Photo credits from left to right: Yiwen Zhao, Alexander Martinez, Alex Wu, Taya Baerg, Aleksandra Kovacevic, Gracie Shao, Josh Lee, Calista Konishi, Samantha Gerelle, Emma Li.
Considering a Go Global experience, but unsure where to begin? With so many program options, it can feel overwhelming to choose the right path. In this post, we’ll break down three of Go Global’s key programs—Exchange, Summer Abroad, and Global Seminars—and share testimonials from Arts students who’ve made the leap.
When you are busy with your degree, it might feel daunting to make time for an international learning experience. But studying abroad has so much to offer you in your personal, academic, and career development journey—and significant funding is available for Arts students. Undergraduate Arts students Calista, Izzie, Tamano, Emma, and Josh share how a Go Global experience is an achievable dream.
Exchange
One- or two-term international study experiences are what most people have in mind when they think of exchange. You’ll earn credits while retaining full-time student status at over 200 partner institutions.
Calista Lu, a Sociology and Political Science student, attended a semester abroad in South Korea at Seoul National University. During her exchange, she immersed herself in South Korean culture, pursued her academic goals at a top university, and experienced travelling and living abroad by herself for the first time. The application process, she says, “was fairly straightforward in terms of materials required: mainly composing the ‘statement of interest’ and ‘exchange study plan,’ where you research potential courses that you might take at your top three application choices.”
“I absolutely would recommend exchange to other students. My time abroad really was one of the best periods of my life.”
Interdisciplinary Studies student Izzie Bjonness-Jacobsen also went on exchange. She attended the National University of Singapore, and visited Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia during her exchange term. “I didn’t know anyone when I first arrived in Singapore,” she says, “but I ended up spending my reading break in Bali, Indonesia with a group of 14 new exchange friends I had met less than a month earlier.”
“Taking social science courses in a different cultural context was a highlight for me. I love learning about people, places and social systems; and being on exchange meant I could study this in my classes while encountering it personally each day.”
Summer Abroad
Summer Abroad lets you spend the summer studying in another country while still earning credits toward your academic degree. These short-term experiences allow you to become fully immersed in fast-paced classes in a new setting. They can be a great option when a full semester exchange doesn’t fit within your academic plans, but you still want to experience learning at another university. Many programs offer field trips or other socio-cultural activities to help you make the most of your time.
International Relations (IR) student Tamano Nishida visited South Korea through Go Global’s Summer Abroad program. The program allowed her to complete three credits in just one month and take a lighter course load the following school year.
“Studying topics related to Korea while in Korea gave me perspectives I would have never been able to get at UBC. History is real. What we studied in the textbook actually exists in real life!”
Global Seminars
Global Seminars are intensive and immersive, hands-on UBC courses taught abroad by UBC profs with deep expertise and long-standing relationships in the locations selected. These seminars are 3- or 6-credit courses.
“Oftentimes, students don’t want to go on exchange because they don’t want to extend their degree or because it’s a really big commitment. I’d suggest Global Seminars as a perfect happy medium,” says Emma Li, who studies International Relations and African Studies. She attended a month-long seminar in Barcelona where she was able to immerse herself in the city’s rich culture and gain a rewarding travel experience at the same time. Go Global’s Student Safety Abroad module helped her feel prepared and was helpful in clarifying her travel questions.
“The biggest thing I gained from my time in the seminar was how to address and respond to the ways mass tourism impacts and shapes the lives of locals. I felt that travelling with my class and the university offered a unique chance to educate and inform myself on the history, urbanism and contemporary issues of Spain, and especially Barcelona.”
Josh Lee, a Human Geography and Urban Studies student, also attended a Global Seminar. He took a nine-day field course in Hawa’ii. With a small group of thirteen students, it was easy for him to get to know his classmates throughout the week, and being able to study in the field made him more engaged in the topics he was interested in.
“I would absolutely recommend taking this or any Global Seminar if there is that opportunity for both the learning experience in the field and for the potential friends you can make along the way!”
A Go Global program can be a rewarding part of your undergraduate degree experience. In addition to Exchange, Summer Abroad, and Global Seminars, the Go Global office also offers Research Abroad, programs for Indigenous students, and International Conferences & Special Programs. Worried about travel costs? A range of funding is available for Arts students. Talk to a Go Global advisor about student awards and what program may help you achieve your goals.
