Choosing a Global Experience

Even if you are undeclared and unsure about your future career goals, now is the time to consider a global experience at UNC. Two very basic factors that will guide your decision-making are the location of your experience and the language(s) that is spoken in that location.

Has it been your life goal to study abroad in Spain? Alternatively, do you speak Portuguese and daydream about improving your language skills in Buenos Aires? Location matters. Begin to hone in on a global opportunity located in a region of the world that you have always wanted to visit and matches your interests and goals. Over 400 programs and opportunities are featured in the Study Abroad Office’s database. Chatting with your favorite professor or someone within your field of study might also help you hone in on the program of your dreams.

If you already know which region/country you want to visit:

Start by doing a simple search using the “City”, “Country”, or “Region” drop down menus to see what programs UNC already has in the place that interests you. Don’t forget to consider outside internships and short-term trips that would not be listed in this database! If you don’t see a program that fits your needs, set up an appointment with the Center of Global Initiatives or the Study Abroad Office.

If you have no idea where you want to go:

That’s okay! First things first: dream big. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? With this in mind, attend a general or regional Study Abroad 101 Info Session or set up an appointment with someone at the Center for Global Initiatives to hone in on what area of the world would suit you. You can also meet with someone from one of UNC’s Area Studies Centers that focuses specifically on a world area, such as Africa, Europe, Latin America, or Asia.

Have you ever thought about studying a less commonly taught language like Turkish or Chinese? Do you want to improve your Spanish (or Arabic? Or French? Or Urdu? Or…)? Or would you feel more comfortable in an English-speaking environment? Your global opportunity could focus on language learning or you could travel to an English-speaking country. There may even be specific funding available for that Punjabi class you’ve always wanted to take. Consult our Faculty International Expertise Database to get a sense of all the languages that UNC professors are studying and teaching.

Searching for language-specific programs:

Visit the advanced search on the Study Abroad Office website and do an advanced search on “Language of instruction” to find the programs that are available through UNC. For less commonly taught languages, visit the Critical Language Scholarship website to see which languages require you to have previous knowledge and which do not.

Funding for language-specific programs:

If you’re interested in studying a less commonly taught language (languages like Swahili, Japanese, and Azerbaijani), there are many opportunities that are fully funded through the Foreign Language and Area Study (FLAS) fellowship and/or the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) program. Several of these scholarships require no prior knowledge of the language.

Beyond those factors, there are several different program types that UNC students can choose from. Broadly speaking, global opportunities can either be non-credit (internships, service learning trips, volunteering internationally) or credit-bearing (study abroad, internships), each having its own pros and cons.

Global experiences extend beyond the traditional study abroad program to include independent internships, international volunteer opportunities, alternative break programs, and service learning. Many students choose to participate in these types of global experiences because they fit into students’ budgets and busy schedules, and they align with their short and long-term goals.

International volunteering displays great initiative and compassion. These trips can be entirely self-directed and independent of UNC. But there are also volunteer opportunities directly affiliated with UNC. For example, the Carolina Center for Public Service sponsors a spring break work-trip to Honduras in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity.

Other alternative break programs exist, many of which are credit-bearing. Participating in a global experience is one to fulfill your Experiential Education requirement. Below are just a few examples:

Some internships are credit-bearing, but don’t let that limit your internship search. Internships are great resumé-builders and may help you gain insight into a specific field or job type. Global internships have the added benefit of strengthening language skills and diversifying your portfolio. In other words, it might be totally worth it to spend a summer interning with a company in India, even if you do not receive academic credit.

Resources: AISEC-Global Talent, UNC Handshake

Thinking about an international internship that matches your field of study? Consider contacting a UNC Career Services Counselor.

The Study Abroad Office helps students choose from among 400 programs in more than 70 countries. There are several different program types to choose from: UNC faculty-led programs, exchange programs, direct enrollment programs, to name a few. Are you interested in joining fellow UNC students on a major-specific program, like Chemistry in Sevilla, Journalism in China, or Theatre in London? Or are you perhaps interested in an exchange program that sends you to the University of Hong Kong for a semester?

Use the Study Abroad Office’s Simple Search to locate a program that suits your needs.

Attend a Study Abroad 101 Info Session, email a Study Abroad Peer Ambassador, or get more information on their Facebook page.

Not just for Science majors! Conducting research provides you with the chance to perform in-depth study on a particular topic while also gaining transferable skills and helping to define your academic and professional interest; research can also offer you the opportunity to form deep relationships with mentors and professors

Consult our Faculty International Expertise Database to see what kind of research is occurring at UNC. Then, reach out to specific faculty or departments to see what opportunities or initiatives might be out there.