Curious about study abroad? Here are some questions to consider:
When looking at programs in Italy or French-speaking countries, you will find many options! One of the most important questions is where you will want to study. Consider these questions:
- Is location important to you? Is another factor (courses offered, internship opportunities, etc.) more important?
- Are you studying a particular variety of the language or a particular culture?
- Do you want to be in a specific region or city of a specific country?
- Do you prefer an urban or a small-town setting?
Most programs are divided into the following three categories: summer, semester and year-long.
Summer
Pitt GEO (the study abroad office) has several options when it comes to choosing a program. Pitt faculty-led programs are generally four or six weeks. On-site providers are approved by Pitt and host students from all over the world. For example, private language schools normally organize monthly modules. Pitt students regularly study French at the Universitè Laval in Québec, which has just this kind of program.
Semester
Specifics vary, but for the most part…
- Programs led by U.S. institutions typically follow traditional semester calendars.
- Private schools will often organize their offerings month-to-month, allowing more flexibility.
- Programs dependent on host-country institutions will be tied to those institutions’ academic schedules. For example, students doing a Fall semester in Italy will begin school in October, and students interested in a spring semester in Italy should expect to stay there through June to take final exams.
Year-long
- These programs available through host-country universities and private schools.
- The University of Pittsburgh has semester and year-long exchange programs with the University of Tours and with the Institut D’études politiques (Sciences Po) in Paris. The Italian Program has collaborated with the Università di Bologna where students can take university courses there for a semester or for the entire academic year.
There are many things to consider when deciding which type of program to choose.
- Do you prefer an American institution abroad?
Advantages: familiarity of processes, ease of transferring credit
Disadvantages: language progress may suffer because of isolation, spending so much time with other Americans
- Would you like to enroll directly in a language school in that country?
Advantages: favorable prices, international population, some have agreements with American universities for logistics such as transfer credit and set tuition
Disadvantages: uneven quality, need to make sure that school is established has a good reputation, need to confirm that credits will transfer to Pitt
- Are your language skills already advanced enough to enroll directly in a foreign university?
Advantages: greater rigor, high likelihood of forging strong ties with target-language classmates, and thus culture; some American programs offer this option within their own programs, complete with transition tutors, etc. (e.g., Umbra institute in Perugia)
Disadvantages: may need to delay your study abroad program until completion of more language courses
You should also consider where you would like to live and spend time when you are abroad.
- Do you want to live in a dormitory situation with other students from your program?
Advantages: familiarity
Disadvantages: language learning tends to suffer if everyone speaks English, as does level of exposure to target culture - Do you want to live in an apartment?
Advantages: autonomy regarding schedule, meals
Disadvantages: language progress and target culture exposure depend largely on roommate situation (Americans v. Internationals; friends v. new acquaintances; students v. adults) - Do you want to live with a family?
Advantages: meals often included, language progress often greatly improves, ties to target culture, establishment of friendships
Disadvantages: possibility of some loss of autonomy, but this varies from case to case.
Do you want to participate in an internship abroad? Not all programs offer this option, so check carefully if this is important to you.
- Do you want to do an internship for credit?
- Do you want to do work related to your major? If so, check with your major advisor to see if study abroad internship credit will be accepted toward major credits.
You should consider the academic requirements needed to be accepted into the program. You should also make sure that the program will attend to your own academic needs.
- Does the program have minimum QPA requirements?
- Does the program have language proficiency requirements?
- What is the language of instruction? If you’re interested in improving your Italian or French, but the coursework is all in English, you won’t make as much progress as you will if your coursework is in the target language.
- Are you going abroad to pursue specific disciplinary specialties? Many programs specialize in narrow fields: decorative arts, language, photography, political science, history, etc. If your interests lie in one of these areas, you might want to consider looking into such a program.
- Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences will normally accept 15 credits per term of block credit from an accredited study abroad program. If you are considering a program that is not accredited in the United States as a credit-granting institution, consult the Dean’s office before finalizing your plans.
- General Education Requirements: if you are considering taking courses toward your General Education Requirements, it is best to have those courses pre-approved by the Dean’s office before you register.
- Major or minor in French and Italian: courses that are intended for major or minor should be pre-approved by your advisor in our department. In some cases, your advisor will approve a group of courses for greater flexibility at registration time (in case of closed or unavailable classes).
The Global Experiences Office has information on financial considerations and funding opportunities, such as scholarships. In general, it is best to meet with a financial aid counselor to discuss your situation as early in the process as possible.
Please consult our page on local and national scholarships for more information.
Contacts
French
Prof. Brett Wells
1317 E CL
412.624.6261
wellsb@pitt.edu
Italian
Prof. Lorraine Denman
1317 F CL
denman@pitt.edu