Everybody knows about studying abroad, but what about interning abroad? Kean University lives up to its reputation for delivering world class education with its endless opportunities to go abroad.
Employers like students who study abroad to open their horizons, as well as those who have done internships. But what if the two were combined? Interning abroad gives students the best of both worlds by experiencing a culture in another country, while being able to practice on their field work.
Of course, there are differences between studying abroad and interning abroad. Students who intern abroad focus on their career and sharpen their skills. Students who study abroad take classes that focus on their career and live a student life while abroad. While studying abroad takes a semester, interning abroad only takes a few weeks.
Just like internships in the United States, they can be paid or unpaid. It is more challenging to find paid internships abroad, as the one doing the internship will be compensated during the course of the internship. Depending on the program students apply for, some of the work done abroad can be transferred as credits to Kean University.
Compared to studying and learning about the cultures in a new country, interning abroad gives a professional layer to students who are planning on working with international relations or travel internationally.
"By doing an internship abroad, you will understand the cultural and professional differences," said Diane Loegel, senior psychology major and criminal justice minor. "You will also have to go through an interview and actually learn how to work in a completely new environment."
This past summer, two students from Kean University interned abroad for a few weeks in two different places.
The first student being Loegel, signed up under International Studies Abroad (ISA) and interned in Australia for six weeks. The other student, Karime Diaz, senior public relations major, signed up for the international seminar program with Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) and interned in Barcelona for eight weeks.
Not many students look at the internships abroad programs at Kean University, but it does not mean the experience is any less than studying abroad. Although it is an underrated option, Loegel and Diaz have nothing but good things to say about their experience with interning abroad.
Besides ISA and CEA, there are other providers that Kean University works with. Students can check out American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), Academic Programs International (API), Council On International Educational Exchange (CIEE), The Centers for Academic Programs Abroad (CAPA), Loop Abroad, Spanish Studies Abroad, and The Education Abroad Network (TEAN) for other places to intern.
For more information about interning abroad, students can visit the Center for International Studies in the Center for Academic Success (CAS) room 121.
