Program Types
The IEE currently has four main program types; a semester exchange program, summer faculty-led program, Maymester faculty led program and summer exchange program.
Semester exchange program
In a semester exchange program a student takes courses at a host university as a matriculated student. This means that they are taught by the host university professors, take courses that are traditionally offered at the host university and are considered students at the host university as well as at UT. The courses taken at the host university count as in-residence credit and the grades are averaged into their UT GPA. There are two types of semester exchange program, packaged and general.
In a packaged exchange program, a given set of courses are offered for incoming exchange students. These programs are very popular because the academic schedule is guaranteed and they know exactly what they will get credit for before they go abroad. An example of this type of program is the spring semester program in Toulouse, France. The staff at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA) has developed a set of courses that are offered in English to accommodate students from the participating American universities. French students also enroll in these courses, and the courses are taught by French professors.
General semester exchange programs are much more flexible for the students. The IEE office maintains a database of pre-approved courses that students can choose from when considering their program options. For participation in an IEE exchange program, students must take a minimum of two courses that move them forward in their engineering degree. The 14 hour rule, requiring students to take 14 hours of engineering courses each semester, is waived for students studying abroad. Students are responsible for communicating their proposed schedules with their undergraduate and/or faculty advisors and they are also responsible for ensuring they meet all the necessary prerequisites for the courses they intend to take.
Summer Faculty-led programs
The summer faculty-led programs are six weeks in length. A UT professor teaches one engineering course and a second course, which is usually the local language, is taught by a host university professor or UT language professor. All summer programs have host university staff that are available to assist with some of the program coordination as well as be available as an emergency contact. There are two types of summer faculty led programs; those where there are only engineering students and those in which the engineering course is a part of a larger study abroad program offering courses from other schools and colleges. The programs that are only engineering students typically have 10-15 students participating and students live in dorms. For the programs that are a combined with other departments, there are usually approximately 50 UT students and students live with host families.
Maymester programs
Maymester programs are very similar to the summer faculty-led programs with a few exceptions. Maymester courses are considered spring semester courses, so the timing for the application and programs are different. Maymester application deadlines must coincide with spring semester registration so the deadline is November 1st. The Maymester programs are four weeks in length and there is only one course taught, omitting the language or culture course. Historically, the bulk of the Maymester programs offered for engineering students have been Biomedical Engineering courses.
Programs by department
The IEE office has compiled program options by engineering department. Take some time to review the guide for your department. (the following files are pdf documents)
ASE
ARE/CE
BME
CHE
ECE
ME
PGE
Non-engineering programs
Students are not required to participate in the IEE programs. You may choose to go to a country that IEE does not currently have a program, or choose not to take engineering courses. In this case, students should go through the UT Study Abroad Office to select their program and apply.
Financial
There are scholarships available for students through both the IEE Office and the Study Abroad Office. Students apply online through the Global Assist website. Students currently receiving financial aid will be able to receive their aid for their time abroad. You should review the Study Abroad webpages regarding financing study abroad to learn more about this process as well as how to budget for your experience.
Application process
Students must be authorized to start the online application regardless of which program they are interested in. To be authorized, you must meet with the IEE staff or attend an information session. The application includes essays and letters of recommendations. The deadlines are March 1st for the following year semester programs (fall and spring), November 1st for Maymester programs and December 1st for summer programs.
The Study Abroad Office has an extensive FAQ page that may be able to answer many of your questions.