Study Abroad: Preparing Engineering Students For Success In The Global Economy

Leading officials of educational institutions, government agencies, and/or multi-national corporations often extol the benefits of study abroad exchanges for both the students and the institutions that are involved. While this is certainly laudable, in order for an exchange to be successful, there are a myriad of details that must be handled correctly. The better prepared the student and the institutions are, the better the experience will be. Academic matters, logistics such as visas, and important cross-cultural awareness issues are key components to an engineering student’s preparation for studying overseas. In this paper, these details are reviewed by professionals with many years experience involving hundreds of US engineering students who have participated in engineering study abroad programs.