Study Abroad
Getting Started
Studying abroad can be an extremely exciting and rewarding experience! The Study Abroad Office at Fresno State provides students with many programs to choose from in over 66 locations around the world, ranging in length from two weeks to one academic year. There are opportunities available for all majors from those looking for language immersion to those looking for research experience and community engagement.
If you’re wondering where to start, here are the study abroad stages for you to review!
The first step when researching your options to study abroad is to define your goals. Ask yourself:
- What do I want to get from my study abroad experience?
- How long do I want to go abroad? A year? A semester? Over the summer or winter? Or with a faculty member from Fresno State?
- What’s my budget?
- Do I want to study a language and if so, how proficient do I want to become?
- Have I truly considered all of the locations available to me?
- Do I need to fulfill major and/or minor or GE requirements while abroad?
- What kind of housing am I interested in? Homestay? Apartment? Residence hall?
- How will this experience fit into my life and career goals?
- Do I want to do an internship or do service learning abroad?
- What do I want my day-to-day life to be like while abroad?
Once you have defined your goals, and have a better understanding of what type of study abroad experience you want to have, take a look at our programs to see which ones would be a good fit.
Once you have defined your goals, students should visit their academic advisor to understand what courses they still need in order to graduate. Specifically, students should know the major, minor and general education courses they still need so when they are searching for a study abroad program they know which courses to be seeking.
Major College Advising Centers
The Study Abroad advisor will work with students to outline program options that might fit the student’s general requirement and study abroad goals. Ultimately, it is up to the student which program they will apply for, but we strongly recommend that students select a program that will meet both their academic plan and personal interest for a successful study abroad experience.
You can request information or schedule an appointment with the Study Abroad advisor marcela@mail.fresnostate.edu.
After you have found the right program for your needs, you are ready to start an online application. In your Study Abroad Account or/and program account you will find important information in your application to help you plan and prepare for each stage in the process:
- PENDING
Complete Pre-Decision steps by the deadline (see the top left section of this Learning Abroad Application) - ACCEPTED
View Decision Letter and Click Commit button in Learning Abroad Application - COMMITTED
Complete Application Post-Decision Steps and Pre-Departure preparations
All Fresno State students participating in study abroad programs are required to be enrolled in the Foreign Travel Insurance designated by the CSU Chancellor's Office. The California State University Risk Management Authority (CSURMA) Foreign Travel Insurance Program (FTIP) benefits include but are not limited to the following:
- General Liability and Excess Auto Liability
- Primary Medical Expense, Emergency Medical Benefits and Evacuation
- Repatriation of Remains
- Political Evacuations and Repatriation Benefit War Risk Coverage
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment Benefit
Please note that there is an additional premium for travel to certain high hazard countries.
Students participating in Fresno State’s approved study abroad programs will receive an electronic copy of the ACE Travel Insurance Card and CSURMA Summary of Coverage to take with them abroad. Please also keep the file downloaded on your phone or device.
Please check our resources page for tips on packing, traveling and medications abroad.