Summer Transfer Credit Study Abroad Opportunities for Engineers
There are some great opportunities to study engineering and related subjects abroad over the summer. You get all the benefits of study abroad plus typically the flexibility to add travel or other activities. In addition to the direct-credit summer programs offered through the VU Global Education Office, here are links to English-language summer programs other VUSE students have enjoyed:
- University of Alabama Engineering in Spain program, including the course “Society, Technology, and the Environment” and conducted in Pamplona, Spain. This program also includes Spanish language classes targeted to the level of each student and conducted by the Pamplona Learning Spanish Institute.
- Clemson University International Perspectives in Bioethics and Spanish Culture, also in Pamplona, Spain with Spanish classes at the Pamplona Learning Spanish Institute.
- Technical University of Denmark Chemical / Biochemical Laboratory. Four week lab course equivalent to CHBE 3900W. Note that you must contact VUSE Associate Dean Paschal for important details before applying for this program.
- University of Kentucky Renewable Energy program, also in Pamplona, Spain with optional Spanish classes at the Pamplona Learning Spanish Institute.
Here are some other English-language summer programs abroad of potential interest but with which VUSE does not yet have experience:
- University of California - Davis Summer Abroad: Thermodynamics in the Land of Fire and Ice in Reykjavik, Iceland where the grid is entirely powered by geothermal and hydroelectric resources. This is a unique setting to learn about renewable power and complete a traditional thermodynamics course equivalent to VU’s ME 2220 (3 hrs).
- University of California - Davis Summer Abroad: Engineering of Historic Roman Construction in Rome, Italy. Study ancient art and architecture including the science and engineering of ancient Roman and Etruscan construction while completing a traditional statics course equivalent to VU’s CE 2200 (3 hrs).
- University of California - Davis Summer Abroad: Earthquake Hazards Mitigation in Japan in Tokyo. Learn historical perspectives of earthquake hazards in Japan and the variety of innovative strategies used to mitigate such hazards while also completing a mechanics of materials course equivalent to VU’s CE 2205 (3 hrs).
- University of California - Riverside Embedded Systems Education in Switzerland. Study embedded systems for CS depth elective credits at VU and complete a hardware or software project in Lausanne.
- University of California - Riverside Study Abroad in Mexico City. Study transport phenomena for biomedical applications, equivalent to VU’s BME 3000 (3 hrs), in English alongside local university students.
- University of California - Davis Summer Abroad: Sustainable Energy Technologies in Seoul, South Korea. Students will learn cutting-edge energy technologies as well as the history, traditions, and culture of Korea.
- University of California - San Diego Summer Abroad: Mathematical Beauty in Rome. Study the mathematics and engineering behind Rome's greatest works of architecture.
- Campus B Global Engineering Summer Internship - São Paulo, Brazil. Students work on projects related to their field of study in partnership with SENAI (National Service for Industrial Apprenticeship). Students who work with SENAI will have the chance to get hands-on experience in their field of study working on metrology, consultancy, research and development, or specialized technical service projects.
A few important notes:
- These are NOT direct credit programs and are not offered through VU GEO. Thus, you need to follow the instructions for “Transfer Credit” in YES (see your landing page) to get each course you propose to take evaluated in advance of committing to the program. If accepted for transfer credit, grades for these courses will NOT count in your GPA.
- VU financial aid does not cover summer study abroad, though some funding may be available through the Gilman International Scholarship program.