Incorporating international experiences into your graduate coursework gives you the chance to examine your field of study from a new perspective, meet global innovators, and become a leader in a globalized work environment.
Specific graduate program requirements and limited traditional program options can make finding an international experience challenging for graduate students. However, with initiative and planning, you may be able to create an experience that will excite and challenge you.
Tips for Graduate Students
- Talk to your academic advisor about how an international experience would fit into your academic program.
- Consider non-credit options like language study, internships, participating in an international conference, teaching, or volunteering. These provide more flexibility in cost, timeframe, and program features.
Options for Graduate Students
RIT Faculty-Led Programs
RIT offers many faculty-led study abroad programs each year. While the majority of these are focused on undergraduate coursework, graduate students may be able to participate. Upcoming faculty-led programs
- Ask the faculty director if the program you’re interested in can accommodate graduate credit. If it does, check with your advisor to ensure it fits your academic requirements.
- If graduate credit is not part of the program, check with your advisor or department:
- Could you participate and complete an extra project to earn graduate credit?
- Could you use the study abroad program as the basis of an independent study course?
Affiliate Programs
Some RIT affiliate study abroad programs offer graduate-level coursework (in limited disciplines).
- Go to www.rit.edu/global/compass-search-programs-apply and log in to Compass to search for programs. When searching, choose “graduate” as the degree level.
- Remember to talk with your advisor to ensure the program fits your academic requirements.
Research or Internship Abroad
Opportunities to conduct research or gain work experience through an internship are an excellent option for graduate students. Pursuing these opportunities does take planning and initiative.
- Ask your faculty contacts if they are doing any international research or know a colleague who may be looking for research assistants.
- Add an international focus to your capstone, thesis, or dissertation, which you could explore through independent research and travel abroad.
- Explore non-credit, unpaid internships through RIT partners like IES (iesabroad.org), CIS (cisabroad.com), or CIEE (ciee.org).
- Remember to register your international research or internship with the RIT Education Abroad office.
International Fellowships
Prestigious and competitive fellowships provide funding for research or language study. Some may require applicants to be U.S. citizens.
- Fulbright U.S. Student Program - us.fulbrightonline.org
- DAAD Scholarships and Research Grants - daad.de
- Boren Awards - borenawards.org
- Critical Language Scholarship - clscholarship.org
- Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX) - open to candidates in all career fields who are interested in a year of academic, professional, and cultural exchange in Germany.
Emai Jenny.Sullivan@rit.edu if interested in international fellowships. Search for more fellowships at fellowships.rit.edu