Study Abroad for Engineering Students

The College of Engineering offers a number of study abroad opportunities for engineering undergraduates. Students can study abroad in either the second semester of their sophomore year or in their junior year.

Sophomore-year programs are offered in Grenoble, France; Madrid, Spain; and Sydney, Australia, and offer courses that are functionally equivalent to those normally taken at Boston University during the second semester of the sophomore year. All majors can participate.

While abroad, students take three technical courses—CAS MA 226 Differential Equations, ENG EK 307 Electric Circuits, and an elective course—as well as a Hub elective that studies the historical, cultural, and social dimensions of the host country. These courses are all taught in English and appear on the student’s transcript as Boston University courses. In Grenoble and Madrid, students also take a French or Spanish course. In Sydney, students participate in an internship program instead of taking a language course. Students can earn up to four Hub units on these programs, with the units awarded varying slightly by location.

Junior year direct-enroll programs are also available (in English) at universities in Auckland, New Zealand; Dublin, Ireland; Sydney, Australia; and Singapore. In these programs, students will take three or more technical courses, choosing from those already offered at these universities. Students must do the research to identify courses at the abroad site and obtain appropriate approval to use these courses toward the degree requirement. Students on a junior-year study abroad program are also required to take a course relating to the culture, history, society, or language of the host country or wider region.

Through studying abroad in any one of the engineering programs, students are expected to gain the following learning outcomes:

  • Demonstrate a knowledge of foundational concepts and principles in the technical coursework.
  • Gain an understanding of the historical, cultural, and social dimensions of the host country.
  • Develop new perspectives on one’s own culture and ability to think critically about one’s own values, beliefs, and goals.

Prior to the pandemic, approximately 20–25% of College of Engineering graduates elected to study in one of these programs. All programs being offered are subject to enrollment capacities and students must be in good academic standing in order to attend. We reserve the right to cancel a program with insufficient enrollment.

For more information, please contact the Study Abroad office, the Engineering Undergraduate Programs office, or visit the Engineering Study Abroad web page.