Study Abroad
We strongly encourage IS Majors to Study Abroad. IS Majors need to consider the following:
- Meet with a study abroad advisor, or explore the International Academic Programs (IAP) website to explore different program options.
- Meet with your IS Major advisor to learn how study abroad courses fit in the IS Major. Your IS Major advisor and your study abroad program advisor play different roles.
- Once you have enrolled in a study abroad program, contact your IS Major advisor to fill out the IS Major Study Abroad Worksheet. You will need to submit this worksheet to the IS Major advisor in order to have the classes you take abroad be considered for credit within the major. You should submit this form as soon as you have course syllabi or descriptions.
When you study abroad, you will have a Study Abroad Advisor in addition to your advisors in your declared majors/certificates. You should plan to meet with both advisors regularly during your study abroad experience.
Your study abroad advisor will help you with the study abroad application process, questions about how to register for classes at your host institution, and questions about course equivalencies for classes you take abroad.
The IS Major Advisor does not address course equivalencies specifically. The course equivalency process involves communicating to IAP what courses you took abroad, and how you’d like the courses to transfer back to UW–Madison. Please make sure you do this via your My Study Abroad account in a timely manner; note that your IAP Study Abroad Handbook provides information on this process.
The graphic below outlines common student questions associated with each advisor.
Different study abroad programs will have different timelines and procedures for choosing your courses. See the Study Abroad website for specific program requirements. If you are just getting started, consider reading IAP’s major advising page for information about programs that previous IS students have participated in.
For the IS Major, there are several things you need to keep in mind when picking classes.
1. Do not choose courses solely based on whether the listed course equivalents are on your IS Major DARS, you will find this process frustrating and ineffective. When you have a sense of what courses you want to take abroad, check in with your IS Major advisor.
2. When selecting your courses abroad, consider the content. Work with your IS Major advisor to review your DARS and see what types of IS credit you need. A total of 20 credits taken during study abroad can be counted towards requirements in the IS Major.
3. Contact your IS Major advisor to fill out the IS Major Study Abroad Worksheet. An IS Major Advisor will use this information to let you know if and how your courses fit within the major. You will need to send course syllabus for evaluation. In general, most courses will come into the IS Major as electives or issues. We strongly suggest that you work with an Advisor early in your study abroad process so that you can select classes that you know will count towards your major. If you want to know how a class taken “fits” with the IS Major, you need to email the IS Major advisor with a course description or copy of the syllabus.
Study abroad requires many steps. It is the student’s responsibility to follow the process through the end. Your study abroad process will go smoothly if you remember your responsibilities in the process:
Be patient: the timeline for posting your study abroad credits can take 4-6 months.
Communicate about where you are going and for how long with an IS Major Advisor before you leave.
Plan thoughtfully about academic and professional goals before, during, and after your abroad experience.
Provide the IS Major advisors with the study abroad worksheet and syllabi for all classes you want considered for IS Major credit.
Read the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and use your My Study Abroad account to enter your course equivalent requests in a timely manner.
Bring important questions about grades, policies, registration, personal issues to advisors in a timely manner.
Follow up with the IS advisors after your program has ended.
Are you studying abroad? We would love to share your stories! Follow uwmadison_ismajor and tag us using hashtag #ISMajorsAbroad when you post pictures!
We are also accepting any student photos taken during study abroad, internship abroad, IS-related student groups, or international events in and around Madison. If you’re looking to submit, you can send us your materials at ismadvisor@ismajor.wisc.edu. Remember to include your name, the place that your submission came from, and, if preferred, a small caption or some context for the material submitted. Please inform us if you would like your submission returned to you at any point, and make sure we have the contact information to do so.
Postcards can be dropped off in our office or mailed to:
International Studies Major
301 Ingraham Hall
1155 Observatory Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Rae Kanarick, CIEE Liberal Arts in Santiago
My program is an immersion Spanish program and I’m taking my courses with other international and Chilean students at la Pontifica Universidad Católica de Chile. Living with a host family in the bustling city of Santiago with a panoramic view of the Andes has been surreal. Some of my favorite travel outside of Santiago has included hiking the W Trek in Patagonia, riding horses through the Andes in Mendoza, Argentina, visiting an oyster farm on the Island of Chiloé off the southern coast of Chile, and exploring the Atacama Desert in the north. I feel so lucky to be in such a beautiful place and to be surrounded by so much hospitality, rich culture, and amazing friendships. And it’s all possible because of the Leading Change in Latin America Fellowship which I was awarded that has helped to fund this life-changing experience for me.
Stella Richards, National Taiwan University Exchange Program in Taipei, Taiwan
I took an elementary Chinese course, ‘Exploring Taiwan: Film and Social Culture,’ ‘East Asia in World Perspective,’ and ‘The Representation of Postcolonial Spaces in Contemporary Asia.’ One of the highlights of my time here has been exploring Taipei’s night markets and trying traditional Taiwanese foods. Also, I have loved getting to visit historical landmarks throughout Taipei and learn more about the political and cultural history of Taiwan!
Amelia Jones, UW in London
Through studying abroad in Lonon I have gained hands-on experience in diplomacy and advocacy. My favourite class focused on international diplomacy, which included attending an International Maritime Organization assembly, embassy tours, and a West End show. Alongside this, I’ve been interning at Results UK, writing blogs, supporting a parliamentary tuberculosis awareness event, meeting MPs and Lords, and managing communications across their social media platforms.