Office of Study Abroad

Choosing a Program

There are many reasons to choose a study abroad program and given the number of approved programs, you should expect this process to take some time. We recommend you review this page and the following resources when compiling your research on study abroad programs.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Program

Below is a list of things to consider when researching and choosing a study abroad program, followed by some reasons not to consider. If you feel lost or need guidance when researching your programs, please make an appointment with an advisor to talk over your options.

What Not to Consider When Choosing a Program

Below are some of these suggested reasons not to choose a study abroad program. 

Resources to utilize when choosing a program:

Abroad 101 Evaluations

Abroad 101 LogoBrandeis University partners with www.Abroad101.com to host all returnee student evaluations of approved study abroad programs. This resource allows you to search evaluations of your Brandeis peers as well as other students from across the United States.

Speak with Returnees

Speaking with a program returnee can be very helpful to get feedback about the programs you're interested in; it allows you to ask those detailed questions that only someone who participated in a program can answer. However, please always keep in mind that someone else's experience will not be the same as your experience. There are a number of ways you can connect with returnees:

  • Study Abroad Ambassadors: The Study Abroad Ambassadors are a great resource for students. They plan programs, help in the office, offer peer advising during their office hours, and are available to be contacted by email as well.
  • Brandeis' Returnee Contact List: This list consists of Brandeis returnee students' names, email addresses, programs, program locations and majors/minors. You can view this list and contact any of the students on it to ask about their program. Please be respectful when contacting these students as they have volunteered to be contacted.
  • Does your program(s) of interest have a returnee database or alumni program? Reach out to the program to ask if they can connect you.

Using the Approved Programs List

The Office of Study Abroad manages an approved programs list for students to assist with searching for appropriate study abroad programs. Please use the advanced search options and program pages to learn more about each program.

Meeting with Office of Study Abroad Staff

Every student is required to meet with a study abroad staff member. During this meeting you'll discuss your interests and goals for abroad as well as discuss various program options.