Overseas Opportunities
Special for Summer 20-21:
The Bing Overseas Studies Program is pleased to announce temporarily expanded program opportunities for Summer Quarter 2020-21.
In addition to BOSP’s existing Summer Quarter opportunities--Overseas Seminars, internship programs, and quarter-length programs in Cape Town and Santiago--BOSP has new and expanded academic offerings at all of its BOSP-operated centers (excluding Australia, Hong Kong, and Istanbul). These programs vary by duration, academic focus, units of credit, and other characteristics.
Generally speaking, all BOSP Summer 2020-21 programs can be divided into 3 categories:
Quarter-length academic programs (10 weeks, 12-20 units of credit)
Locations: Cape Town (South Africa), Florence (Italy), New York (USA), Oxford (United Kingdom), and Santiago (Chile)
Short-term academic programs (3-5 weeks, 2-5 units of credit)
Locations: Accra (Ghana), Amman (Jordan), Berlin (Germany), Kyoto (Japan), Madrid (Spain), Nairobi (Kenya), Oaxaca (Mexico), and Paris (France)
Internship programs (10 weeks, full-time)
Locations: Germany and Japan
We encourage you to explore our Summer Quarter 2020-21 Programs website for further details. Programs are subject to cancellation and program details are subject to change at the discretion of the university. We urge you to sign up for the BOSP newsletter for the latest updates, announcements, and information.
Student applications for Summer Quarter 2020-21 and Autumn Quarter 2021-22 programs will be open in December 2020 on our website.
We will be holding an information session for students on October 30th, 1:30pm. Details are on our website.
Engineers and Overseas Studies
“The (study abroad) perspective has been, for me, the most interesting, life-changing, and valuable effect of studying abroad. It is also something that cannot be easily achieved without studying abroad—the way that the abroad experience immerses you in a rich and realistic life, though temporary, provides you with an experience that cannot be achieved later as a traveler.” School of Engineering and BOSP Paris Alum
Roughly half of all engineering undergraduate students take advantage of at least one overseas program opportunity while completing their bachelor’s degrees. Finding time for such an experience will take some advance planning, but it is well worth the effort. These opportunities will certainly be a highlight of your time at Stanford. Scroll down to find detail on Global Engineering Programs, and multiple overseas stays via Cardinal Quarter and/or Bing Overseas Studies Programs.
Global Engineering Programs
Global Engineering Programs (GEP) offers a portfolio of international opportunities for Stanford engineering students. Opportunities include service-learning programs, internships, faculty-led programs, and study tours, among others. These opportunities enhance engineering education by providing students with an opportunity to learn about technology and engineering in a global context, to build professional networks, and to gain real world experience in a culturally diverse and international environment.
Need-based financial aid is available to undergraduate students to ensure that GEP programs are inclusive. GEP programs evolve each year so students are encouraged to check gep.stanford.edu regularly for updated opportunities and details including application deadlines.
Cardinal Quarter
Numerous opportunities to participate in a full-time, quarter-long (8+ week) public service experience designed to integrate your academic learning with field-based experience. You can pursue prearranged placements or self-designed opportunities in both domestic and international settings. Nearly 500 opportunities are offered each year through more than 30 campus partners involved in the Cardinal Quarter initiative. Many Cardinal Quarter Fellowships are ideally suited for engineering majors. Check the Cardinal Quarter site.
Bing Overseas Studies Program (BOSP)
For many years the School of Engineering and the Bing Overseas Studies Program have collaborated to provide outstanding opportunities for engineering majors to study, work, and experience life in other countries. Careers in engineering frequently have an international component—whether through working as a consultant in another culture, transferring for a period of time to another country, or establishing an enterprise and developing contacts in other areas of the world. Achieving cultural literacy in another country provokes reflection on the differences and similarities among societies and prepares students to work in an international context.
With careful planning, most engineering students can fit study at one of Stanford’s overseas centers into their academic plans. BOSP encourages students to talk with their advisors early on, as early as freshman year, about planning for one or more quarters abroad. By starting early, students can strategically plan for required engineering courses and language acquisition and then be able to study and work abroad while making progress toward their Stanford degrees. Some programs require minimal language study prior to enrollment. Most programs include courses that satisfy two or more breadth requirements (Ways of Thinking Ways of Doing) so prospective engineering majors can plan to fulfill one or two requirements abroad.
Students studying at most Stanford overseas centers may take selected advanced engineering courses offered in an online format by the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD). A student may take a maximum of one of these courses per quarter. In addition, some Stanford overseas centers offer selected engineering fundamentals courses as tutored video courses. In additionm engineering faculty may be teaching abroad as Faculty-in-Residence at BOSP’s overseas centers.
2019-20
Charles Eesley Management Science & Engr Autumn Hong Kong
Anne Kiremidjian Civil & Environmental Engr Autumn New York
Markus Covert Bioengineering Winter Paris
List of current and future faculty-in-residence.
The Associate Dean for Student Affairs in Engineering as well as advisors in Undergraduate Advising and Research (UAR), and Program Advisors and Student Ambassadors in the Bing Overseas Studies Program can help students strategize how to integrate coursework taken overseas into their overall academic planning.
Information about Stanford’s programs, including courses offered, is available online. Students are also encouraged to stop by the BOSP office on the ground floor of Sweet Hall. The following program information highlights opportunities that might be of special interest to engineers.
Australia
For me, one of the greatest parts of my study abroad experience was the opportunity to interact with brilliant, interesting, and fun professors and graduate students from another university. If I had known how awesome the people would be in Australia, I would have been even more sold on the program than I was already. -- BOSP Australia Alum
During Autumn Quarter, students in the Stanford Program in Australia focus on topics in Australian coastal studies at various locations in Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef and Sydney. This program has been established in collaboration with the University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences. Up to 48 students are enrolled in four required academic modules: Coral Reef Ecosystems, Coastal Ecosystems, Terrestrial Ecology and Conservation, and Australian Studies. Civil and Environmental Engineering has approved credit for some of these courses. In addition, students complete Targeted Research Projects on selected topics under the supervision of University of Queensland instructors. This opportunity to conduct original, individual, field-based research will greatly enhance students’ research skills and their appreciation of environmental and societal issues within Australia with topic options including the threats to Australia’s natural environment caused by human activity, platypus abundance and activity, mangroves, saltmarshes and climate change mitigation, or plastics at Heron Island, to name a few. Because this program is field-based with limited Internet access, SCPD courses are not available for engineering students in Australia.
Berlin
My internship experience really complemented what I’d learned in my engineering classes. In fact, I felt that I received two educations for the price of one. I did a long internship, and it was worth it. Doing a long internship means you can learn more, show more effort, and the company gets a better feel for you. They might even hire you back. I’m a very obvious example of staying longer. I’m back in Germany now working for the same company as a permanent employee.
--BOSP Berlin Alum
The Stanford Program in Berlin exposes students to the rich culture and complex history of the city and is open for study in Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. Students who study in Berlin for one or more quarters and have completed one year of German language (GERLANG 3) are eligible to participate in a full-time Krupp Internship in any succeeding quarter(s). Since 1982 the Stanford Program in Berlin, with support from the Krupp Foundation (Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung), has placed over 1300 Stanford students, over half of whom are engineers, in paid internships throughout Germany. Internships are available in virtually all fields of engineering. In close cooperation with the applicants, the onsite Internship Coordinator works to place students in internships closely related to their academic and career interests and their technical and language skills. Internship placements are in private companies and public institutions all over Germany, not only in Berlin. The program guarantees €1600 for a full working month (plus an additional rent subsidy of €200 if the internship is located in a higher-rent city like Berlin or Munich), which easily covers all living expenses. Internships last from three to six months.
Students without previous German language experience can enroll in beginning intensive German in Berlin in Autumn or Winter Quarter, or they must take a minimum of one quarter of German prior to arrival in Spring Quarter. The equivalent of three quarters of German is required before beginning a Krupp Internship. This is the minimum; some hosts might require a higher level of proficiency. Internships tend to be more rewarding for those engineering students – advanced junior, senior, and co-term – who have already taken a number of engineering courses; product design students must have a portfolio of work proofs. Past internship hosts have included: Bosch, BMW, DLR, ELHA-Maschinenbau, enbeeze, KIWI.KI, N26 (direct bank), SAP, Siemens, Volkswagen, and Fraunhofer Institutes for Mechanical Engineers and Computer Scientists; Bayer, Sanofi-Aventis, Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Max-Planck-Institutes and Younicos for Chemical Engineers; Bosch, Infineon, Hella, Siemens and Sumolight for Electrical Engineers; Arcadis Deutschland, Berlin Senate Department for Urban Development, Lüthje Soetbeer Architektur, and Fraunhofer Institutes for Architects and Civil Engineers; and Brandenburg Economic Development Board Potsdam, Cassantec, Continental Automotive, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Bank, quirin bank, and Rolls Royce Deutschland for Management Science & Engineering and Economics students. After returning to campus students can work with the Department of German Studies to reflect on their internship experiences in writing and earn academic credit for doing so. See the program overview for program details and internship profiles. Because all coursework at the Berlin Center satisfies German Studies departmental requirements for the major and minor, some engineering students who have studied in Berlin have even graduated with a German Studies minor or double major.
ENGR 40M will be offered in Autumn, Winter and Spring and ENGR 50 is offered as tutored video in all three quarters. Engineering students can also enroll in one SCPD course from a selected list. For additional details see the course list.
Cape Town
Society is today making ever-greater demands on engineering...This confronts engineering and society with not only with unprecedented technical challenges, but also with a host of new ethical problems that demand the development of global engineering ethics...asking not only about the ‘hows’ but also the ‘whys’ in the creating of artifacts
-- Engineering: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities for Development. (2010). Paris, France: UNESCO, p. 43
The Stanford Program in Cape Town, open Winter, Spring, and Summer Quarters, emphasizes an understanding of the person and the artefact, in context and in relationship. This focus is especially relevant to engineering students given the UNESCO challenge to develop global engineering ethics focusing on the ‘whys’ of the artefacts they create. Students are asked to consider how spaces, artefacts and the self affect each other. The Sites of Memory course (offered Winter, Spring & Summer Quarters) invites students to view the archive, monuments, memorials and public sites of memory, such as museums, as public and living artefacts that are contested and constantly re-constructed sites of memory and meaning. Lessons from ICT: Usage in Developing Countries (offered Winter Quarter) supports students to explore how ICTs, designed primarily for Northern audiences, are being re-imagined and used differently in developing countries. Paradigmatic questions are addressed in such a way as to stimulate debate about the role and value of ICTs in developing contexts. Creative Cityness (offered Spring Quarter) unpacks the gendered, situated, sexual, and racial character of homes, neighbourhoods and cities.
Engaged Learning provides students with the opportunity to contribute to the work of non-profits and to develop technical skills as well as empathy, flexibility and self-reflection while working in diverse contexts. School of Engineering students have participated in the Cape Town program consistently since it opened in 2010. Some of these students find that they can explore their major interests through engaged learning activities that include: mathematics and science instruction, assisting with ICTs in developing contexts, etc. Others use the engaged learning program as a time to explore other interests outside their major. Engineering students can enroll in one SCPD course from a selected list. For additional details, please see https://undergrad.stanford.edu/programs/bosp/explore/search-courses
Florence
While many Stanford undergraduates take advantage of the Bing Overseas Studies Program, relatively few in the School of Engineering consider Stanford's oldest campus in Florence. They should! Florence is the birthplace of the artist/engineer, a great place for students interested in subjects like Product Design to immerse themselves in a culture where no apology is made for the role of art in engineering and vice versa. The tradition continues today, with Ferrari, Lamborghini, and many other industries located a short train ride from the Florence campus, not to mention the fashion firms like Gucci and Ferragamo right in town. And then there is the campus in the Palazzo Capponi alle Rovinate, a 15th century palace, beautifully restored for Stanford. With today's Internet access you can catch up on a core engineering course while taking local courses in surroundings that are simply inspirational.
-- Professor Mark Cutkosky, Fletcher Jones Chair in the School of Engineering
Studying abroad at the Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence means being stimulated, challenged, questioned and amazed, on a daily basis, by the legacy of the great innovators, the artists, and the engineers of the Renaissance. This heritage is so central to the Florence Program that a new curricular track looks at the nexus between the approach to innovation of the Florentine Renaissance and that of the Silicon Valley. Particularly relevant to students of engineering, it focuses on what we can all learn when applying Renaissance methods and know-how to the challenges and issues we face in the contemporary world.
In Florence, engineering majors will see themselves engaged in an attempt to solve some of the many conundrums that were left behind by the extraordinary Renaissance engineers and innovators, from Brunelleschi to Leonardo. They will study engineering marvels such as Brunelleschi’s Dome or the Leaning Tower of Pisa (still today considered to be some of the greatest engineering feats of all time) from the most privileged vantage point possible. And they will be able to experience for themselves the great potential for innovation that ensues when an engineering mind meets the arts and the humanities: As Walter Isaacson aptly noted: [the fact that] “innovation resides where art and science connect is not new. Leonardo da Vinci was the exemplar of the creativity that flourishes when the humanities and sciences interact. When Einstein was stymied while working out General Relativity, he would pull out his violin and play Mozart until he could reconnect to what he called the harmony of the spheres.” (Walter Isaacson, The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution, 2014).
The Florence curriculum offers a wide variety of courses on the arts and the humanities of the Renaissance (especially Art History classes, but also a wonderful course dedicated to the great engineers of the Renaissance and their most significant technical achievements); it also includes classes focused on contemporary Italy and Europe (Bioethics, Film, History, Political Science, Migration, and Photography, to name but a few). In addition to these courses, engineering students in Florence can take ENGR 50, currently offered all three quarters as a tutored video class with the support of an on-site engineering professor. Students can also opt to enroll in one SCPD course from a selected list. For additional details, please see: search-courses site. Visiting faculty from the School of Engineering are often in residence at the program as well.
The Breyer Center for Overseas Studies in Florence is structured in a way to help students integrate as fully as possible into Italian life and culture through a wide variety of engaged academic opportunities, as well as many extra-curricular activities. Qualified students are encouraged to participate in academic internships at cutting edge international companies in the fields of engineering, architecture, and product design (to learn more please email the Program Coordinator, Fosca D’Acierno at dacierno@stanford.edu). The program’s homestays, the Friends a Firenze Program (whereby Italian university students meet Stanford students for language exchange purposes and to make new friends), as well as its wonderful public service opportunities, and extra-curricular activities (including trips, field trips, lecture series, and workshops) are all aimed at helping students develop a profound knowledge of and a lasting relationship with Italy, Europe and their culture. There is no language prerequisite for Florence; students who have not studied Italian take beginning Italian while at the Program.
Kyoto
I got to learn a lot of Japanese, experience Japan work culture, learn about the workings of a large engineering company, learn about collaborations between large companies and university research, experience life as a young adult in Japan, and become more outgoing and independent. The most rewarding part of my experience was two-fold, learning that I am capable of making significant contributions to my field and learning how to live independently as a young adult in a new environment.
—BOSP Kyoto Alum
The Stanford Program in Kyoto was founded in collaboration with the School of Engineering, and has since provided engineering students the opportunity to fit language immersion, practical classroom experience and internships into their busy schedules. The program is designed for students with intellectual interests in Japanese design, culture, art, and the contemporary social challenges facing a post-industrial nation in the most dynamic region of the world. For students with technical specialties, the program helps them understand the professional value of developing a linguistic and cultural competence that facilitates interaction with Japanese while simultaneously complementing their technical abilities. The program is open Autumn and Spring Quarters. In Spring Quarter, an electronic version of ENGR 40M is offered on site with the support of a graduate student from Electrical Engineering, and in Autumn Quarter CS221 is offered on site with the support of a graduate student from Computer Science. For both courses, students are able to study in small groups with close support from the on-site TA. Students can also enroll in one SCPD course per quarter from a selected list.
Students wishing to apply to the Kyoto program for an academic quarter must have completed the first quarter of first year Japanese on campus to attend Kyoto in Autumn, or to attend in Spring they must have completed the second quarter of first year Japanese on campus.
Students who participate in the Spring Quarter in Kyoto have the option of staying on in Japan and doing a 10-week, fully-funded summer internship. Accommodation is also organized by the program if not by the host organization. To be eligible for a summer internship, students must have participated in Spring Quarter in the Kyoto program within the same academic year and by the time they begin their summer internship, students will need to have completed at least one or two years of Japanese language depending on their major classification, as follows:
• STEM major students and prospective STEM major students must have completed JAPANLNG 3 or 3K.
• Non-STEM major students and prospective non-STEM major students must have completed JAPANLNG 23 or 23K.
Students who are unsure of the STEM or non-STEM classification of their major should contact the Kyoto Program’s Internship Coordinator for additional information.
The Kyoto Program team places all students in fully funded internships (accommodation and stipend provided) related to their academic and career, and personal interests. Student interns are expected to participate in the internship in Japan for a 10-week period beginning in late June and ending at the end of August.
Interns are placed in organizations of all sizes and structures, from multinationals such as Hitachi, NEC, Fujitsu, Kawasaki and Yamaha, to leading research institutions such as University of Tokyo and Kyoto University, through to entrepreneurial start-ups such as Appirits, Q-Games, daisy, infield designs, 1-10, LINE, SmartNews and teamLab. The program also strives to place students with highly specialized interests in appropriate organizations, with past placements including an organic farm, a prefectural government office, a charitable NGO for low income and homeless people, and a fashion brand. For more information on the internship opportunities, visit: the Kyoto Internship page..
Madrid
The program in Madrid is open Autumn, Winter and Spring Quarters and has a language requirement of one year of college-level Spanish (SPANLANG 3 or SPANLANG 2A). In addition to opportunities to explore Spain’s culture, science, and society through a variety of humanities, health and social science courses, the Madrid program offers engineering students with sufficient language fluency the possibility of enrolling in courses at the Universidad Politécnica, one of Spain’s premier engineering universities. Its Industrial Engineering School is close to the Stanford Center and offers courses that are of interest to Stanford students. Students can also participate in academic internships as part of the course “Integration into Spanish Society.” Students interested in enrolling in a course in Universidad Politécnica or doing an engineering internship should contact the Madrid Center in advance. Also, the program in Madrid offers an Autumn Quarter course approved for Civil & Environmental Engineering called “Cities and Creativity: Cultural and Architectural Interpretations of Madrid: (OSPMADRD 8A). In addition, engineering students can enroll in one SCPD course per quarter from a selected list.
New York
I am writing to let you know that yesterday I accepted my first job out of Stanford…. [I will be working for] a fantastic architecture firm that I never dreamed I could work for coming out of undergrad…. [My SiNY internship] was critical to proving my legitimacy as a candidate throughout the job search, and the networking and career development workshops at SiNY were profoundly helpful to me in securing four interviews and four offers from architecture firms in the Bay Area over the last month, which put me in a strong position to negotiate. ----------------------SiNY Alum
New York is the world’s most international and dynamic city, with over 800 languages spoken and the highest population density of any American city. While not “abroad,” New York is a world away from the streets of Palo Alto. The pace, people, and professions are diverse, and any engineering student will quickly see how the city offers something quite different from the Bay.
Stanford in New York is offered Autumn, Winter, and Spring and enrolls about 20 students per quarter. Students work 4 days a week in intensive internships, take 3 classes (including the required Internship Seminar), and live together in the lovely neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights. Each quarter, a different curricular focus loosely organizes internships and courses: Autumn: the arts, architecture, design, and urban studies; Winter: media and finance; and Spring: The Global City.
Classes are experiential in nature, using the city as a resource, and are taught by instructors with deep knowledge of New York City industries and topics. The Internship Seminar is integrative, providing the opportunity to learn from your peers and to make connections between theory and practice in coursework, internships, and other experiences in the city. In addition, students are able to take one SPCD course a quarter and can complete directed reading or research projects under the supervision of the Program Director. Many of the courses also fulfill WAYS requirements, most notably, AII, SI, CE, and ED.
Students in the program can pursue internships in any desired industry. Each student secures an internship by working closely with the Internship Program Manager, who ensures that the placements meet the students’ academic and career interests. Throughout the internship search process, students receive personalized help with their cover letters, resumes, interview skills, outreach methods, and more. The intensive internships allow students an opportunity to test industries, roles, and functions. This hands-on work has helped many SiNY alum understand their capabilities, clarify career plans, and bring their dreams to fruition. The program also works carefully with companies to ensure they provide high-quality, substantive work experiences for students. As students immerse themselves in work through the 10-week, almost full-time internship, companies and managers come to know the students well, enhancing the organization’s interest in the student’s professional development. Several SiNY alums have received full-time offers from their internship employers. Past internship hosts include: the National Museum of Mathematics, Alger Management, American Express, Oak Hill Advisors, SAP, Clinique/Estee Lauder, the NYC Commission on Human Rights, the US Department of Justice, The US Mission to the UN, and many more.
Oxford
My academic work at Oxford reached a level of intensity that was difficult to attain at Stanford because the one on one tutorials forced me to focus my research interest into a coherent investigation of a single question. I have never been so excited to do research in my life because Oxford gave me a brilliant and energetic teacher that met with me individually for two to three hours per week. It was the first time that I ever felt like I had a part in the learning process because the classes were driven solely by my input and interest. -- BOSP Oxford Alum
The reason an engineering major would plan to study in Oxford is access to Oxford University’s unique style of teaching and learning: the tutorial. The tutorial is the characteristic pedagogical method for undergraduates at Oxford University. Stanford students enrolled in the Oxford Program typically take one tutorial worth 7 units and one seminar for 5 units. Most students are able to focus their tutorial on a specific area of research that interests them, and engineering students are encouraged to propose focused study on topics that support their long-term research ambitions. These classes have a highly personalized, demanding, and rewarding form of instruction. They involve a once-weekly meeting with a member of the Oxford academic community over the eight weeks of Oxford term and approximately 20 hours per week of independent research.
Engineering majors are also able to meet with the faculty and undergraduate students majoring in engineering science at Oxford University. Stanford students can attend supplemental lectures from this program and network with faculty and students about their research projects, although it is important to note that this work is not for credit. There is a wide variety of lecture topics available; students should consult with the program director to establish which courses will be on offer in their chosen term. Engineering students can also enroll in one SCPD course per quarter from a selected list.
Finally, it is worth noting that the seminar courses available to students studying in Oxford will often offer an opportunity to satisfy SI and AII Ways requirements while also engaging with the United Kingdom’s rich literature and history in a stimulating hands-on way. The Montag Center for Overseas Studies in Oxford offers courses in Autumn, Winter, and Spring Quarters. The BOSP website has a list that students can review to see the range of tutorials, but engineers with specific requests are encouraged to contact the center’s staff directly
Engineering students can also enroll in one SCPD course per quarter from a selected list.
Paris
Studying in Paris was incredible and I think impossible to completely understand unless experienced. Not only was having classes in French in a French university setting interesting, but it seemed like the entire city acted like a classroom. All academic, artistic, social, and cultural experiences are part of the program. -- BOSP Paris Alum
The Bing Overseas Studies Program, the School of Engineering, and the Department of French and Italian are working together to provide opportunities for engineering students studying in Paris. The Stanford Program in Paris is located in the Institut Supérieur d’Électronique de Paris (ISEP). ENGR 50 is offered as a tutored video course in Autumn, Winter and Spring. Students in this course meet weekly for tutoring with a member of the ISEP or another engineering school faculty member. In addition, the course OSPPARIS 40M (Same as ENGR 40M) is offered Autumn and Spring in Paris. This course includes an on-site lab in Paris. The Stanford Campus instructor works in tandem with a local TA from the ISEP.Engineering students can also enroll in one SCPD course per quarter from a selected list.
One year of college-level French (FRENLANG 3) is required to participate in the Paris Program in Autumn and Spring Quarters. In Winter Quarter, the language prerequisite is waived for students participating in one STEM course being offered that quarter. Students electing this STEM track enroll in the appropriate French language course. Internship arrangements are continuously being expanded in France. One of the academic internship offerings involves participation in a Computer Science or Electronic Engineering Lab during the Autumn, Winter, or Spring Quarters. To be eligible for this internship, students are expected to have some background in electronics or microelectronics, but not necessarily French, as much of the research can be performed in English. These research internships are often financed by French companies, the UN Environment Program, or French hospitals and are excellent ways to pursue research in your field in Paris while getting to know French and international researchers at the ISEP, your host institution. They include research in the fields of image processing, robotics connection, radio digitalization, and object tracking. They cover such topics as Gender Equality Opportunities in the Work Place, Air Quality Monitoring, and Investigation of Blockchain for eHealth.
Santiago
There’s book smarts and then there’s studying abroad. To live with a host family, navigate a city’s metro, speak a different language, work in a foreign NGO, take courses grounded in your day-to-day, and travel with an incredible cohort of peers is an experiment in developing your whole person. The lessons of humility and the value of an eagerness to listen and understand are ones I shall carry with me always.
--BOSP Santiago Alum
With ecosystems extending from the desert to the Antarctic and borders comprised of the Pacific Ocean and the Andes mountains, Chile incorporates a unique range of environments. Located in Santiago, the BOSP program is open Autumn, Spring, and Summer Quarters with the majority of its courses taught in Spanish. Courses focused on Chile and other parts of Latin America include history, ecology, urban planning and economics among others. If a proposal is made well in advance of the start of the quarter, internships can be arranged with organizations concerned with renewable energies and seismic technology. Through the language-partner program, Stanford students interact with Chilean students, often engineering students, to develop their language skills. Some courses also include the integration of Chilean students for a more immersive experience. Visiting faculty from Stanford are sometimes in Science and Engineering departments, so please check the current course offerings to see the specific courses that will be offered each quarter. The language requirement is one year of Spanish (SPANLANG 3 or SPANLANG 2A). Engineering students can also enroll in one SCPD course from a selected list to be able to study abroad while still earning credit toward their majors.
Overseas Seminars and Faculty-Initiated Programs
BOSP’s Overseas Seminars and Faculty-Initiated Programs (FIPs) are innovative and rewarding study abroad opportunities. Proposed, taught, and led by Stanford Faculty Leaders, these intensive courses take place during Summer Quarter. These courses are designed to integrate academic content in the Faculty Leader’s area of expertise and utilize the unique resources of the program location. Engineering faculty who will be teaching Seminars in Summer 2019 are Michael Lepech, Kincho Law, and Stephen Monismith from Civil and Environmental Engineering. Locations for the 2018-19 Summer Quarter Overseas Seminars and FIPs are Palau, Israel, France, Russia, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Colombia, and Mexico. More information about these study abroad opportunities can be found at https://undergrad.stanford.edu/programs/bosp.
Other BOSP Programs and Resources
In addition to the programs mentioned above, the Bing Overseas Studies Program also offers a Winter Quarter program in Istanbul (program is presently suspended) and a consortium program in Kyoto (KCJS). A program in Hong Kong will open in Autumn Quarter, 2019-20. Keep in mind that in any quarter of study, School of Engineering faculty members may be faculty-in-residence at one of the BOSP programs, thus providing expanded opportunities for engineering students.
Bing Overseas Studies Program offers Summer Engineering and Technology Study Tours[Office1] in collaboration with the School of Engineering. For further information, please see http://bosp.stanford.edu
Information about applications and deadlines can be found at BOSP's website as well as complete and up-to-date descriptions of BOSP opportunities and the range of academic options offered overseas.
For students interested in information on non-Stanford programs, the BOSP website and a BOSP staff member can advise you regarding the processes involved when studying in a non-Stanford program and applying for transfer credit.
For information on scholarships for study and research abroad or overseas internships and short-term work, see the “Summer Employment and Career Planning” section later in this handbook.
Overseas Resource Center
The Overseas Resource Center (ORC), located on the second floor of the Bechtel International Center, offers advising for undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs, and recent alumni pursuing scholarships for study and research abroad. There are numerous opportunities for technical students who wish to pursue overseas study, research, or work opportunities. Visit the ORC or consult our website at to find out what’s available.
Scholarships for Study and Research Abroad
The ORC is Stanford’s advising center for numerous international fellowship opportunities. Information on several hundred scholarships – from travel grants to single/multi-year, fully-funded study and research opportunities – can be found in the ORC. We also hold group information sessions in the winter and spring quarters.
- Rhodes, Marshall, and Mitchell Scholarships: It is a common misconception that these scholarships are geared towards students in the humanities. Engineering students are strongly encouraged to look into these opportunities. The Rhodes and the Marshall awards are for study in the UK, the Mitchell is for study in Ireland.
- Fulbright Grants: These awards offer many STEM research/study opportunities in over 140 different countries.
- Churchill Scholarships: This award provides full financial support for one year of graduate work in engineering, mathematics, or the sciences through Churchill College, at the University of Cambridge
- Gates Cambridge Scholarships: These awards are offered to outstanding applicants outside the UK to pursue a graduate degree in any subject especially the STEM fields at the University of Cambridge.
- German Academic Exchange (DAAD) Awards: There are many opportunities for undergrads and graduates, especially those in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, to study, research, intern, and attend language training programs in Germany, ranging from 3 weeks to one year through these awards.
- Think Swiss Research Scholarship: This award offers undergraduates or graduate students 2 to 3 months opportunity to conduct research at a public Swiss university or research institute. This is open to students in a variety of fields including science and engineering.
- For a full list of scholarships and awards, please visit the ORC website.
Work Abroad
IAESTE Training Program
The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE) is an exchange program that provides opportunities for on-the-job practical training for students in engineering, architecture, agriculture, mathematics, computer science, and natural and physical sciences in 70 member countries. Participants must have completed their sophomore year. Trainees are paid a maintenance allowance adequate to cover living costs while in training. Fluency in the language is required for some countries. For more information, please visit the IAESTE website.
BUNAC
Coordinates work abroad, volunteering abroad and summer camp programs in Britain, Ireland, France, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Peru, Ghana, South Africa and Cambodia. Please see the BUNAC website.
Useful Funding Resources
IIE Study Abroad Funding
This valuable funding database allows you to search by country or subject to find the study abroad information that you need. You can do searches for technology and engineering fields too.
Pivot
A comprehensive database that aggregates funding opportunities globally. Searches are possible by discipline, keyword, investigator type, by country and more. Stanford SUNet ID holders can access the site while on campus or create Pivot account for access off-campus.
Other services provided by the ORC
International Student Identification Cards (ISIC): The ORC is the office on campus that issues ISICs to students traveling abroad.
Passport photo taking service: The ORC provides a passport photo taking service. Please check the hours of this service.
Stanford Global Studies
The Stanford Global Studies Division (within the School for Humanities and Sciences) provides an arena for students and scholars to explore our increasingly complex world from multiple economic, political, social, technological and cultural perspectives within the framework of major world regions. The Global Studies Minor (28 units) is available to Stanford undergraduates from any major, and is designed to provide students an opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary study in one of six specializations.
Other International Opportunities on Campus
Stanford offers many different types of international opportunities to undergrads, many of which are open to School of Engineering students. Global Engineering Programs staff are happy to talk with you about these options and other program options outside of Stanford. When considering which opportunity is right for you, don't forget to check out these programs and centers:
Undergraduate Research and Advising
Haas Center for Public Service
Stanford Institute for Innovation in Developing Economies (SEED)