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Foster Undergrad Study Abroad Options

Short-Term Programs

Foster Exploration Seminars

Foster Faculty-Led Programs: Travel abroad with Foster Faculty and a cohort of UW students on these 3 week-long experiential learning programs focused on daily company and cultural visits

2024 Program Offerings:

Dates: Early Fall Start 2024 (late-August to mid-Sept)
Credits: 5 credits of IBUS 490 that count towards Fall Quarter
Cost: $4,600-$5,700 – This covers the cost of the credits, fees, housing, insurance, some meals, and program activities.
Eligibility: Open to all UW undergraduates. There are no prerequisites.
The deadline for Business India is March 25, 2024!

More Information

Foster Rome: Business Core Abroad

Foster Faculty-Led Program: Travel to Italy with Foster Faculty and a cohort of Foster students to take required business core courses at the UW Rome Center.

Location: Rome, Italy
Dates: June 17-July 17, 2024
Credits: 8-9 credits total – choose 2 courses of the 3 offered: IBUS 300, MGMT 300, or Art History 150 (A&H)
Cost: $7,575 – This covers the cost of the credits, fees, housing, insurance, and program activities.
Eligibility: Open to Foster majors only
Application Deadline: March 8, 2024

More information

ALBA Barcelona: Foster Partner Program

Foster Partner Program: Take business and non-business courses at the ALBA Barcelona Study Abroad Center in Spain with other UW and USA university students.
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Dates: 6-week program in Summer – June 26-August 8, 2024
Credits: Students take 2-3 courses of 15+ offered. Includes business core and electives.
Cost: $8,825 – This covers the cost of the credits, fees, housing, insurance, and program activities.
Eligibility: Open to all UW undergraduates. There are prerequisites and restrictions for the business courses, see ‘More Information’ below.
Application Deadline for Summer or Fall: January 31, 2024
Sign up for the GBC Undergrad Newsletter to get notified when this program opens.

More information

Business London Spring Break Study Tour

Foster Faculty-Led Program: Explore a global career with Foster Career Services and a cohort of Foster students over your Spring Break!

Location: London, UK
Foster Leadership: Lucas Ruiz (Foster Career Services)
Dates: March 16-24, 2024
Credits: 4 credits of I BUS 490 (2 for the Winter Q Seminar and 2 for the Spring Break Study Tour in London)
Cost: $2,785 – This covers the cost of the credits, fees, housing, and program activities.
Eligibility: Open to Foster majors only
Application Deadline: November 1, 2023

Sign up for the GBC Undergrad Newsletter to get notified when this program opens.

More Information

Quarter and Semester-long Programs

Business Core Abroad: Winter

Foster Faculty-Led Program: Travel to Italy with Foster Professors and a cohort of Foster students to take required business core courses in English while exploring Rome!

Location: Rome, Italy
Dates: Winter Quarter 2025
Credits: Students take 3 or 4 courses of 5 offered: IS 300, OPMGT 301, MKTG 301, MKTG 370, and Art History 400 (A&H)
Cost: TBD (around $12,000) – This covers the cost of the credits, fees, housing, insurance, and program activities.
Eligibility: Open to Foster majors only
Application Deadline: May 15, 2024
Sign up for the GBC Undergrad Newsletter to get notified when this program opens.

More Information

ALBA Barcelona: Foster Partner Program

Foster Partner Program: Take business and non-business courses at the ALBA Barcelona Study Abroad Center in Spain with other UW and USA university students.

Location: Barcelona, Spain
Dates: Corresponds to UW Quarter dates for Fall, Winter, and Spring Quarters
Credits: Students take 3-4 courses of 15+ offered. The business courses are I BUS 300, MKTG 301, MGMT 320, MGMT 300, and two Finance electives.
Cost: TBD (around $12,000) – This covers the cost of the credits, fees, and shared housing.
Eligibility: Open to all UW undergraduates. There are prerequisites and restrictions for some of the courses, see ‘More Information’ below.
Application Deadline for Fall 2024: January 31, 2024
Application Deadline for Winter or Spring 2025: May 15, 2024
Sign up for the GBC Undergrad Newsletter to get notified when this program opens.

More information

IES Abroad Berlin: Business, Sustainability & Innovation

Foster Partner Program: Take business and non-business courses at the IES Abroad Berlin Center in Germany with other UW students and learn about sustainability and innovation through company and cultural visits.

Location: Berlin, Germany
Dates: Winter Quarter 2025
Credits: Students take 3 or 4 courses of 8 offered. The business courses are I BUS 300, MKTG 301, MGMT 320, MKTG elective, COM, POL S, ENVIR, and an A&H course.
Cost: TBD (around $12,000)  – This covers the cost of the credits, fees, housing, and program activities.
Eligibility: Open to all UW undergraduate students. There are prerequisites and restrictions for some of the courses, see ‘More Information’ below.
Application Deadline: May 15, 2024
Sign up for the GBC Undergrad Newsletter to get notified when this program opens.

More Information

IES Abroad Semester-Long Programs
The rest of the IES Abroad Programs are semester-long in length and are going to consist of a mix of undergraduate students from across the USA. An IES Abroad Semester-long Program would be a good option for a student who is interested in a specific location that is not offered through any of the other programs, someone who wants to go abroad for longer than a quarter, would like to meet USA students not from UW, or someone who wants to have the option to add on an internship, language study, a homestay, or the chance to take some courses at a local university.

The IES Abroad Semester-long Programs can be quite expensive for a UW in-state student. All courses on an IES Abroad Program will be awarded UW credit upon completion. You need to apply to IES and then to the UW Study Abroad Office. Below are a few of the business-focused options.

IES Abroad offers scholarships, apply for their scholarships when applying to a program. These are not all need-based, so apply even if you do not have any FAFSA need.

Foster Exchange & Direct Enroll

Become a business student at 1 of 23 foreign universities that are partnered with Foster! Earn Foster and UW credit for all courses, live abroad for 4-5 months, and get to know students from around the world.

Locations: 23 partner universities to choose from!
Dates: All schools are on the semester system, except RSM which is on the quarter system.
Credits: 18-24 UW credits through a mix of business core, business elective (ex: FIN or MKTG), and non-business courses
Cost: Exchanges (21 partner universities) cost 1.5 times your UW tuition for a semester; Direct Enrolls (only UCD and UdeSA) cost a set program fee.
Eligibility: Open to Foster majors only
Application Deadline: January 31, 2024
Sign up for the GBC Undergrad Newsletter to get notified when this program opens.

More information

CIEE

UW Partner Program: This is not a Foster affiliated program but some of the CIEE programs do offer business courses.

CIEE is a study abroad company partnered with UW which offers quarter, semester, and summer study abroad programs focused on a variety of subject areas. Their programs sometimes do not align with the UW quarter system so please check with a UW Study Abroad Office adviser to make sure the term(s) work for UW. Like IES Abroad, CIEE also offers internships part-time alongside other classes or full-time during the summer.

Quarter-long Programs: 

CIEE Open Campus Block Programs

On CIEE’s Open Campus Block Programs, students can complete 2 blocks to count for a UW quarter, or 3 blocks to count for a semester. This unique set up allows students to move between locations during their study abroad program or stay in the same place the whole time. To make it work for the quarter, students will enroll in Fall Blocks II+III or Spring Blocks I+II.

Foster undergraduate majors can earn Foster credit on CIEE. Check out the Foster Study Abroad Course Equivalency List to see the Foster equivalents for CIEE courses. You can find CIEE under the “Other UW Approved Programs” tab since this is not a Foster study abroad program.

Foster minors cannot meet minor requirements through CIEE.

Semester-long Programs:
CIEE has many semester-long programs offering business, language and non-business credit. They also offer stand-alone internships.

Questions?

Contact the Global Business Center at [email protected] or 206-685-3432. To meet with an advisor, be sure to schedule an appointment.

The GBC’s goal is to help UW Foster School of Business students meet the world! Study abroad is a tremendous learning opportunity for Foster students to enhance their business education and gain the international perspective rfequired to do business in today’s global economy. This page presents study abroad programs offering business credit for UW undergraduates. Some of these programs, or some of the courses on the programs, will only be open to current Foster undergraduate major students but many are open to all UW undergrad students. Be in touch with a GBC Study Abroad Adviser if you want to chat one-on-one about anything related to business-focused study abroad programs. You can check out the handout version of this page here: Foster Undergraduate Study Abroad Options.

To help you understand how one experience is different from another

  • Foster Faculty-Led Programs: Go abroad with Foster Faculty and Staff on a highly supportive study abroad experience with a cohort of your UW peers. These programs either focus on earning upper division business core credit abroad or elective credit through company visits.
  • Partner Programs: These are third party companies that organize study abroad programs for USA students where all the courses count as UW credit.
  • Foster Exchange & Direct Enroll Programs: Enroll in a business school abroad and earn UW credit at one of Foster’s 23 university partners. This is a highly independent and immersive experience where you join students from around the world to become a visiting student at another university.
  1. Sign up for the Global Business Center Undergraduate Weekly Newsletter.
  2. Research your study abroad options by:
  3. Talk with your Academic Adviser to understand how study abroad fits into your UW degree plan.
  4. Explore how you will fund study abroad. Start with the UW Financial Aid Office to get an idea of how your financial aid applies to studying abroad. Additionally, the UW Study Abroad Office has both Financial Aid and Scholarship resources. If you are a Foster major, make sure to apply for a Global Business Center Study Abroad Scholarship.
  5. Apply by the application deadline!

Additionally, check out the Foster Undergrads Go Global Blog to hear about study abroad from your peers.

Each Foster Study Abroad Program will include the following fees in the program price which students are responsible for once they sign the payment contract: Foster Study Abroad Fee ($375) and UW Study Abroad Fee

The Foster Study Abroad Fee is an Administrative Fee that funds all Foster Study Abroad activities, including the organization and operations of the programs; the recruitment, selection, and support of program participants; and the offering of study abroad advising. This fee is charged to all students participating on a Foster Study Abroad Program regardless of major. This is a non-refundable fee charged to students even if they withdraw from their study abroad program.

If you cannot participate in a Foster study abroad program for which you have submitted a contract, you may submit a Foster Emergency Withdrawal Petition. If granted, the Emergency Withdrawal may allow for partial relief from your Foster Study Abroad Fee (separate from program fee and UW Study Abroad fee). Please note that you will also need to submit an emergency withdrawal petition to UW Study Abroad to be considered for partial relief from the other financial obligations for the program (i.e. program fee and UW Study Abroad fee).

The committee reviews Foster emergency withdrawal petitions on the first Thursday of every month.

Check out the UW Study Abroad Office website to learn about all the other study abroad programs at UW. These are programs offering non-business credit that can help you fulfill General Education Requirements like VLPA and I&S credit or CISB language or areas studies credit. There are more than 50 UW-wide student exchanges with universities around the world in addition to the Foster Exchange & Direct Enroll Programs found above. Some of these UW-wide exchange programs offer business courses, such as, Kyoto University in Japan, the University of Sussex in the UK, and the University of Granada in Spain. There are also many UW departments running their own Faculty-led Programs like CHID, Spanish, English, and JSIS.

January 31, 2024 Foster Rome (Summer 2024) Deadline
January 31, 2024 Foster Exchange & Direct Enroll Programs (Fall 2024 or Spring 2025) Deadline
January 31, 2024 ALBA Barcelona (Summer Q or Fall Q 2024) Deadline
February 15, 2024 Foster Exploration Seminars (Early Fall Start 2024) Deadline
April 2024 Hovind Global Leaders (HGL) Program 2024-2025 Deadline
April 2024 Global Business Center Study Abroad Scholarship Deadline
May 15, 2024 Business Italy (Winter Q 2025) Deadline
May 15, 2024 IES Abroad Berlin (Winter Q 2025) Deadline
May 15, 2024 ALBA Barcelona (Winter Q or Spring Q 2025) Deadline
November 1, 2024 Spring Break 2025 Deadline – location TBD
November 1, 2024 Global Business Center Study Abroad Scholarship Deadline

FAQ

How do I apply to study abroad?

  • Application links (or a ink to sign up for the GBC Newsletter to learn when programs open) can be found under each of the sections above.
  • Students apply to all study abroad program at UW on the UW Study Abroad Office website.

How do I know what programs are out there and how to make it work with my major requirements?

  • Meet with a Foster Academic Adviser and a GBC Foster Study Abroad Adviser.
  • You can get upper division business core credit abroad, as well as elective credit for your business major, general business credit, or non-business credit…so study abroad can work for everyone! You just have to do a little planning.
  • Come learn about all the programs on offer even if you are in your first year or not yet in the Foster School. Attend an info session (upcoming ones can be found above) or come in for advising.

What happens if I click APPLY NOW on the application brochure page on the UW Study Abroad Office website?

  • An application is started which you can revisit at any time. You can save items if you want to return to work on things later.
  • There are no application fees, except for CIEE. Start an application to see what is involved!

What are the components of an application?

  • Each program has a personal statement component. This is your essay of why you want to go on the program. We suggest touching on the personal, academic and/or career relevance of the program in your essay. Tell the story of why you think going abroad in important and what about the specific program you are applying for make it is a good fit.
  • In addition to the personal statement, some programs require a transcript to be uploaded or a faculty/TA/adviser recommendation. The recommendation is a short online survey that takes only a few minutes to complete.
  • Programs will also have a required in-person or Zoom interview which takes place after the online application deadline has passed.

How many programs can I apply to?

  • You can apply to up to 3 programs in the same time period/term, this is only going to be a constraint for Early Fall Start when there are 30+ programs happening at the same time. This means you can apply to 3 programs happening in Fall Quarter, and another 3 happening in Winter Quarter, etc.
  • If you are interested in more than one program, definitely apply to multiple! Again, there is no application fee.

How does a semester match up with the UW quarter system on Foster Exchange & Direct Enroll?

  • For Fall Semester, you earn 18-24 UW credits (roughly 4-6 courses), pay 1.5 your UW tuition rate and only miss Fall Quarter. (Paying more and earning more credit than if you were on campus)
  • For Spring Semester, you earn 18-24 UW credits (roughly 4-6 courses), pay 1.5 your UW tuition rate and miss Winter and Spring Quarters. (Paying less and earning less credit than if you were on campus)
  • RSM is the one Foster Exchange partner on the quarter system. For RSM, students miss just one quarter and pay one quarter of tuition to UW to earn 12-17 UW credits.
  • We have 2 Direct Enroll Programs (University College Dublin in Ireland and Universidad de San Andres in Argentina) where students pay a program fee for one semester, instead of their UW tuition. These two universities will be cheaper for out-of-state students than an Exchange. Students will still earn 18-24 UW credits for one semester.

How much does it cost to study abroad?

  • All programs, besides Exchanges, are based on a program fee model; so all students pay the same amount to participate on the program regardless of residency status. Some program fees include housing (Faculty-Led Programs, CIEE and IES) and some do not (ALBA Barcelona).
  • Exchange Programs are 1.5 times a student’s quarterly tuition rate for one semester.

Can I use my financial aid?

  • Yes you can! A note for programs happening during Summer, summer aid is separate from the academic year so you have to apply specifically for summer aid in late Winter Quarter or early Spring Quarter.
  • You must earn the minimum amount of UW credit required by Financial Aid for all quarters you are abroad. Meaning if you are missing both Winter and Spring Quarters on a Foster Exchange or Direct Enroll Program, you must earn at least 24 UW credits since you are enrolled abroad for 2 UW quarters (12 credit minimum per quarter).
  • To help you demystify financing your study abroad experience, check out the UW Study Abroad Office resources and watch the GBC’s Financing Study Abroad Info Session.

Are there scholarships specifically for study abroad?

  • Yes! If you are a Foster School student or you are applying to Foster, apply for the Global Business Center Study Abroad Scholarships.
  • Also check the scholarship box when you apply to a program via the UW Study Abroad Office program application. That considers you for the UW Study Abroad Office Scholarships.
  • Beyond that, there are many more scholarships out there. Learn more on the UW Study Abroad Office resources webpage.

How competitive are the Foster Study Abroad Programs?

  • This is very hard to say, it really depends on the year. Just apply!

Can I have someone look over my personal statement?

I am not in the Foster School yet, what can I apply to? I do not plan to be a Foster student, can I apply?

  • Most programs are open to all UW undergrads, check out the eligibility for the programs above and shoot us an email at [email protected] if you have questions.

Study Abroad Events