2 April 2019
Sarah McMillan
Regardless of where you live, your age or your major, UCCS’s Education Abroad program is a possibility and option for your educational career.
UCCS offers a wide range of opportunities for not only students but faculty members and sometimes even individuals in the community as well. Through education abroad, students can stretch the limits of their comfort zone and gain a different perspective of life through a completely new lens.
Jacob Eavis is the Senior Education Abroad Advisor at UCCS and has been in the field for around 14 years.
When education abroad was more traditional, he was able to receive the opportunity to study abroad in Australia. He explained that through his own experiences, he was able to realize all of the benefits that studying abroad had to offer, which led him to the successful career he holds now.
Education abroad has quickly evolved over time and has become more of a unique experience for every individual.
Traditionally, when one thinks of education abroad, they think of a student who departs for a specific academic term to focus on their education and fulfill certain requirements necessary for graduation.
However, education abroad can be much more than that original view. Eavis described education abroad and stated that, “It’s no longer a monolithic idea.”
Anyone who has the desire to participate in the large range and variety of the multiple programs that are available can do so. These programs all have a wide assortment of destinations, objectives, lengths and prices.
Eavis explained the almost never-ending list of possibilities and stated that so many different programs are available to “help students find their own experiences.”
Deciding on a destination can be quite intimidating, because there are a multitude of options. However, there are certain factors to keep in mind, such as: the reason that is driving them to go abroad and their budget, to name a couple.
When choosing a destination, it is common to make sure school credits will transfer and be used toward a student’s graduation. For these types of excursions, some destinations are better for certain areas of study than others. However, a handful of trips are completely optional for credit, such as the majority of faculty directed trips.
In addition to whether or not someone would like to receive credit during their time abroad, the amount of time they would like to spend abroad as well as their budget are often key factors in deciding which program to participate in.
Programs can be as short as a week or as long as an entire year. Eavis explained that there are always options for education abroad including different funding resources and financial aid. UCCS offers a wide range of international opportunities so that, Eavis said, “There is something for everybody.”
The advantages one can gain through studying abroad include personal, educational and professional benefits according to Eavis. He described that both word in the title “education abroad” have their own importance: the education that will be provided in a program is the first priority and the endless amount of experiences one will receive is typically the second.
Whether you are serious about education abroad or simply are in need of more information, the Education Abroad 101 meetings are a great first step for anybody. In these meetings, Eavis will answer any questions and go over the application process, costs, locations and opportunities.
There are flyers with the several available dates are located throughout campus and online. If for some reason none of these dates will work, students can always call the International Affairs Office to schedule an appointment.