Going Abroad?

By Amy Bernstein

With 400 students currently abroad this fall, studying in a foreign country is popular at Santa Clara. 

Andrea Muilenburg, Assistant Director of the Study Abroad Programs Office, is new to Santa Clara this year and is bringing a few changes to the annual Study Abroad Week, which starts Oct. 15. 

The week will start out with a financial aid informational session on that Monday afternoon. The session will grant students an opportunity to have all of their questions answered, especially those regarding their ability to afford the travels. 

Santa Clara offers a hybrid of different study abroad programs: some allow students to take classes at local universities, some entail only taking classes with other study abroad students and some have the added element of an internship. 

"We want to help students pick programs that are a good academic fit," said Muilenburg, pointing out that the Study Abroad Programs Office is trying to make it easier for students to pick the appropriate program. 

The week continues with a Study Abroad Fair on Tuesday. During the fair, there will be tables for all the study abroad programs Santa Clara offers. There will also be a financial aid table for students who missed the informational session on Monday. This will take place outside the library from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will give students a chance to see all the study abroad options at once and easily compare different programs.

The Study Abroad Programs Office also added a few more targeted events to the week. This year there will be an informational session on studying abroad for engineering majors and another for science majors. The office will work with the engineering and science departments to highlight and market specific programs that will aid students' studies. 

The study abroad office is also focusing on offering help to students with the application process. Because programs are getting more competitive, the staff members will answer any questions students may have about applying for programs. Essay guidance is also provided.

Contact Amy Bernstein at abernstein@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4849.