The School of Engineering and the Global Education Office recently added two new study abroad programs in Madrid and Tel Aviv. GEO provides educational opportunities abroad that are well integrated into the Vanderbilt curriculum. As a result, Vanderbilt sends undergraduate engineers abroad at a 20 percent rate well above the nearly four percent national average.
The programs in Madrid and Tel Aviv add to nearly 30 overseas programs where students can earn engineering credit.
“It was in response to student interest in programs in the Spanish-speaking world and in Israel that we sought out programs from trusted study abroad providers, IES Abroad and Boston University,” explained Associate Dean Cynthia Paschal. “Both have been great partners in setting up these programs.”
As the leading center of industry, commerce and technology in Spain, Madrid is an ideal city to study engineering and its applications in the professional world. The program allows students to take a variety of engineering classes in English from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
The courses offered for this program are ideal for junior biomedical engineering majors in their fall or spring semesters and junior mechanical engineering majors in their fall semesters. In addition, there are course offerings for computer science and computer engineering majors.
“With both programs there will be plenty of opportunities for cultural activities, immersion and exploration,” said GEO Assistant Director for Operations Isabelle Crist. “Like GEO’s other offerings, these are both direct-credit programs which means that courses and grades will factor into the Vanderbilt GPA.”
Unlike most universities, students remain enrolled at Vanderbilt while they are abroad, which means they receive full Vanderbilt credit for the courses taken abroad, and receive all or most of their usual financial aid when they study for a semester or longer.
The Boston University Tel Aviv Engineering Program, hosted by Tel Aviv University, offers students the opportunity to pursue engineering in a dynamic setting while making normal progress toward their degrees. This program is geared toward biomedical and mechanical engineering students in the spring of their sophomore year.
All courses are taught in English and students take a total of 20 credits. Set in Israel’s largest city, the program allows students to engage with the Hebrew language and Israeli culture in order to gain a true sense of engineering as a global profession.
Visit vanderbilt.edu/geo for eligibility requirements.