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Enrollment at a University Abroad


Enrolling at a university abroad enables students to take courses at a host university with local students. There are three ways to do this:

  1. Enroll at a university in an English-speaking country with instruction in English
  2. Enroll at a university in a non-English speaking country with instruction in English
  3. Enroll at a university in a non-English-speaking country with instruction in the local language. This requires a high level of language proficiency (see program webpages for prerequisites).

Things to Consider:

  • Experience local university life
  • Choose from a wide range of courses
  • Meet locals your age in class
  • Become immersed in the language and culture of the host country
  • You'll need to be independent and self-sufficient
  • Unless instruction is offered in English, you must be quite proficient in the language of the host country before the program begins
  • Due to differences in academic calendars, it may not always be possible to do the program for only one semester
  • Teaching styles and classroom expectations may differ significantly from the U.S.
Enrollment at a university abroad encompasses most exchange programs.
 

Exchanges



Exchange programs involve reciprocal agreements between CU Boulder and partner universities abroad. CU Boulder students spend a semester or year at a partner institution abroad and students from the partner institution come to CU Boulder in exchange.
Things to consider:
 
  • Exchanges often provide a higher level of independence than most education abroad programs.
  • Exchanges are often affordable since the program fee is based on CU Boulder in-state tuition and administrative fees rather than the fees for a traditional one-way education abroad program.
  • You can enroll directly in a high-quality academic institution abroad.
  • Students from the host institution enrich our campus community.
Some programs are set up to offer exchange positions exclusively and others offer both exchange and non-exchange positions. In cases where both are offered, exchange positions can be viewed similarly to scholarships in that while they are available, they are not guaranteed and students must be prepared to pay non-exchange fees for their program. See the Program Costs page to compare exchange and non-exchange fees for programs offering both options. See an Education Abroad Advisor for more information about the availability of exchange positions on various programs.