The Communication department encourages its students to broaden their educational experience through participation in UC’s Education Abroad Program. Get credit for your upper division major while experiencing another culture. In addition to taking courses in interpersonal, organizational and media communication, opportunities exist to complete courses in journalism, public relations, broadcast and other areas of the field of Communication not traditionally offered at UCSB. Because students receive UC credit for EAP courses, if you plan your program carefully you will be able to complete programs without delaying graduation or adding financial burden.
There are many reasons to consider studying abroad. Study abroad provides
Communication students a unique opportunity to pursue their academic interests in a global environment. You will be able to gain perspective and critical thinking skills not available to you without the exploration of another culture or another educational system. You can learn or improve your skills in another language and not only broaden the range of subject matter available to you but also approach information and learning with the guidance of professors from another culture. You will gain opportunities to collaborate with students whose background and experience are decidedly different from your own and learn new perspectives. Students who study abroad develop selfconfidence and a much greater sense of independence and return with fresh eyes on their own culture and the world.
In addition, students often find they have a competitive edge in the jobmarket and are better prepared for careers with an international focus.They have an understanding of what it means to work in a multicultural, multinational corporation.
Study exciting subjects like "Media Design and Production” in Germany, “Journalism Law” in Australia, or “Television, Audiences, Cultural Identity, and Politics” in South Africa.
Have the most memorable experience of your academic career, and get credit for it toward your Communication degree.
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Communication students typically study abroad during their junior or senior years. Communication students should successfully complete the pre-major
requirements and petition for admission to the full major before leaving on their EAP adventure, although they may apply in advance of completing these requirements. Students should carefully consult with the Communication Undergraduate Advisor to ensure successful completion of major requirements.
Students wishing to do full year programs in their senior year need to take special care to meet both major requirements and the University residency
requirements.
Transfer Students are eligible to participate as early as their first term at UCSB,
although this is usually difficult for Communication students.
For more information, consult with the Communication Undergraduate Advisor.
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Communication students wishing to complete a substantial portion of their upper-division communication major abroad have a wide-variety of opportunities
available to them. The upper-division Communication major is very flexible, without any specific required courses or sequences. You are allowed to complete many of your required upper-division units on an EAP program. There are applicable courses in approximately twenty-eight institutions and seventeen
countries. You can do your study in English, or improve your language skills by choosing a program where the language of instruction is perhaps Spanish, French, Italian, German, or Japanese. There is no better, or more valuable method to gain an understanding of effective communication in a global society than through the study of communication in an institution, country, and culture foreign to your own.
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EAP students automatically earn UC credit for the work they complete abroad. However, application of credit to major requirements is subject to the discretion of the department and college. EAP Course Catalog lets you search courses taken by UC students over the last five years. You must petition to have these courses count towards the major. Discuss these options with the department and college advisors.
Communication students who wish to study abroad should first successfully complete the pre-major requirements and apply for admission to the full major. The Communication department allows a maximum of 20 units of EAP coursework to count towards major requirements. We encourage participation and are actively reviewing EAP courses for upper-division Communication credit. Many have already been approved and are posted on our web. In addition, you will need to meet with the Undergraduate Advisor in Ellison 4836 to review courses and programs that may be applicable to the Communication major.
Keep in mind that at least 20 units of upper-division major coursework (or
12 upper-division minor units) must be completed in residence at UCSB along with other residence requirements. Consult an advisor in the College of Letters & Science for more information.
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Begin by identifying your goals for study abroad and then consult the EAP web pages (http://eap.ucop.edu/) to identify appropriate EAP programs. To find programs which offer particular disciplines or to search courses taken by EAP students over the last 5 years by subject, keyword and/or location, explore the resources found under Program and Course Search. Navigate to host universities’ web sites on the available links to learn more about the schools and their departments.
Come by the EAP office at 2431 South Hall. Peer advisors who have recently returned from studying abroad as well as staff advisors are eager to answer your questions. Go see your Undergraduate Advisor in the department office and make an appointment to speak with an advisor in the College of Letters & Science. Additionally, you’ll want to meet with an advisor in the College of Letters & Science to discuss general education, residence and other requirements.
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Communication Department
4009 SSMS
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4020
Phone: (805) 893-4479
www.comm.ucsb.edu
