Engineers, just like their employers, are operating worldwide. Most engineers who work for a global company will find themselves interacting across borders with colleagues from diverse backgrounds.
In order to help students gain an international perspective early on, the College of Engineering has developed a number of international programs. Below are some examples of our education abroad programs, but to see up-to-date lists of providers, programs worldwide, and general study abroad options, please check out the Education Abroad and Exchanges website http://international.uky.edu/ea
You can also meet with the Education Abroad Advisor Olivia Ellis. Olivia works specifically with College of Engineering students and offers a variety of ways to meet. To chat with Olivia you can contact her via email at olivia.ellis@uky.edu or schedule an appointment with her on the Education Abroad website: https://international.uky.edu/ea/meet-ukea-advisors.
Faculty-Directed: Engineering and Calculus IV in Karlsruhe
This five week program in which students complete Calculus IV and company and cultural site visits (EGR 196) is designed specifically for engineering students. All courses delivered on this program are taught in English by UK faculty members. Students are able to explore globalization in the engineering profession through visits to local companies and organizations. Students will experience German life by living with a host family, with two meals per day included. Students will have the opportunity for additional, independent travel on the weekends. Students will enroll in MA 214: Calculus IV (3 credit hours) and EGR 196: Engineering Practice, Culture and Language in Germany (3 credit hours). For additional details, and to apply, visit the Education Abroad and Exchanges program page: https://ea.uky.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=13664.
Faculty-Directed: Renewable Energy
The Navarre region of Spain is a leader in the use of renewable energy, with 70 percent generated from renewable sources. This program is a collaboration between the University of Kentucky College of Engineering and Ingenio International in conjunction with the Association of Industrial Engineers of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain. The course is eminently practical and the classes are complemented by tours of the most representative facilities in Navarre related to the course material. The classes will have a practical component based on the introduction, analysis and discussion of practical cases. Students will enroll in CME 599: Renewable Energies (6 credit hours). There is an additional option for students interested in taking a two-week, non-credit bearing, general Spanish Language and Culture course prior to the program. For additional details, and to apply, visit the Education Abroad and Exchanges program page: https://ea.uky.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=13698.
NUSIP: Nagoya (Japan) Summer Program in Automotive Technology
Join NUSIP for six weeks and experience the full range of Japanese cultural life. Course-related excursions will provide you with an opportunity to discover Japanese culture and engineering. The program consists of seminars on the latest technology and tasks in Automobile engineering, an elementary Japanese language course and trips to an automobile industry factory and laboratory. The cost for this program is $1600, excluding airfare and meals. Housing, public transportation pass, social activities, course fees and excursions are included in the program fee. The application deadline is February 15 for the following summer. For additional details, visit the UK Education Abroad program website: https://ea.uky.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=13511
Another option for undergraduates and graduate student to gain research experience in Germany is the German Academic Exchange Service’s (DAAD’s) Research in Science and Engineering Program (RISE), which funds about 300 students a year to join Ph.D. candidates in Germany to help them with their dissertation research (www.daad.de/rise). The application deadline for RISE is in January for the following summer.
UK students interested in doing research abroad should use the Education Abroad and Exchanges program search to see credit-bearing opportunities for research abroad. Any research pursued outside of this program search will need to be tied to independent study credit and/or co-op experience in the College of Engineering. Please speak with the UK EA Advisor for Engineering students for more details: https://international.uky.edu/ea/meet-ukea-advisors.
Some of our engineering students find internships abroad with engineering companies through Cultural Vistas and their IAESTE program, a non-profit organization working to expand work abroad opportunities for college students. Please also check out Goin’ Global, where you can do a search for internships and full time positions by country and which is available to all UK students through UK’s job system, Handshake Career Management System.
UK students interested in doing an internship abroad should use the Education Abroad and Exchanges program search to see credit-bearing opportunities for internships abroad. Any internship pursued outside of this program search will need to be tied to independent study credit and/or co-op experience in the College of Engineering. Please speak with the UK EA Advisor for Engineering students for more details: https://international.uky.edu/ea/meet-ukea-advisors.
The exchange programs listed below are exclusive to students in the College of Engineering. UK Education Abroad and Exchanges has several other exchange programs open to students from all UK colleges. The Education Abroad Office also offers a large number of other (non-exchange) programs for semester and yearlong opportunities abroad. So if the options on this list do not meet your academic needs, reach out the UK EA Advisor for Engineering students for details on other program options: https://international.uky.edu/ea/meet-ukea-advisors.
Turin Polytechnic, Italy
The University of Kentucky is one of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) engineering colleges that partners with the Politecnico di Tornio (PdT) in Torino, Italy. This exchange partnership allows UK engineering students to study at PdT and pay their tuition at the UK rate (Spring Semester only). The UK-PdT exchange is focused on Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering majors, and UK students need to coordinate their courses with their UK advisor and the UK-IC exchange office at least nine months in advance of their Spring Semester at PdT. For more information see the link below.
www.thesecu.com/news/sec-study-abroad-students-hoping-to-grow-in-and-out-of-classroom-in-italy/.
To find out more, please e-mail Laurence Tuccori at the UK Education Abroad office.
Semester Exchange with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany (German language req'd)
The College of Engineering has established an exchange program with the University of Karlsruhe, Germany. This exchange allows our students to conduct research and study at the university for seven months from January to July. Credit for courses will be given through bypass exams taken after a student’s return to UK. To find out more, please e-mail Laurence Tuccori at the UK Education Abroad office.
Semester or Yearlong program in Berlin, Germany
With over 34,000 students, seven schools and more than 120 study programs, TU Berlin (TUB) is one of the largest Universities of Technology in Germany and offers a wide range of subjects.
TU Berlin is also a member of the TU 9 Consortium of German Institutes of Technology, a group of nine traditional German universities with an excellent reputation in the fields of engineering, technology and natural sciences.
Take all your classes in English. No German language requirement: https://ea.uky.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgramAngular&id=13494
Students who are admitted into the BS/MBA Dual Degree Program at UK participate in a two-week international study in Europe immediately following the completion of their MBA. Students go as a group, participate in business meetings with company executives from a variety of industries, and are immersed in the culture with English-speaking guided tours. Trips have included travel to Spain, Austria, England, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
To find out more about admission into the BS/MBA program, please contact Ms. Kim Sayre, Director of the BS/MBA program, at kim.sayre@uky.edu or by phone at 859-257-3343.
More information is also available at the BS/MBA web site.
The purpose of this internship is to provide the trainee with the opportunity to practically apply current theoretical knowledge and to develop new skills and knowledge. The activities will expose the trainees to current research issues and provide them with invaluable experience in understanding future trends and issues. For more information please contact Dr. Nick Stamatiadis: nick.stamatiadis@uky.edu
The college is home to a very active chapter of Engineers Without Borders, which supports community-driven development programs worldwide by collaborating with local partners to design and implement sustainable engineering projects while creating transformative experiences and responsible leaders. EWB-UKY was started in fall 2008 and has since completed a road project in Nkuv, Cameroon. They are currently working with the community of El Carrizo, Honduras to develop a water distribution system. If you would like to find out more, or get involved, please visit our site (ewb.engineering.uky.edu), contact EWB at ewb.uky@gmail.com or join the Engineers Without Borders – University of Kentucky group on Facebook for information on upcoming meeting times and locations.
All undergraduate and graduate students receiving funding or assistance from the college for non-credit trips abroad (e.g., conference attendances or presentations, research projects, etc.) must register their travel through the UK International Center prior to departure, and be covered under UK’s international medical insurance and evacuation policy. Please contact Jason Hope in the UK International Center’s office of International Health, Safety & Security with questions about this requirement.
UK International Center
The UK International Center’s Education Abroad office handles all for-credit study and work-abroad program registrations. If you are interested in studying abroad, please view their extensive program catalog and/or contact the UK EA Advisor for the College of Engineering: https://international.uky.edu/ea/meet-ukea-advisors. All non-credit international travel funded or facilitated by the college must be registered through the Office of International Health, Safety & Security.
To view all program offerings for study, intern, research, teach, and service abroad, check out the Education Abroad and Exchanges website: https://international.uky.edu/ea.
International Student Exchange Program (ISEP)
The University of Kentucky is a member of ISEP, which allows UK students to attend a large number of universities across the globe. For more information please contact the UK Study Abroad Office http://www.uky.edu/international/educationabroad and ISEP.
KIIS Language and Cultural Immersion Programs
The University of Kentucky International Center offers many more exchange programs that are not specifically geared towards engineering students but nonetheless offer fantastic opportunities to study abroad. Recent engineering student programs have included participation in KIIS language programs to Germany and Austria, as well as ISEP student exchanges to Hungary, Australia, Argentina and Sweden