Before You Go
You have successfully applied to the International Engineering Programs office in Mechanical Engineering. You have been oriented and advised. You have a good handle on how to arrange financing. What else needs to be done?
If you are a US Citizen, planning several months prior to your trip abroad will include applying for a US Passport. As a US citizen you will not need a visa to visit France, or indeed, any member country of the European Union, nor most non-member states for our summer programs. You will need a visa for our semester programs and should consult the embassy of your chosen country for the most current details. Visa information will be discussed in your first International Engineering Programs semester programs orientation. You will need your passport to enter all program countries and for identification while visiting. Keep copies of your passport and other important documents in safe locations. As with any foreign travel, it is good to consult the US Department of State for travel advisories. In most program countries the primary caution to take is protection against pickpockets. If you are an international student, you will need to make sure that you comply with the passport and visa requirements you must meet to visit your program country. If you are not at US citizen you must consult the embassy for the country that you would like to go to for all programs, including summer and Maymester programs. It is important to plan ahead, it can take months to obtain a Visa.
Buy your flight early to take advantage of low fares. Use a travel agent such as STA Travel in Austin. It may be cheaper to buy your own tickets online; however using a travel agent at somewhat higher cost buys you flexibility and extra services that may prove invaluable. If possible, book your round-trip flight with a friend, and get adjacent seating on all flight legs. It will help you both to have a comrade to travel with. Keep in mind that you may want to spend some time traveling before or after you program.
Eurail passes enable flexible travel plans by rail for non-European residents visiting Europe and can be bought in advance and delivered to you either on line, or from your travel agent. In addition to your ticket, most travel legs will require a separate reservation, which can be purchased from any SNCF agent or kiosk in France (but watch out for the most popular destinations and times selling out; plan in advance).
Travel light! Remember that there will be many times in your travel - clearing customs, waiting on queue at the train station, climbing up hotel stairs - when you will have to wrestle all your bags at the same time. In addition to possible extra weight penalties imposed by your airline, weighing yourself down with lots of luggage makes you stand out as an easy mark for thieves. Place a copy of your passport in all bags, checked and carry-on. Consult with IEP staff about the pros and cons of taking your laptop computer with you.
Don't take a lot of cash with you. If you want to, take enough cash in the local currency to cover tips, taxi, or other cash needs upon arrival. However your ATM card will work in most international cash machines, and the currency exchange rate, which is calculated automatically, is favorable to any institution except perhaps international banks. Similarly, major credit cards spend everywhere. You might want to carry some funds in international travelers checks (banks will cash them, but with a service fee) in case of loss of your cards.
It is possible to get by in most countries without knowing the language, but your experience with the people and the culture will be immensely more rewarding if you know a few simple phrases and use them. Rudeness to Americans is mostly a myth, and even the coldest curmudgeon will give you their full attention and help if you show a willingness to try, and do so with grace and humor. To pick up some survival French before you depart, try the resources of the Department of French & Italian here at UT. They have a good interactive beginning French learning system. You might also enroll for a course at the Austin branch of Alliance Française. Once in Toulouse, you can arrange for private French lessons at Langues Promotion (they throw great parties, too).For some Chinese pointers see the Department of Asian Studies. You can consult the Department of Asian studies for some important cultural information that will help you to learn and adapt upon arrival. For some pointers on the Spanish language as well as some Spanish language classes at the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. You can also learn Spanish by buying some tapes or books on the language.
If you would like to be put into contact with a student who has participated in a particular program in the past, please email the IEP staff to set this up.
Selecting A Program
For different programs in different locations, academic requirements vary and can impact when you may participate. For example, the Semester in Toulouse program may usually only be undertaken after your fifth semester. Please take a look at the Academic Flowcharts below to see the requirements for each program. These flowcharts are in Adobe PDF format.
On the PDF forms, the recommended semester to go abroad has been shaded in green. However, courses with green lettering are also transferrable, giving you more options for semesters to go abroad.
If you do not see courses that you need to take, please contact IEP staff to discuss how to receive pre-approval for your needed courses.