Other Program Opportunities 

National Student Exchange - NOT THE SAME THING AS INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGES

Study abroad - or international study - often gets confused with study away for a semester or a year at another university within the United States. While both programs involve completing academic course work at a host institution and transferring the credits earned back to the home institution toward the degree, these two programs are administered by two different offices at UNI.  

If you with to participate in the National Student Exchange Program (NSE), please visit Individual Studies, located at 2637 Hudson Road (at the corner of 27th St. and Hudson Rd) or call 319-273-2504.

ACADEMIC - STUDY ABROAD - PROGRAMS NOT AFFILIATED WITH UNI

participating countries

AmeriSpan is a great program that involves both studying and volunteering in many different locations throughout Europe.  These programs are great for people to don’t have a lot of time and are looking to volunteer.  There are part-time and full-time volunteer opportunities.  For the part-time volunteer program you are able to choose the type of placement you would like and will be informed of your placement when you arrive in the country.  The minimum you will need to be in the country is 2-4 weeks.  For the full-time volunteer program everything is the same as the part-time volunteer program but the minimum amount is 6 weeks and your placement will be given to you prior to you arriving in the country.

If you feel comfortable with the language of the country you are going to, you maybe eligible for only volunteering which is a minimum placement of 2-4 weeks.
There is also an unpaid internship that may require you to take a minimum of 4-12 weeks of language classes before starting the internship.  The internships may not offer free language classes or free lodging.  Also some internships may require an interview with the hosting organization after you arrive in the country/

Available Placement Types:
          *Business/Professional (marketing, accounting, & other business fields at large & small companies)
          *Construction (help build homes and schools for the impoverished)
          *Education (teacher’s aides, etc.)
          *Environment/Nature (national park, turtle conservation, animal rescue, horticulture, etc.)
          *ESL Teacher (teach English around the world)
          *Healthcare (clinics, hospitals, NGO’s)
          *Other (placements that don’t fit the above)
          *Social Work (orphanages, battered women’s shelters, etc.)

Eligibility:
          Everyone who is at least 18 years old, of different backgrounds, or different nationalities is welcome to participate.  Past participants include: students, school groups, working professionals, and retirees.  Each program is different and may have different requirements such as age, language level, education, and/or work experience.  Everyone should check what the requirements are prior to enrolling in the program.

Selection Processes:
          Depending on the time of placement you would like, it will be required to fill out an application and essay questions, pay a placement fee, your resume, and a reference letter.  The next thing would be a telephone interview and within a week to 10 days there will be a sent confirmation of your program dates, classes and lodging (if applicable) and this is when you can book your flight.  Four weeks prior to the start of the program, you will receive your exact placement.

Program Costs:
*Depends on each program
Example program costs:
*Costa Rica part-time volunteer which includes 4 weeks of classes and lodging and volunteering 2-3 half-days/week --- $1750
*Argentina Internship which varies by location and includes lodging - $1350
*Kenya volunteering only for 4 weeks volunteering full-time and includes lodging --- $1395

AmeriSpan is an efficient organization who keeps their expenses very low and the program is subsidized by AmeriSpan’s other businesses.  There are also scholarships available from the AmeriSpan programs and also from the Study Abroad office.

Website for Volunteering/Intern Programs:
http://www.amerispan.com/volunteer_intern/

AmeriSpan website:
http://www.amerispan.com/

Internships, Work Abroad, & International Careers

These sites will give you a good start and you'll probably do better than with a random search using key words such as "internships abroad", "work abroad" and the like.  From these sites you can further check out other sites and programs about short-term or other types of work abroad.

Teach Abroad

 

Department of Defense Defense Schools

WorldTeach  

U.S. Department of State Teacher Exchange Programs

Japan Exchange and Teaching

Volunteer Abroad

Volunteer Programs Search Engine

The International Partnership for Service Learning

          Peace Corps

Search Engines

IIE Passport

StudyAbroad.com

GoAbroad.com

If you are interested in looking at options other than UNI semester and summer programs, you may wish to visit the above web sites first. If you wish to receive credit for coursework completed on a non-UNI program toward your UNI degree, then the program and your participation in the program must first be approved by the Office of Admissions (transfer credit and transcript evaluation issues) and the Office of International Programs (health & safety and advising issues). The process is quite simple but it may involve visiting with a number of offices and individuals on campus so you may wish to begin your search at least one semester prior to the program start date. 

To learn more about this topic, follow this link to the relevant page in our "Planning Guide" 

APPROVAL PROCEDURES FOR NON-UNI PROGRAMS 

If the program of your choice is not affiliated with UNI, then we recommend that you have the program and your participation in the program approved before applying. 

Q:  Why do you need to have the program and your participation approved?

A:  Program quality varies widely among study abroad providers.  The approval process is designed to ensure that the credit you earn is applicable toward your degree and standards regarding health & safety are met.  During the approval process and beyond, you will receive assistance from your study abroad advisor with matters such as advising and program selection, health insurance, immunization, pre-departure orientation, etc. 

• Approval Form for non-UNI Programs Abroad (Revised 6/03)
• Study Abroad Preliminary Credit Approval Form 
  (available from 59 Baker or from the Office of Admissions) 
• Conditions of Participation Statement
• Waiver of Liability and Hold Harmless Agreement
• Medical Self-Assessment  
• Health Insurance Verification  

STUDY ABROAD FEE FOR NON-UNI PROGRAMS

The study abroad fee for study abroad programs not affiliated with UNI is $100 regardless of duration.

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