Rice students have studied on every continent, including Antarctica. Accredited programs are available in a wide variety of places and institutions, although students may be restricted by the subjects they want to take and their language background. Students should speak with their advisor about their options. Most students go during their junior or senior year, although more and more students are opting to study abroad as sophomores, particularly those studying science or engineering. Alternatively, the availability of shorter programs makes study abroad a possibility for students who previously could not have considered it for time or financial reasons.
Students can earn credit in almost any field.
Majors in the humanities or social science can complement their studies with a program abroad. Short-term or semester programs can be used to satisfy distribution requirements or to explore subjects outside of one's major. If students qualify for financial aid through Rice, they will be able to transfer that aid to an approved study abroad program. In addition, parents may wish to check out the The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid or the University of Minnesota's International Study and Travel Center scholarship page, which containsa searchable database of over 200 relevant entries. Study abroad programs cannot guarantee the absolute safety of participants or ensure that risk will not at times be greater than at home.