International Center

Program types

Students can choose from MU programs, affiliated programs, non-MU programs, UM System, or independently arranged international activities.  Each vary with regards to:

Bruges: Frozen in Time (Bruges, Belgium)." Photograph by Kyle Boedeker. Walking along the frozen canals of Bruges.

• Course offerings and credit transfer.
• Degree to which MU exercises oversight.
• Cost.
• Eligibility for financial aid.
• Housing options.
• Level of support provided by program.
• Degree of integration with people and culture of host country.
• Curriculum enhancement opportunities, including internships, volunteering, service learning, educational field trips.

Additional considerations when choosing program may include:

Timing and length of programs

MU students study abroad in their freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years. Given the demands of the application process, all students should begin researching programs at least one full semester prior to the study abroad application deadline. With advance planning, students in nearly all MU departments are able to study abroad without delaying graduation. Begin looking into program options now.

Program features

Exchange: Programs that allow a limited number of MU students to study at a foreign university for a cost comparable to full tuition and fees at MU. Exchange programs are often the most affordable options for study abroad but do require a great deal of independence on the part of the student. Often students must navigate matters from registering for courses to finding housing with little assistance from the host university.

Internship: Programs that consist of significant internship-for-credit opportunities. Internships generally are not paid.

MU faculty-led: Programs led or accompanied by MU faculty or staff. These programs are organized by either an academic department at MU or the MU International Center.