Study Abroad
M.S.Ed. and Ed.D. students in the SAA department have the option to participate in an international study tour, held every other year. Tours range in cost from $1300-2500, not including airfare.
The purpose of the tours is to study higher education in an international context, in particular to learn how student services and student affairs are differently provided by governments and student unions, often more than by institutions of higher education.
Past tours have included:
- 2019 - United Kingdom (England and Scotland) over spring break
- 2017 - United Kingdom (England and Scotland) in early January-term
- 2015 - Germany in mid-April
- 2013 - Germany
Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and uncertainty regarding when it will be safe to engage in international travel, the SAA Department will not be offering the SAA Study Tour in 2021. We hope to offer a Study Tour in Spring 2022 and will provide an update by May 2021 about plans for the next year.
Applications are typically due in early Fall the year before the tour (Fall 2021 for a Spring Break 2022 tour).
The application consists of several steps:
PRE-DECISION (early fall)
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Create an application via International Education
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Complete application questionnaires (asking about felonies and flights) and signature documents (read carefully – these outline expectations for passports, conduct, etc.).
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Keep in mind – the question about flights is not binding. It simply helps us gauge interest in the group block.
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We may have to limit enrollment based on housing and resources available. Prior trips have had 14-36 students in attendance.
DECISION / COMMITMENT (mid fall)
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This is when you will have to pay the non-refundable $200 fee to secure your place in the trip. The $200 will go towards you program fee and is generally charged to your credit or debit card.
PRE-DEPARTURE (late fall / winter)
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You'll have several additional questionnaires to complete re: health histories, passport information, etc.
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You'll also have over an hour of pre-departure orientation videos to watch. These are geared towards undergraduate students studying abroad for longer periods than we will be, but still provide important information. Take notes on what you find most useful, puzzling, or lacking.
POST-TRIP (after spring break)
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You may be asked to complete a post-trip survey to assess your learning and experience.
The information below is from the 2019 Spring Break tour. Most prior tours run about $2500 in program fees, excluding airfare and most meals. This section will be updated when we have more information about future tours (next possible tour would be Spring Break 2022).
The program fee of $1300 includes tuition, housing, in-country transportation, some excursions, some meals. Airfare will be an additional $900, approximately, and $300 is also estimated for meals and outside of those provided. TOTAL expenses in 2019 were roughly $2500. (prior tours, when including airfare and out of pocket meals, typically were $3000-4500; the 2019 tour was more affordable thanks to generous departmental support).
Between October 1-November 1, students will submit a $200 confirming deposit when they are ready to fully commit. This deposit is a part of the program fee and is generally charged to a personal debit or credit card. The remaining $1100 of the program fee will be charged to a student’s account in Wings in the Spring 2019 term.
After November 1, the Financial Aid Office receives a list of students approved for the tour. They increase the cost of attendance for students for the Spring term, which for most people, will result in an increase in the loans available.
Students enrolled in the on-campus master's program, who pay segregated fees, can also apply for the I-Engage scholarship, deadline of December 1.
The information below is from our 2019 Study Tour. The policy may be changing for the 2021 Study Tour, and more information will be posted by Fall 2020.
No. Students can book their flight separately, but they must use Fox World Travel and a code provided by SAA. They will need to pay for the flight out of pocket when they reserve it. If students participate in the group air reservation out of Minneapolis, the $1000 will also be charged to their account in Wings in the Spring 2019 term.
Currently, the tour is only open for enrolled students. Because we had to postpone the 2021 Spring Break tour, we may explore offering future tours to alumni, as well.