Programs

With so many programs to choose from, finding the right program can be a somewhat overwhelming task. We urge you to plan ahead to find the right program for you! Start a conversation with family members, friends, faculty, study abroad alumni, and staff at the Center for Global Education.

Types of Programs

  • Sponsored Programs: USF Sponsored programs parallel the mission and goals of USF. They include programs at other leading overseas universities with which USF has partnered. This is the most popular way students study abroad!
    • Exchange programs
    • Internship programs
    • Field Study programs
  • Intersession and Summer Study Abroad:  Intersession and summer study abroad programs are considered external as they are independent from USF.
  • Global Immersions: USF offers short-term international programs for all undergraduate and graduate students during the Intersession, Spring Break, and Summer terms. 
  • External Programs: External programs include all other study abroad opportunities via other U.S. universities, colleges, or third-party providers. 

Choosing a study abroad program requires thorough research and communication with your major faculty advisor, study abroad advisor, family, and previous study abroad students. Below are some of considerations to take when researching programs:

academics

  • Create a four-year grad plan to decide what courses can be taken abroad and will allow you to graduate on time.
  • You must take into account the courses offered in your study abroad program and find course descriptions or syllabi information. You can find course catalogs in the Academics tab in the program brochure.
  • Academic calendar (start and end dates could be very different from a regular USF semester). For example, some study abroad programs start in April and end in July. 
  • Differences in academic system or learning expectations.
  • Difference in academic credit system -  Not every study abroad program offers 4 credit courses like USF.
  • Is there a variety of course offerings at the host university? 
  • Is there a language requirement or all English taught courses? 
  • Study abroad for one or two semesters? In two different countries? There are visa implications and advance research required for travel to two different countries.
  • Offers internship opportunities.

costs

  • Do you receive financial aid (loans, grants and scholarships)? USF sponsored programs may be a better option if you have a substantial amount of financial aid.
  • Conversely, if you have very little or no financial aid and only need to fulfill core requirements or elective credits then perhaps external study abroad programs may be a better option. 
  • Overall costs (tuition, housing, program fees, airfare, insurance, meals, books, transportation, etc).

onsite support and housing

  • What are the onsite support services, program and cultural activities?
  • Type of housing offered (home stay, dormitory, apartment, meal plan)?
     

The USF pre-application is required in order to study abroad for a semester or academic year (two semesters). Students must ensure they submit their pre-application by December 10 of the academic year before they intend to go abroad. 

  1. Go to the study abroad portal found at https://usfca-cge.terradotta.com
  2. From the menu bar to the left, select “Programs”
  3. Search for your desired program (you may select “Search” for a complete list of our programs)
  4. Select your desired program from the list, then click on the “Apply Now” button
  5. Select “OK” from the pop-up window that will appear
  6. On the following page, select the first option “I have a MyUSF username and password”
  7. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the rest of the pre-application

Note: You cannot submit multiple pre-applications unless you are studying abroad in two different programs (fall and spring) so it is essential that you research and identify a study abroad program that most fulfills your academic requirements while factoring costs, housing options, language requirement. 

Once a pre-application has been submitted you cannot switch to a different program unless you are switching from a USF sponsored to an external program.  You can also switch semesters so if you submitted a pre-app for the Fall semester you can switch to the Spring semester as long as it is the same study abroad program.