For those who want to travel internationally and experience different cultures, studying abroad is the way to go. At the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, students are given the opportunity to learn across the globe.
“Studying abroad helps the students later on in their job search for the future, when they cross over they understand different cultures, backgrounds, and gain independence out of their comfort zones, by getting adaptable to the new environment, new food, new culture, new weather, and climate,” said Han Ngo, study abroad and national student exchange coordinator.
There are four types of study abroad programs students are offered at UW-Whitewater. They have student exchange programs where the student gets to spend a semester or a year in their desired travel destination. Faculty-led programs are where you take your class here on campus and then leave as a class during the semester break. They also provide international student teaching for Education majors after they have graduated. There is another path provided for those who want to seek working experience, where students are given the choice to do an international internship.
“Study abroad is an immersive learning experience because you’re traveling to and living in a different culture, every aspect of your day is a learning experience for students,” global experience director John McGuigan said. “Another thing that students would think about is the adaptability, it helps them build the confidence of figuring out how to navigate being in a place they are not familiar with.”
The Office of Global Experiences has partnerships with 25 universities for exchange students and five schools that students can enroll in and are open to all majors and they end up paying their tuition through the UW System. They also provide financial aid and scholarships to help the students that enroll for the abroad program. Even sometimes the partner universities offer scholarships for the exchange students.
Study abroad programs also don’t have to be in a different country, as there are many partnerships with a lot of universities across the United States students can go to. Students can even do a program through the different schools of the UW System.
As of right now, Global Experiences has two faculty-led programs for the upcoming spring semester of 2026-27. Political Science majors can go to Ireland and Northern Ireland for the spring 2026 semester, with support through the Political Science Department. The other active program is provided for Communication majors to go to Germany to study the fundamentals of communication and media.
