Senegal, Africa
The CU Boulder Study Abroad office has supported students studying abroad for over 50 years. With a mission to foster students’ personal development and prepare them to successfully engage in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world, Study Abroad has sent over 30,000 students abroad since it was founded in 1960.
A lot has changed between 1960 and 2016, though, including the very concept of study abroad.
“Study abroad has traditionally been associated with humanities and language majors taking classes in a European university for a semester or a full year,” said Director Mary Dandof. “But the variety of programs that we offer has expanded to become so much more than that. Beyond traditional study abroad we also offer international internships, service learning [and] volunteer experiences . . . We support all international experiences undertaken by students.”
To that end, as of Dec. 1, the office of Study Abroad has become Education Abroad. “The name change better reflects what we do and the direction we are moving,” said Dando.
Study Abroad has been offering international internships, service learning and volunteer experiences for some time. But with the transition to Education Abroad also comes the goal of providing even more of these program options to the CU Boulder student population.
“Our programs should match the needs and interests of our students,” Dando said. “And those needs include developing professional skills to prepare for a global marketplace, which our international internships can provide. We’re also very proud of how service-oriented CU Boulder students are. At heart many of them are trying to make the world a better place. We hope that when we roll out our expanded portfolio of volunteer programs [it] will give them more avenues to do so.”
Students interested in internationalizing their college career through study abroad, internships or service learning should visit Education Abroad online at or drop in and speak to an Ed Abroad advisor Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in C4C S355.
