How to Choose Your Program

As you consider the many programs available (over 140 in 80 countries!), you may find the idea of locating the right program daunting! Don’t worry: we have some suggestions for helping you narrow the search.

These suggestions are given in no particular order. You may want to skim through and see which suggestion makes the most sense for you at this time:

Where in the world would you like to go?

If you already have a good idea of the country(-ies) or region you would like to select for your overseas experience, you may use our clickable, layered map system to find the programs that are located there. You will begin with a map for your continent or region, and then you continue on to your specific country(-ies) of interest from there.

When and for how long?

Among the many UO overseas programs available, there are programs that last as little as three weeks and others that run for a full academic year (nine or even ten months!). You will need to consider both: when you would like to be overseas and for how long. If your major is airtight, for example, and you cannot study abroad during the academic year, you may want to focus in on Summer Term opportunities. (But first, consider that the UO may offer a program where you can stay on track for your major, too!) Or, if you belong to an athletic team and must be on campus in the Winter and Spring Terms for practice and competitions, you may need to consider Fall Term offerings. If your schedule is more flexible, however, then you might begin your search from a different angle (see the other ideas on this page).

Courses in your major or minor.

Some UO programs are designed for UO students with particular majors or minors, and there may be one that fits your area of study. On the other hand, many programs offer courses of interest to students in several different fields. To simplify the issue, you might opt to search for program offerings by major or field of study.

Focus your search on internship opportunities.

If you know that your main agenda is to get some international employment experience while earning credits in your major or minor, then you can probably start by looking into the internships offered through UO-sponsored programs. You can examine programs where you may combine academic study with the internship, or go straight to the internship-only programs.

Go straight to the internship programs:

IE3Global

Cologne, Germany study/internship program

London, England study/internship program

Lyon, France study/internship program

Poitiers, France study/internship program

Consider your class standing and GPA.

While many programs are open to everyone with at least sophomore standing (45+ credits at the time of departure on the program), some programs are limited to students with at least junior standing (90+ credits). Also, there are one or two programs where freshmen are allowed. In addition, most programs require at least a 2.50 overall GPA, although some programs may have a much higher minimum GPA requirement. Be sure to check out the eligibility requirements for each program that interests you and plan accordingly.

Make rapid progress in a foreign language.

If your main goal is to earn lots of credits in the foreign language you’re studying, we may have just the program for you. Choose from the following links:

Chinese: (OUS)-Beijing (CIEE)-Beijing

French:Angers Lyon Poitiers

German:Berlin Tübingen

Italian:Perugia

Japanese:(Senshu)-Tokyo (Waseda)-Tokyo

Russian:(ACTR)-St. Petersburg (CIEE)-St. Petersburg, Moscow, Vladimir

Spanish:Ecuador/PUCE Ecuador/USFQ Granada ITESM Mexico Morelia Oviedo Querétaro Rosario Valdivia

What kind of learning experience do you want?

There are several different kinds of programs among those offered by the UO. Some programs allow you to study alongside foreign nationals, taking classes taught either in English or the host national language. In other programs, you may be part of a close-knit group of students taking the same or similar classes and traveling together to several sites around your local area or the country of study. Read more about the types of programs offered:

UO Overseas Program Models

What kinds of courses do you want?

The kinds and number of courses offered vary widely among the different programs offered. You may find that the courses that best meet your needs are in a different site or even a different country from what you originally had intended to choose. To learn about the courses available in your program, first read through the materials available online on this website, or follow the links from the program brochure to the foreign university’s own website. If you can’t find course information online, ask the program coordinator or a study abroad adviser to help. You may also be able to check lists of the courses already approved from each foreign university of this website.