MSU Denver Study Abroad Options: Pathways, Programs, and Planning

Study Abroad at MSU Denver: Overview and Options

Study Abroad at MSU Denver is extensive and offers many choices, which can be overwhelming due to varying processes. The office anticipates this and provides guidance.

Pathways for Study Abroad Students

Students primarily have two pathways to choose from:

1. MSU Denver Short-Term Study Abroad Courses

• Design & Leadership: One of MSU Denver's professors designs, builds, and leads a course abroad.
• Typical Audience: Primarily for students within the professor's major or minor, or sometimes related fields.
• Duration: Short-term, ranging from $10$ days up to $4$ weeks.
• Timing: Usually occurs during break periods (Fall, Spring, Winter) or over the summer.
• Course Credit: Students earn specific MSU Denver course credit.
• Travel Experience: Travel occurs with a cohort of MSU Denver peers.
• Costs: Involves the cost of regular MSU Denver tuition (as if taking a class on campus) plus the additional costs associated with going abroad.
• Financial Aid: Students are eligible to access and utilize MSU Denver financial aid.
• Examples:
  • A biology field studies course to Costa Rica (specific for biology students).
  • A three-week summer program in Spain, walking the Camino De Santiago, where the professor molds the base course structure to each student's academic needs. This program is open to students across various disciplines.
• Limitations: While these courses are highly valued, their offerings are limited.

2. Partnership Pathway

This pathway involves study abroad programs run outside of MSU Denver, with which the university has established connections, agreements, and trust.

a. Direct University Connections

• Relationship: MSU Denver is directly connected to these universities, enabling students to enroll directly.
• Academic Focus: Programs can be academically specific (e.g., one university might be best for STEM, another for studio arts).
• Duration: Primarily for full semesters, though some universities also run their own short-term summer programs.
• Course Credit: Students earn transfer credit. Pre-program paperwork ensures classes transfer appropriately to the student's MSU Denver degree.
• Costs: Students pay tuition and fees directly to the host university abroad, not to MSU Denver.
• Housing: Some programs include housing, while others provide resources for students to arrange their own (with assistance from MSU Denver and the host university).
• Limitations: Program options are still somewhat limited.

b. Third-Party Organizations

• Nature: These are typically US-based companies that fully arrange study abroad experiences.
• Access/Programs: They provide access to foreign institutions or run their own on-site programs.
• Cohort: Students are usually the only MSU Denver student in the program but are part of a larger cohort of US students from across the nation (e.g., studying with CIS in Japan, a student would be part of the CIS community).
• Services (Wraparound):
  • US-based offices and dedicated on-site staff, often available $24/7$.
  • Pre-departure orientations.
  • Assistance with visas and travel guidance.
  • Airport pick-up and on-site orientations.
  • Built-in activities and excursions.
  • Inclusion of international health insurance and other comprehensive services.
• Course Credit: Transfer credit based, with pre-approval processes to ensure alignment with degree requirements.
• Financial Aid: Students are eligible to access and utilize MSU Denver financial aid packaging, provided they are taking classes that work towards their degree requirements.
• Duration: Offer full semesters, summer programs, and often winter or J-term programming.
• Approach: There's "no right or wrong way" to choose between direct university connections and third-party providers; the best option depends on individual student needs.

Student's Specific Interests and Academic Considerations

• Major: Psychology.
• Desired Locations: Spain (strong preference) or Italy.
• Program Length: Interested in both full semesters and shorter summer programs. Students who have studied abroad often recommend semesters for a more immersive experience, but summer offers more flexibility due to academic, job, or family commitments.
• Summer Program Credits: Typically between $3$ and $9$ credits, with shorter programs (2-3 weeks) offering $3$ credits, and longer programs (4-6 weeks) offering $3-6$ credits.
• Academic Standing: Sophomore-level credits are needed, currently in the second year of study as a non-transfer student. Considering adding a minor.
• Flexibility within Psychology Major:
  • MSU Denver does not require a minor to graduate, but a minimum of $120$ credits is needed for a bachelor's degree.
  • The psychology major plus general studies often do not meet the $120$-credit requirement, creating a gap that students can fill with "whatever makes them happy" (e.g., language, cultural, or business classes abroad that don't directly align with the major but count towards graduation).
  • The student needs $15$ psychology elective credits, which provides significant flexibility for choosing study abroad courses that count towards the major, even if they aren't exact matches to MSU Denver offerings.
  • For students considering grad school or specific career tracks, discussing minor options with an academic advisor and the department is important.

Program Examples and Recommendations

• Italy Options:
  • Florence University of the Arts (FUA): Known for unique courses built around the city's context (e.g., "Florentine Art Walks," "Food and Culture of Italy"). Offers a few psychology electives for semesters. Locations include Florence (long-standing) and a new program in Cinque Terre.
  • Sarissa: Primarily an art institution but offers a limited range of "regular courses" including history, psychology, and communication.
  • Location Considerations: Reggio Emilia (smaller city, encourages Italian language use) vs. Rome (larger city, Italian language not strictly required).
• Spain Options:
  • Primarily offered through third-party organizations for semesters.
  • Numerous city options: Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao, San Sebastian, Salamanca, Ganada, Sevilla.
• General Search Guidance: The advisor will send curated links, as self-searching on the MSU Denver site can be "really overwhelming."
• Example Program Page (University of Nicosia, Cyprus - for demonstration purposes):
  • Shows program overview, requirements (GPA, student status).
  • Lists courses (e.g., extensive psychology offerings in English).
  • Details excursions, housing (single rooms are rare and a highlight), dates, deadlines, and costs.
  • Cost display can vary: some present a single "full program fee" (tuition, housing, insurance, excursions, support), which can appear high initially, versus itemized costs.
• Example Third-Party Provider (AIFS):
  • Offers programs in many locations across Spain (six-seven cities) and Italy (three cities).
  • Program information includes an overview, inclusions, academics (identifies psychology options), "life abroad" details, housing choices (homestay, shared apartment), cultural activities, dates, deadlines, travel packages, and program fees.
  • Fees through AIFS tend to be higher than direct university connections (e.g., starting around $15,000$ for Italy).
  • Program providers often have superior search engines compared to MSU Denver's general listings.
• Additional Recommended Providers:
  • USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium): Expected to offer strong opportunities in Spain and Italy.
  • CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange):
    • Runs its own "Open Campus Program" with campuses abroad.
    • Structure: Semesters are broken into $6$-week "block periods"; students take $2$ classes per block.
    • Duration Options: Students can do two blocks ($12$ weeks, $12$ credits) or three blocks ($18$ weeks, $18$ credits); $12$ credits is generally more cost-effective.
    • Academic Focus: Psychology courses may be more limited but suitable for fulfilling electives or minor requirements.
    • Unique Feature: Campuses operate on the same calendar, allowing students to design multi-city programs (e.g., $6$ weeks in Rome, followed by $6$ weeks in Madrid).
    • Experience: A multi-city block experience differs from a full semester in a single location.
    • Example Courses: Culture and Cuisine in Italy, Psychology of Health and Illness, Spanish Masters in Madrid Museums (with museum visits as part of coursework).
    • Course descriptions and syllabi are typically available online.

Financial Aid and Costs

• Financial Aid Use: Most study abroad programs accept MSU Denver financial aid, though complex back-end paperwork processes are involved.
• Disbursement Form: A special form (signed by student, program provider, and financial aid office) is used when financial aid disbursement dates occur after program payment deadlines, allowing the program provider to defer payment until aid is received.
• Cost Variability: Program costs vary significantly based on location, program type, and duration. For example, smaller cities (e.g., Reggio Emilia) are generally cheaper than larger ones (e.g., Milan).
  • A double room apartment in Reggio Emilia might cost $\$11,500$ for a semester, while AIFS programs in Italy could start around $\$15,000$.
  • Summer program costs are typically lower than semester costs.

Important Dates, Advice, and Next Steps

• Earliest Opportunities: Summer $2026$ or Fall $2026$ for full semester programs.
• Upcoming Deadlines: March $1$ is a common deadline for both summer and fall programming. It is advised not to wait until mid-February to begin planning for these.
• Academic Planning Advice: Do not use the $15$ psychology elective credits when planning upcoming semester courses, if possible. This preserves maximum flexibility for study abroad course selection.
• Research Phase: The advisor will send an email with direct links to recommended programs from AIFS, USAC, CIEE, Florence University of the Arts, and Sarissa in Spain and Italy (covering both semester and summer options). This will be a narrowed selection from over $22$ available programs.
• Contact & Paperwork:
  • The advisor encourages students to reach out via email or schedule appointments through Navigate for any questions or concerns during the research process.
  • Crucial Step: Students should not begin filling out any program applications until they have confirmed their chosen program with the advisor (e.g., by sending an email stating, "Hey, Jennifer, I've decided to study abroad with [Program Name] this summer in [Location]"). This ensures correct paperwork and avoids complications.
  • Paperwork for study abroad is extensive and varies by program, so advisor guidance is essential once a program is selected.
• Flexibility: The advisor emphasizes that students have "really cool opportunities" and encourages exploring smaller, less-familiar cities, as they can sometimes lead to more immersive experiences.