Students’ academic advisors will be able to help them in planning academically for a study abroad experience. Your academic advisor can help you determine when in your academic plan a study abroad experience may best fit and how the sequencing of classes may affect the timing of study abroad. Additionally they can assist you in looking at your required coursework to determine which classes would be best to take abroad and which classes you may want or need to take on campus. Both you and your advisor may wish to refer to Overseas Study course equivalency lists, which reflect past coursework taken by IU students abroad and their IU course equivalencies. Knowing what classes you want or need to take abroad can assist you not only in the program selection, but will also be helpful as you begin to select the coursework you plan to take.

You may also want to visit the Office of Overseas Study or another study abroad office to meet with study abroad advisors. Study abroad advisors can assist you in determining what of your remaining degree requirements you may or may not be able to receive credit for on a specific study abroad program. Study abroad advisors can help you compare your top options to determine which program may be the best fit for you or answer specific program questions.

Finally, you want to make sure that you will be eligible for the program. In addition to simply meeting the minimum GPA there might be additional required coursework. Programs sometimes require a background in the subjects taught on the program, not just language. For example students may need to have taken social sciences course work, or introductory biology courses to be eligible for programs focusing on politics or sciences respectively.