Badgers explore the world through study abroad

For many University of Wisconsin–Madison students, college isn’t just about listening to lectures in a packed lecture hall or late-night study sessions at College Library – it’s about stepping into the unknown and unfamiliar.

Whether walking the streets of Barcelona, going on a safari in Kenya or trying the street foods in Japan, study abroad offers learning experiences that you can’t get from a textbook.

UW–Madison is one of the nation’s top schools with study abroad participation, with 2,986 students participating in international programs in the 2023-24 academic year, according to the International Division at UW–Madison. UW offers over 300 opportunities worldwide, so all students can find opportunities that align with their academic and personal interests.

Programs vary in length, including shorter summer programs, semester-long programs and full academic year options. There’s even an option to do an internship abroad.

“I would definitely recommend studying abroad. You can learn a lot from being abroad — it gives you ways to expand your professional horizons,” said Shalya Gulati, a junior studying neurobiology. “You’re making connections with professors and students from across the world and you learn things in different countries that you would not learn in the U.S.”

Gulati went to Tanzania the summer after her freshman year to take a class on wildlife conservation. Gulati always loved animals growing up and knew that she wanted to study abroad, so this was the perfect opportunity for her to take a class relating to her love of animals while studying abroad. Gulati found her time abroad to be an eye-opening and rewarding experience.

Study abroad has been increasing in popularity after travel restrictions were lifted following the COVID-19 pandemic. According to International Academic Programs (IAP), participation in UW study abroad has increased to a record high of 2,985 in the 2023-24 academic year, 36 percent higher than the pre-pandemic record of 2,190 set in 2019.

Among the many study abroad programs available there are some that consistently attract a high number of UW–Madison students.

The top locations for UW students studying abroad in the 2023-24 academic year, in order are, Spain, Italy, England, Denmark, France, Ireland, Australia, United States, Costa Rica, Germany and Japan.

(The United States is included as a “study away” destination.)

Within these destinations, a wide variety of programs are offered.

“I think that’s the most amazing part of study abroad is that no matter what you are going to do or what your goals in life are, if you embrace that opportunity to go to another place, whatever you do there and whatever you learn there will either indirectly or directly impact your future and the way you view the world,” says Jess Randall, a junior studying biology and global health.

Students from all majors can earn meaningful credit towards their degree while abroad even if you think your major wouldn’t allow you to. But like there are destinations that attract more students, there are also some majors that stand out in study abroad participation.

The majors with the highest study abroad participation during the 2023-24 academic year were, in order: finance, political science, psychology, economics, consumer behavior & marketplace studies, marketing, real estate, journalism, Spanish and computer sciences.

Remember, anyone in any degree program can go abroad and get credit towards their degree.

Randall went to Belize during the summer of her freshman year as a part of a first-year interest group and took a class on coral reef conservation. During her time in Belize, she designed and did research on microplastics in coral reef environments.

“I never would have thought that going to Belize and doing marine biology research would help open up opportunities and help me make connections that do relate to my future,” Randall said.

In the summer of 2024, Randall also took part in a study abroad in Rome, Italy. She took two classes one about how politics, society and the culture of food are intertwined, and her second class was called “genius artist for the genius city,” and they learned about art history around Italy. Both these classes had nothing to do with her global health degree, but through the classes she gained a global outlook on life, which translated to having a more global view in health care.

Aside from just going to classes and learning in classrooms, students grow professionally and gain a global outlook on their future careers while abroad, they said.

“I would 100 percent recommend studying abroad. I think everyone should study abroad if they can because it is just such a unique experience that you probably won’t be able to do at any other point in your life as easily as you can in college, and it really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Spencer Shapiro, a senior studying journalism.

Shapiro studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark, during the second semester of his junior year. During his time in Copenhagen, Shapiro was able to make new connections with people from around the world and at UW–Madison. He also experienced a lot of new things in Copenhagen, such as eating sushi for the first time. Shapiro, who is a big soccer fan, also was able to attend the Carabao Cup final and see his favorite team, Liverpool, win the title.

Visit the UW Study abroad page to find more information about programs available or schedule an appointment with a study abroad advisor. Information is also available on scholarships and funding offered through IAP.