You may be asking why you would want to leave your carefully prepared curriculum at your home university and go through the challenges of transferring credits, approving classes and whatever other requirements might exist to study abroad.

However, as one study abroad adviser at Boston University points out, "In many ways, engineering is an intrinsically global profession, and study abroad allows engineering students to discover what this means while they are still at the starting point of their career."

So why should you study engineering abroad?

Enhance your studies.
Many engineering students are surprised to learn of the many opportunities that are available to them as part of a study abroad experience. Some countries such as Germany are well-known for the quality of their universities and their technical expertise and opportunities. However, most students haven't heard of the Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) program. RISE gives engineering students as well as biology, chemistry and earth sciences students the opportunity to work with German doctoral students during the summer to collaborate on serious research projects. Undergraduate engineering students are mentored by the doctoral students, are integrated directly into the lab work and even receive a stipend and housing allowance. This is just one example of some of the unique opportunities that are available to engineering students interested in studying abroad.

Learn another language and experience another culture.
Obviously going abroad will allow you to meet new people and see new places. However, the benefit of studying abroad as an engineering major is that you will be able to immerse yourself in a new culture and learn to interact with people who have different backgrounds. You may even find yourself in an international city where you interact with students from many different countries in the course of your studies or research. As an engineer, this experience is invaluable due to the increasingly global nature of your profession.

Learning a new language is an extension of this same idea, but with similar benefits. Many programs will offer at least basic language courses as part of your study abroad program even if all your engineering coursework is in English. This will allow you to interact more fully with your fellow students and others in your host culture. Some programs will actually offer intensive language programs, which is particularly helpful if you're going to be doing research or projects with other students during your program. Either way, these language skills may prove invaluable later on if you decide to work in a multinational firm.

Improve your career prospects.
Studying abroad helps students develop a range of transferable skills that employers are seeking. From problem solving skills to adaptability to cross-cultural communication, studying abroad helps you expand your horizons and your skills in ways you'd be hard pressed to imagine at your home university. The key is communicating to prospective employers that you not only studied abroad, but that it has made you a more prepared and therefore a more valuable prospective employee.

Next month we'll be exploring the different options you may have for engineering programs abroad and how to find the one that's right for you so be sure to check back.

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