYZ" in the Notes section.
- The database provides no information on when (which semester) or if
a course will be offered. For this information students should consult the host institutions’ course offerings on the web or in the printed materials kept in the Undergraduate Programs Office. Often, specific courses are offered just once a year, while special topics courses may be offered only one time.
- The database is a historical record. Just as at UT, partner schools periodically implement curriculum changes, and courses may change in content or be cancelled. If the material covered for a specific course title changes substantially or credit hours are adjusted, (not common, but we have encountered these issues) a re-evaluation of the course will be necessary.
- It is possible to have a business or non-business course at a partner school evaluated at any time, if a syllabus is available. Contact a BBA International Programs advisor for more information.
Reminder of UT Regulations:
- Students are expected to register for an equivalent of 12 hours of courses the semester they study abroad, taking at least 2 business classes (some partners may require more). At some partner schools students may need to take more than or fewer than four courses to achieve the appropriate required load.
- Please be aware of the 50% Rule: At least 50% of coursework in a student’s major must be completed in Austin at UT. For example, a marketing major may take 9 hours of marketing electives abroad if s/he takes MKT 337, MKT 460, and MKT 370 here. For IB majors, the ratio applies to the required IB classes and electives; area studies classes are not included in the 50% ratio.
- Students must take the required integrative course for their major (FIN 370, IB 378, MAN 374, MKT 370) here at UT. Substantial writing component courses must also be taken at UT.
Reminder of Pre-Requisites:
- Students participating on a semester or year exchange program must have completed both Economics and both Math courses prior to departure. Completion of such courses is not required at the time of applying, only before a student goes abroad.
- It is highly recommended that students complete ACC 312 prior to studying abroad.
- Course pre-requisites do not apply for students participating on BBA summer exchange programs
Other Course Offerings at Partner Universities
In addition to the classes referenced in the Course Equivalency Database, there are additional business and non-business courses that the partner universities offer. Students are encouraged to visit the partner school's Web site to view course catalogs and specific course information. View links for all of the BBA exchange partner school Web sites.
Academic Integrity
The UT and McCombs codes of conduct and academic integrity policies still apply for McCombs students participating on UT or McCombs study abroad programs.
Acknowledgement:
I have read and acknowledge my understanding of this policy