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Education Major Abroad Guide

Girl in Kayak in Switzerland
CU Boulder Education Abroad offers over 400 programs in over 60 countries! Depending on your major, you can go abroad for a semester, and/or 2-12 weeks in the summer. The School of Education encourages its students to go abroad while staying on track for graduation. Use the following information as a general guideline to plan your time abroad. Connect with your academic advisor and work with an Education Abroad advisor to get started, discuss your program options, and next steps. 

Quick Facts

  • The best time for Elementary Education majors to go abroad is the summer between their freshman and sophomore year. 
  • Leadership & Community Engagement students have more flexibility on when they can go abroad, but they still need to work closely with their advisor. 
  • The most common degree requirements taken abroad are Skills Requirements and Content Area Requirements. 
  • Use the Course Approvals List to find programs that offer courses approved for the credit you need.

Planning and When to Go

  • First-year:
    • Let your academic advisor know you want to go abroad in the future. This will allow you and your advisor to plan accordingly. You are eligible to study abroad starting the summer after your freshman year.
    • For Elementary Education majors, the best time to study abroad is the summer between freshman and sophomore year. For this reason, Elementary Education majors should connect with the Education Abroad Office in the fall or early spring of your freshman year. 
  • Sophomore:
    • Elementary Education students: this is the only time to go abroad on a semester program without delaying graduation.
    • Leadership & Community Engagement students: sophomore year is also a good time to go abroad on a semester program. The summer between sophomore and junior year is also an option.
  • Junior:
    • Leadership & Community Engagement students: you may be able to fit a semester of study abroad in during your junior year. Be sure that you understand what courses you will have left upon return to CU Boulder. 
  • Senior:
    • It is unlikely that a semester study abroad will work during your senior year. Work closely with your advisor to ensure that you can get all of your requirements completed.
    • Know when the credits from abroad may be transcripted, as this can delay your official graduation date.

What Kind of Credit Can You Earn Abroad?

Usually Doable Tricky Probably Not
General Electives  Content Area Requirements Skills Requirements/Content Area Requirements Skills Requirements/Content Area Requirements EDUC
Overall credit hours  Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, World History, & Cultural Geography 
 		 Global Diversity, Physical & Biological Sciences Science (Lab), Written Communication, EDUC3013 Most EDUC Courses
 

Best Options for EDUC Majors  

  1. Studying at a university abroad with traditional classes that fulfill major requirements. There are several options with classes taught in English.
  2. Participating in a summer program to get 3 to 6 credits done over the summer. 

Suggested Programs

 

Additional Resources

Last Updated July 2024