For many students coming to Drake University, studying abroad is one of their biggest hopes to achieve before graduation. Drake University offers several different options when it comes to studying abroad. Whether students study abroad through Drake Programs, Exchange Programs, or Affiliate Programs, studying abroad offers all students the opportunity to engage and grow in different cultures around the world.
Drake Programs
Drake University offers Drake Programs both internationally and throughout the United States during the spring, summer, and J-term. Drake Programs are short-term faculty-led travel seminars and can last from 10 days to 16 weeks. Programs in the past have been located in England, China, Belize, New Zealand, and Uganda. Students across campus have been abuzz about the upcoming Spring 2023 seminar in Spain. A current student at Drake University, Hannah Krueger, experienced the Drake Program in Spain in the Spring of 2022 and encourages all Drake students to take this opportunity to experience life and education from a new point of view.
Exchange Programs
Alongside the Drake Programs, Drake University has signed agreements with international partner institutions to offer students another opportunity to study abroad. With Exchange Programs, students at Drake University can attend partner institutions, while a student from the partner institution attends school at Drake University. Many students study using Exchange Programs for the entirety of a semester, although J-term and summer options are provided as well. For students interested in deeper cultural engagement and integration, Exchange Programs are the way to go. Through Exchange Programs, students are involved in independent study and sit in a classroom with students from the local host country.
The international partner institutions offered include:
- Austria, Fachhochschule Wiener Neustadt
- Chile, Universidad de los Andes
- China, Minzu University of China
- Japan, Kwansei Gakuin University
- Mexico, Tecnológico de Monterrey
- South Africa, University of KwaZulu-Natal
- Spain, Universidad Nebrija
Affiliate Programs
A third option for studying abroad while at Drake University is being involved in an Affiliate Program. Affiliate Programs are often used when a Drake Program or Exchange Program does not meet a student’s academic and personal preferences and goals. Global Engagement at Drake University has chosen specific institutions for this semester abroad. Students taking Affiliate Programs complete the majority of their coursework in English, with most of the classroom filled with American students. Unlike the Drake Program or Exchange Program, Drake University charges a fee for students participating in Affiliate Programs. Semester-long Affiliate Programs have a fee of $500, while J-term and summer Affiliate Programs have a fee of $300.
