St. Edward’s faculty and staff play a critical role in students’ interest in study abroad, as well as their success while abroad.
Studying abroad is a rigorous endeavor, and faculty and staff can inspire students to develop intercultural awareness, acquire a foreign language, sharpen intellectual curiosity, and make academic progress off campus. Faculty also have the unique opportunity to encourage students to maximize their time abroad, advising them on how a semester or year abroad might complement their academic goals in Austin.
The Study Abroad Office values faculty and staff involvement and encourages members of our campus community, from all disciplines and offices, to become study abroad allies.
Faculty-Led Programs
As a complement to the approved study abroad programs offered each semester, there are a variety of global teaching opportunities for St. Edward's faculty:
- Summer co-teaching opportunities with a St. Ed's partner exchange university abroad (by invitation of the partner university)
- Spring break programs “embedded” into the spring semester
- COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning) opportunities with colleagues and universities abroad – coming soon
Summer Faculty-Led Program
Summer faculty-led study abroad programs are a wonderful opportunity for faculty to take a group of students abroad for 3–4 weeks. Faculty are strongly encouraged to propose programs — see a complete guide on the .
There will be a call for spring break 2026 program proposals in the fall/winter. There will be an information session in late fall for interested faculty. Proposals are due Feb. 1, 2025.
Faculty-Led Embedded Program
Learn more information about offering a course with an
More Information
provide wonderful opportunities for faculty to lecture, research and collaborate with colleagues abroad. Learn more about this opportunity and contact Joe Vitone with questions or for more information.
All faculty and staff who are traveling internationally on behalf of the University are asked to .
How can I help a student interested in studying abroad?
Identifying which courses students can possibly fulfill abroad is the first big step. The study abroad staff are not academic advisers so faculty and success coaches are the best people to assist students with this.
You do not need to know anything about the study abroad programs to help students with this first step.
Working with students to identify St. Edward's courses that they could potentially fulfill abroad (gen ed and major/minor requirements) will assist the study abroad office in identifying programs or university exchange partners that would be a good fit for the student.
How do students get started?
It is never too early for students to start planning a study abroad experience.
When first meeting with a new student, it can be very helpful to ask if study abroad is something they are interested in.
They should review the Getting Started page on the Study Abroad website which will walk them through the steps and give them an idea of the timeline. There is also a link on the website to make an appointment with a study abroad adviser.
How can students best academically prepare to study abroad?
It can sometimes be a challenge to find equivalent courses abroad so it is recommended that students save some electives for their junior or senior years since they can provide more flexibility.
If students need to take a modern language, study abroad is a great alternative to complete that general education requirement.
In addition to the modern language requirement, courses that satisfy the Global Perspectives and Exploring Artistic Works are also good options to take abroad.
Students can usually find general electives abroad as well.
How do students get courses approved that they want to take abroad?
All students must get their courses abroad approved before the start of their program, ideally the semester before they study abroad.
Students are encouraged to get 6–8 courses approved, in the event some courses are not offered at all or there are schedule conflicts.
Do students studying abroad have to register for courses during the on-campus registration period?
Students studying abroad the following semester should still meet with their academic adviser to review the courses they plan to take abroad and to get their registration PIN but they do not have to register for courses during the standard registration period on campus.
Later in the semester, study abroad students will register for two courses and the Study Abroad Office will send them the CRN numbers.
- One of the courses is just a marker course which acts as a placeholder and indicates how many credits they will be attempting abroad. This is not for credit and will not appear on their transcript.
- The second course is SABR 2150 which is an online study abroad course for 1 credit that students complete while abroad
What scholarships are available?
See our comprehensive list of external scholarships. It is important to note that that federal and institutional aid that students receive for the academic year does not apply to summer study abroad. There may be some individual exceptions to this but students are strongly encouraged to meet with their SFS adviser to discuss in more detail.
How does credit transfer?
All credit for courses taken from a partner university or approved program provider are considered transfer credit and are graded as pass/fail.
How long does it take for foreign transcripts to be sent to SEU?
Foreign transcripts can take 3–4 months to be sent to St. Edward's after the conclusion of the program. Seniors studying abroad in their last semester should apply for graduation in the following semester since their transcripts will not be received in time to graduate at the end of their study abroad semester.
Do students have international insurance?
All students will have comprehensive medical insurance for the time they are abroad, either through their program or through the St. Edward's policy with AXA. Please contact the Study Abroad Office for more details.
Courses and Credits Abroad
The Study Abroad Office staff work closely with students to help them decide if and when study abroad may be a good option for them.
While the study abroad office personnel can advise students on which destinations and programs may be good options for different majors and minors, they cannot advise students about specific courses or tell them if courses will count for credit.
Those questions can only be answered by their academic adviser and success coach.
Finances Abroad
After courses and credits, the most popular question students have is about financial aid. The study abroad website contains budget sheets for each program so students, faculty and staff can see the billable and non-billable costs as well as estimated personal expenses for each university or program.
See our list of external scholarships that students are eligible to apply for. However, the study abroad office does not have access to student financial information and therefore cannot give students any information about how their St. Ed's financial aid and scholarships will apply to their study abroad program.
Those questions can only be answered by the Student Financial Services Office.