Study Abroad
Should I study abroad?
Global Studies majors are strongly urged to gain experiential knowledge of the countries or thematic concerns they are studying through participation in an approved Study Abroad program appropriate to their concentration.
Every effort will be made by The Curriculum to fully integrate study abroad courses into the major.
How can I prepare to study abroad?
Students should seek guidance from the Study Abroad Office as well as major and college advisers in planning their study abroad program. After receiving feedback from the Study Abroad Office and other advisers, students must receive course approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the major prior to departure for a program abroad.
Contact Dr. Jonathan Weiler, Director of Undergraduate Studies, for more information.
Major Credit
Students will need pre-approval for credit from Dr. Jonathan Weiler, Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Students may receive credit for up to three courses toward the major from any one UNC-approved semester abroad program. Courses taken abroad can only be used in the theme/area concentration portion of the major.
With the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies, a student who completes more than one semester abroad may receive credit for up to four courses toward the major in one academic year, or a maximum of five courses toward the major if studying abroad more than one academic year. All requirements that apply to courses taken in residence at UNC also apply to study abroad courses.
These restrictions do not apply to programs led directly by UNC faculty.
Please visit the Academics Abroad page on the UNC Study Abroad website to learn more, and contact the Study Abroad Office for additional support.
Foreign Language Credit
Students may receive foreign language (FL) credit while they are abroad. However, they must first receive approval from the home language department.
For example, if you want approval for Italian, French, Spanish or Portuguese courses, you must receive it from the Romance Languages department. For Chinese, or Japanese, approval would need to come from Asian Studies.
The Curriculum in Global Studies cannot approve language courses. We must defer to the judgment of the relevant language department.
Core Course Credit and Geographic Areas
Students may not receive credit for core courses while abroad. Students should also not expect to receive major credit for their geographic area if they study abroad outside of their area.
For example, if your area of focus is Africa and you study abroad in China you will not receive Africa area credit, even if you take an Africa-related class while studying in China.
If you are a Global Studies major, you may be eligible to apply for the Global Studies Summer Experience Awards, awarded each spring. This limited funding can be used for globally oriented experiences.
Awards are approximately $750-$1500 based on student need and available funding. Applications will be due in February/March of the year in which a student wishes to travel.
