Today’s global economy means more opportunities than ever for engineers to work in diverse teams and in far-flung locations.
International experience gives graduates a leg up when they enter the job market, and MS&E students continue to take full advantage of opportunities to go abroad.
“As engineers, we all learn the technical aspects of whatever field we are in,” says Ethan Coloma, a senior graduating in 2019 who spent summer 2017 in Hangzhou, China. “Being abroad makes us more aware of how global engineering is.”
Roughly 11 percent of students in the College of Engineering embark upon international experiences each year.
That’s more than double the national average—and it speaks to the support students receive from the college.
“Students who study abroad also stay on track in their degree,” says Amanda Hammatt, director of the college’s international engineering studies and programs. “The reason we have an international office is to facilitate opportunities for engineering students to take engineering courses abroad.”
And those courses truly are top-notch.
“It was a productive use of time, while still being able to travel,” says Emily Proehl, a senior graduating in December 2019 who spent spring 2018 in Hamburg, Germany.
During her semester in Germany, Proehl completed five courses, including classes on fuel cells, analytical chemistry, photovoltaics and feedback controls—all of which satisfied her degree requirements.