Undergraduate Study Abroad Resources
Study Abroad Opportunities
One of the most common inquiries among many students in the
Bachelor of Arts in Urban Planning (BAUP) program is whether
or not they can study abroad. The answer is a definite “yes.” Numerous
opportunities are available both within DURP and through the Study
Abroad Office (SAO). Students are not limited to any
particular choices, but we do recommend that a student choose
either from DURP’s options or one of the programs geared
towards Planning within the SAO.
For undergraduate students that do intend to include planning
courses as part of their study abroad curriculum, DURP directly
offers two programs through the department, one each during the
winter and the summer. Additionally,
the department recommends four study abroad opportunities offered
through SAO, two in the United Kingdom and two in Australia. These
six programs are summarized in the following sections.
Cape Town Study Abroad Course (Winter Break)
The Department offers a study abroad course (LAS
199: Globalization and Inequality in Post-apartheid Cape Town,
South Africa). The course is directed by Ken
Salo, and additional information is available at
this site. Please contact Prof. Salo for any further
questions.
Sustainable Futures Program, Monteverde, Costa Rica (Summer
Break)
The ten-week Sustainable
Futures Program, directed by Stacy
Harwood, is offered every summer to planners, architects,
landscape architects, international development specialists,
natural resource managers, and other students interested in
sustainable futures. Participants live in a rural Costa Rican
rain forest community struggling to achieve a balance among
its agricultural base, the pressures of eco-tourism, and the
desire to save the rain forests. Participants study the ecology
of the area, the institutional supports for sustainable development,
ecological tourism, the origins of urbanism, community-based
planning, buffer zone management strategies, Spanish language
and Costa Rican culture.
British & Australian Study Abroad Programs
All UK and Australia programs, which are primarily geared toward
undergraduate study abroad, are organized through the University's Study
Abroad Office, which provides applications and scholarship
information. One year of study is preferred, especially in the
UK, although one semester abroad is an option at all four universities. The
UK academic calendar goes from late September to mid January
and late January to early June. The Australian academic
calendar is reversed from UIUC's, going from late February to
mid-June and mid-July to late-November. Courses taken abroad
must be selected to fulfill department requirements.
British Exchange Program
The British Exchange Program (BEP) is the oldest exchange program
at the University of Illinois. It offers University of Illinois
students an affordable way to spend the academic year studying
in Europe and the chance to take courses to fulfill graduation
requirements. As a participant in the BEP, you enjoy the benefits
of direct enrollment at a British university. You take all of
your classes with British students, live in student housing with
other British and international students, and have access to
all the sports facilities and clubs of your host university.
The best option for students is to spend the entire academic
year in Britain, as a year allows for a much wider choice of
classes and more integration into the British university and
British culture. Students studying Urban and Regional Planning
may be especially interested in opportunities at the universities
in Sheffield and Manchester.
Application Deadlines
Fall Semester/Academic Year
Priority Deadline: December 15
Final Deadline: February 15
Spring Semester
Priority Deadline: June 1
Final Deadline: October 1
University of
Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is one of the top universities in
the UK, receiving 29 scores of 'Excellent' in the assessment
of teaching at British universities. Only Cambridge scored higher. Typical
of British universities, lectures, seminars, tutorials, labs,
and fieldwork are the main teaching methods used. The main
library is served by nine additional specialist libraries and
holds over one million volumes. Campus is composed of converted
Victorian houses, converted churches and modern structures. Like
the city itself, there are plenty of gardens, lawns, and wooded
areas. Public parks, tree-lined walkways and wooded residential
districts prevent any sort of urban gloom from entering Sheffield.
In terms of planning courses, they are grouped into five areas
in the Department of Town
and Regional Planning: geography and planning, landscape
architecture and planning, urban environmental studies, urban
studies, and urban studies and planning. This program has
a longstanding relationship with the Department of Urban and
Regional Planning (DURP) and is highly recommended for any BAUP
student that wishes to study abroad in Britain. As a result
of this partnership, there are a few spots guaranteed every year
for students who would like to study at Sheffield.
Course
Information
University of
Manchester
The University of Manchester is among the top universities in
the world. The University has almost 4,000 academic and
research staff, many with international reputations in their
subjects, providing you with a stimulating learning environment
and the highest standard of teaching. The teaching style
is a blend of lectures and small group tutorials and seminars. The
University of Manchester is at the heart of a dynamic city that
attracts an increasing number of students, visitors and businesses
every year. Manchester is one of Britain's liveliest and most
multicultural cities, buzzing with events, cinemas, theaters,
exhibitions, clubs and bars that cater for every taste and background. It
offers a vibrant world with which to engage during your study
abroad experience.
Courses relevant to planning students are available in a variety
of subject areas, including town and country planning, landscape
planning and management, environmental management, and city and
regional development (see the offerings in the School
of Environment and Development).
Course
Information
Illinois Programs in Australia
The Study Abroad Office (SAO) administers the Illinois Programs
in Australia (IL-Australia) study abroad and exchange scheme,
offering students eight choices of universities. IL-Australia
is ideal for students seeking an affordable program that still
allows for travel flexibility and the development of individual
independence. The universities of Queensland and New South
Wales are especially well suited for students in Urban and Regional
Planning.
Application Deadlines
Fall Semester/Academic Year
Priority Deadline: December 15 (to qualify for exchange)
Final Deadline: February 15
Spring Semester
Priority Deadline: June 1 (to qualify for exchange)
Final Deadline: October 1
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland (UQ), founded in 1909, is one of
Australia's largest and most comprehensive universities. UQ's
main campus is located at St. Lucia, a suburb of Brisbane. The
campus occupies the entire inside bend of the Brisbane River
and is surrounded by beautiful jacaranda trees. In addition
to high quality academics, the University of Queensland offers
many opportunities to learn about Australian history and culture. The
Anthropology Museum offers an excellent collection of Aboriginal
artifacts and images of contemporary culture. Other museums
on campus focus on art, geology, and zoology. The Schonell
Theater is home to local productions, special events and cinema. Mayne
Centre, one of the many outstanding examples of the University's
architecture, is venue to many concerts, the Queensland Art Museum,
and other musical events. Students can also venture into
Brisbane and the surrounding suburbs for nightlife and cultural
events.
If you are looking to take courses in environmental planning
and related issues, UQ is your best choice for taking planning
courses abroad. These planning and other related courses
can be found within the School
of Geography, Planning and Architecture.
Course Information
University
of New South Wales (UNSW)
UNSW was founded in 1949 and is one of Australia’s largest
universities with a student population over 40,000. The
main campus occupies an 85-acre hilly site in Kensington, an
inner suburb about 30 minutes by bus from central Sydney. The
university has an urban feel, and students who are looking for
a fast-paced urban setting will be comfortable at UNSW. UNSW
has its own university district surrounding the campus with interesting
shops, restaurants, and bars. Moreover, the campus is only a
ten-minute walk or short bus ride to several of Sydney's most
popular swimming and surfing beaches. Students also have
the option of going into the city for shopping and entertainment.
Courses recommended for planning students are found within a
wide variety of disciplines at UNSW. Through the Faculty
of the Built Environment, applicable courses can be found
in areas such as urban development and design, urban planning,
and environmental studies.
Course Information - Planning
Course Information - Built
Environment
Preparing to Go Abroad
The first step for any student who is planning to do a study
abroad program is to attend one of the First Steps Meetings,
which are held every Monday through Friday during the academic
year at 4 pm. Please check www.studyabroad.uiuc.edu for
exact location details. You need not set an appointment,
but make sure you arrive on time or you will not be admitted. These
meetings give students basic preparation for going abroad, such
as information on scholarships, financial aid, and the application
process.
You may also utilize the Study Abroad Office Resource Room where
you can talk to peer advisors, browse brochures and catalogues,
check our course approval database, and read evaluations from
past participants. The Resource Room is open Monday to
Friday from 9:00 to 4:45, in room 124 International Studies Building
(located at 910 S. Fifth Street between Chalmers and Daniel),
and no appointments are necessary.
After you have been to First Steps and done some research, if
you have specific questions about a particular program, you can
set up an appointment with a study abroad regional advisor. You
can make an appointment by calling 333-6322. To set up
an appointment as a walk-in, please go to Room 115, the Study
Abroad Main Office, open from 8:30 – 4:45 every weekday. This
room is where you not only check-in for appointments, but also
turn in paperwork, and deal with credit and/or insurance issues.
Study Abroad Flowcharts
Students who choose to study abroad will have to follow their
own special flowcharts in order to complete their BAUP degree
on time. As the flowcharts for
students who choose not to go abroad require at least one course
every semester from the core courses, many students may find
it hard to fit even one semester abroad into their schedules. However,
whether you entered the program as a freshman, or have just
been accepted to start your junior year in urban planning,
or even if you are considering a school that does not offer
planning courses, you do in fact have opportunities to go abroad. However,
these require following modified flowcharts, available at the
bottom of each section below.
Courses you take while abroad depend on the timeframe in which
you choose to be abroad. If you would like to take courses
equivalent to departmental electives at the 400 level while abroad,
our recommendation would be to go sometime during your junior
year or fall semester as a senior. Students who go abroad
as sophomores should not be taking equivalents for such courses,
as we do not recommend that they do so while here on campus. For
such students, we recommend that they find equivalents for the planning
electives and general
education courses (specifically your cultural studies, humanities,
and natural science requirements) while abroad, or any available
courses similar to planning courses at the 100 and 200 levels.
If for any reason you still cannot include study abroad
into your studies during the spring and fall semester, you still
have options. The winter break Cape Town Study Abroad course
and the Sustainable Futures course during each summer break can
fit your schedule without modification to the general flowcharts. For
information about these courses, please consult the top of this
document.
Incoming Freshmen
Those who enter the program as freshmen, provided they plan at
least a year in advance of when they’d like to go, have
a plethora of options for when they choose to study abroad. Those
who would like to spend an entire year abroad can choose to
do it either during their sophomore or junior years. For
these students, we recommend that they take UP 205 spring semester
of their freshman year, lessening their load of UP courses
they will need to take during their second year living here
on campus. Students following this plan during that
year will take UP 260, 203, and 312 in the fall and UP 316
and 347 during the spring, as outlined in the respective flowcharts
at the bottom of this section.
Students who would rather spend just one semester abroad have
four choices. DURP allows students who would like to utilize
this choice to go either semester of a student’s sophomore
year, or the fall semester of either their junior or senior years. Going
during the spring semester of your junior year is not an option,
however, due to the program design. Because UP 347 has
all core courses of lower numbers as its prerequisites, going
during the spring as a junior will require that you take it after
or concurrently with the senior workshop, or before you take
312 during the fall semester of your junior year. If you
would like to spend that semester abroad, we recommend that you
take the full year option if possible. However, if you
do go only during your spring semester as a junior, you should
follow the full-year abroad flowchart, and take departmental
and planning
electives during the fall of your junior year when you are
here on campus.
Flowcharts:
Sophomore
Year Abroad Flowchart
Sophomore Fall Abroad Flowchart
Sophomore Spring Abroad Flowchart
Junior Year Abroad Flowchart
Junior Fall Abroad Flowchart
Senior Fall Abroad Flowchart
Sophomore Transfers
Students who transfer into the BAUP program at the beginning
of their sophomore year have similar options to those who enter
as freshmen. However, unless you plan to go abroad during
the fall semester as a senior, we highly recommend that you enter
the program with the entrance requirement as outlined on the junior
transfer flowchart. It is imperative that you do so
if you choose to go abroad at any point during your junior year. This
will ensure that you understand the concepts across disciplines
related to planning, particularly the basic social, political,
and economic forces that shape the planning process before beginning
200 and 300-level courses. For students who wish
to go abroad during spring semester as sophomores, the deadline
for completing these courses is the end of the fall during your
sophomore year.
Again, as outlined in the above section for incoming freshmen,
we do not recommend that sophomore transfers go abroad during
their spring semester of their junior year. Taking 347
as a senior poses the same problems for both transfers and students
who start their college careers in the program; but it is magnified
for sophomore transfers that choose to take 347 as sophomores.
Such students would have to complete 347 before taking not only
UP 312, but also UP 260 and 203. This is not recommended
under any but the most extenuating circumstances. Such
students should follow the junior year abroad flowchart, and
take departmental and planning
electives during the fall as juniors.
Flowcharts:
Sophomore Spring Abroad Flowchart
Junior Year Abroad Flowchart
Junior Fall Abroad Flowchart
Senior Fall Abroad Flowchart
Junior Transfers
Students who transfer into the BAUP program at the beginning
of their junior year (or even the spring of their sophomore year)
are comparatively limited in their study abroad options. Because
such students will need to complete most of the core curriculum
in two semesters, going abroad anytime as a junior for such students
is clearly infeasible. Going during the fall semester of
your senior year is the only option for such students. Additionally,
a senior workshop is not always available in the spring due to
potential lack of demand for the second workshop. Checking
with the BAUP coordinator as soon as possible is crucial to determining
the potential for this option to work. For students who
plan to graduate a semester late, however, this will not pose
a problem to completing the degree.
If your only option is to follow the existing flowchart, your
best bet would be to consider the winter break and summer break
courses offered by the department. See the top of this
document for information.
Flowchart:
Senior Fall Abroad Flowchart
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