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When to Study Abroad

Which semester is best if I want to study abroad?

Without doubt, from a CSD perspective, the best semester for study abroad is the spring semester of your junior year.

Here's the department's thinking:

You need to satisfy a number of prerequisite courses in order to enroll in the clinical sequence, and some of those prerequisites are also sequential. Because of the way these courses are offered, going abroad prior to the junior year significantly impacts the appropriate course sequence. By going abroad in the spring of the junior year you will:

  1. complete the basic courses and the introductory pathology courses in an appropriate sequence;
  2. have a chance to apply the basic information in the clinical setting once prior to study abroad, thus minimizing the time between when you learned the information and when you first apply it; and
  3. have a chance to come back up to speed on your clinical preparation prior to student teaching.

We've explored several alternatives to the junior-year spring option and none work as well from a student development stand point.