Getting Started
Why go abroad?
Your reasons are unique, but here are some highlights of what an Education Abroad program can do for you.
- Complete UK Core general education requirements
- Cultural Immersion: Experience and appreciate global perspectives, traditions, and lifestyles.
- Language Skills: Dive deep into a language by living where it's spoken daily.
- Personal Growth: Push your boundaries, boost confidence, and foster independence.
- Expand Networks: Build lifelong friendships and professional connections worldwide.
- Stand Out: Enhance your resume and storytelling with unique experiences that captivate.
Baseline Eligibility
- You must have completed your freshman year, meaning you can go abroad as early as summer after freshman year.
- At least a 2.0 GPA.
- Good academic and disciplinary standing with UK.
Ready to Get Started?
Step 1: Attend a First Steps Session
Our First Steps Information Sessions are a great place to start if you’re interested in taking your UK experience abroad. First Steps covers all the important basics like what to think about when considering a program, how you earn academic credit, understanding costs, browsing programs, using financial aid and scholarships, and more.
In short, it explains how to get started, and UK EA requires you to attend one of these sessions before meeting with your EA Advisor.
View Schedule
Step 2: Meet with your Academic Advisor
In addition to using the resources in the Education Abroad office, you should also spend some time talking to your Academic Advisor.
These are the questions you should discuss with your Academic Advisor. Make sure you take notes of what they tell you.
- What classes you should take while abroad to stay on track with your graduation plan.
- When you should go abroad so that it doesn’t interfere with your degree requirements.
- Any experiential requirements you could complete abroad, like an internship, research, co-op, etc.
For a UK EA Advisor to help you review programs, you first need to have the answers to these questions.
Step 3: Explore Courses
UK EA faculty-directed programs offer UK credit, while partner, exchange, and direct programs offer transfer credit.
Faculty-Directed Courses:
- Explore UK EA’s major advising pages, select your college, then you can explore courses by faculty in your college.
Partner, Exchange, or Direct Courses:
- Use CEMS, the Course Equivalency Management System, to:
- Search the UK EA course equivalency database to find EA courses that have already been evaluated for UK credits
- If an EA course you would like to take is not listed in the database, you can request review for a UK equivalency .
- Access CEMS here: https://international.uky.edu/ea/cems
- If you’re participating on partner, exchange, or direct program, you must complete the course equivalency process to confirm the UK equivalent credits for your transfer credits.
Step 4: Find Your Program
UK Education Abroad & Exchanges (UK EA) can’t tell you what program to do. We’re here to guide you and help you develop the tools needed so you can pick the best program for you.
We can help you compare programs, understand the process, and give you support along the way, but we need you to take charge.
Take some time to consider our programs and program types so you can find the perfect fit!
Step 5: Determine Costs
Check the Cost Sheet to understand the total estimated and fixed costs for your program:
- Each program has a "Cost" or "Costs & Scholarships" tab. Find the cost sheet for your program.
- Select the correct term from the dropdown box at the top (e.g. Spring, Summer, etc.)
- Select any required fields (such as tuition)
- Click the print icon to save.
Example:
Step 6: Find Funding
Study abroad might be more affordable than you realize, especially if you start planning early.
Here are some resources to help you plan for the financial side of studying abroad. Make use of these because it’s your responsibility to ensure you have a plan to pay or your program.
- UK Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships
- UK Academic Scholarships
Step 7: Apply for a Program
To apply for a program, it’s really straightforward.
- Find your program in the program discovery page.
- Click the blue “Apply Now” button at the bottom of the program page.
- If you’re applying for a partner program, you must click the partner website button and apply with them, as well.
- Read the popup text box very carefully for an explanation of the UK EA Application fee. (Note: some applications, like scholarships, don’t have a fee)
- Click Proceed.
Once you start your application, you will need to complete your profile and all the application pieces.
If you have questions or need additional help with your application, contact your EA Advisor.
UK EA Scholarships
Find scholarships and funding opportunities from UK EA, UK colleges, partners, and external entities.