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Post Acceptance Requirements and Process
Your application might be done, but there is still work to do for Pitt. Below are some of the steps that every student needs to take. This is a general outline, and your Panther program acceptance email will have more information that is specific to you.
If you are accepted to a Pitt-recognized program, submit a copy of your acceptance to the Study Abroad Office and we will provide further instruction.
Following the formal nomination email from the Pitt Exchange Program Manager, you will receive further instructions from both Pitt and the host university on additional on campus steps and how to fill out the exchange application, respectively. More information can be found here: abroad.pitt.edu/exchanges.
Pre-Departure Webinar and Program Agreement Meeting
Regardless of the type program you’ve been accepted to, you’ll need to watch the Pre-Departure Webinar. About an hour long, this webinar will outline policies and rules related to study abroad, specific to your program type. Topics include grades, payments, health insurance, and the like.
The Program Agreement is the legal document that is outlined in the Pre-Departure webinar. You’ll find a copy of it in your Pitt Study Abroad profile, as well as on our Transparency pages. If you have any questions, contact your Program Manager or Advisor.
Pre-Departure Bash!
This student-only event is meant to get you even more excited about study abroad! You’ll meet other students who are studying abroad, learn more about goal setting and getting the most out of your program, and hopefully have a good time! Check your acceptance email or visit the office for more information (oh, and it’s mandatory)!
Orientation
What are the exact dates of my program? How do I get to my housing? What is my housing?! Wait, where am I going again?
We’ll answer these questions and more at your program-specific orientation. Our goal is to get you ready to step off the plane and into a successful semester abroad. Some programs might require multiple pre-departure orientations and meetings.
In the case of Exchange Programs, the formal orientation will be hosted by the university that you will be studying at.
You’ll also have orientation once you arrive in country – it might seem like a lot, but we wat to make sure you have all of the tools and information you need to have a successful and enriching study abroad experience.
Visas/Clearances
Students participating in a Pitt-recognized or Exchange program will receive information on applying for any required visas from the program provider or exchange university, respectively. Be sure to follow through on any required processes in a timely manner, as this process can take time.
Financial Aid and Paying Your Program’s Bill
For Panther, Partner, and Exchange Programs, you’ll receive the bill for your program through PittPay. That means that we follow normal billing practices and due dates. That also means that your financial aid, and any loans that you have requested, should automatically be applied to your account. For Exchange Programs, you may receive a bill directly from the exchange university for costs related to housing and living costs.
For Pitt-Recognized Programs, you’ll pay your program fees directly to the provider; the mandatory Study Abroad Administrative Fee in PittPay, and any financial aid will be refunded to you.
For more information on paying your bill, see the Student Payment Center’s Website.
For questions about financial aid and study abroad, contact Tim Bush in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.
What our students say
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Rachel Mast
In summer 2015, I participated in the International Internship Program in Berlin, Germany where I interned at an internet-based coffee retailer. Although I loved everything about my internship experience, my favorite memory came from getting to build personal relationships with my co-workers. There were four interns from around the world at my organization, and it was so cool to exchange cultural insights as well as differences in the respective educational programs. We are still connected on social media, and it is pretty cool to have friends from all over the world.
Working in the consumer-goods industry, I was able to really see how Americans and Europeans vary in their preferences and response to marketing communications. Overall, the biggest thing I learned was how important it is to understand the target audience when creating products and marketing campaigns. After this experience, I feel much more confident in working for an organization with a global focus. -
Kelsey Magilton
Interning for the Sydney Opera House was an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life.
Choosing to participate in an internship was easily the best decision I made when going abroad. I was a marketing intern at the Sydney Opera House. The entire experience is one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. It was an exciting time to be an intern as I was able to help the team develop new marketing collateral with their recent rebranding efforts. I joined forces with the design department to create brochures and point of sale displays, which are still on display at the Sydney Opera House today. It was especially rewarding to be included in the initial brainstorming stage and assisting the SOH implement a successful re-launch of their brand.
The biggest thing I learned was the ability to work with people of different cultures. Sydney is the "New York" of Australia, therefore it is one giant melting pot. I worked with individuals from every... Read more -
Matt Kovalchuk
Stepping into a new culture really opened up my perspectives on how others are living and collaborating. Although the language, culture, societal norms, and demographics were significantly different from what I is used to, by the end of trip it was easy to see the overwhelming similarities that we all shared. My time in China has made me consider the impact and importance of engineering and business on the global scale rather than just in the US. -
Josh Hammaker
Studying abroad has helped me in my career in ways I would never have expected. Most notably, studying abroad taught me how to interact with people from different backgrounds and cultures. Since graduating from Pitt, I've been working in a position that involves a decent amount of travel and therefore requires me to interact with individuals from all over the world. Being able to share the adventures and experiences gained from studying abroad was likely one of the deciding factors that set me apart from other candidates for my position. Travelling to and living in another country takes most people out of their comfort zone, but every minute overseas was absolutely worth it. -
Allie Roos
When I was a freshman, I sat down with one of my professors to discuss what I expected from my college experience. The first thing out of my mouth was that I wanted to study abroad. Now as a senior, I have been able to study abroad twice, once with a Panther Program (Pitt in Sicily) and again with a Pitt-Recognized Program. It was this program that was suggested to me during that freshman year meeting. The Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS) has been the premiere study abroad experience for Classics students since 1965. The "Centristi" (students at the ICCS) come from across the country and live together for a semester in a four story building located in the eternal city, Rome. I knew from the first moment I heard about the program that I needed to be apart of this institution. Not only were the students from various parts of the country, but so were the Professors. The diversity of experience and background within our small group of thirty was a... Read more -
Emma Huckins
Through my time in Germany, I gained many professional skills that would be hard to learn just in the classroom in Pittsburgh. Every culture has its own customs and manners when it comes to business, and with business being such an international field, it is important to be knowledgable about cultures in other countries. I was able to get first hand experience of these kinds of differences while I was in Germany working with German university students and through touring corporations throughout my trip. The two weeks abroad lead up to a final group presentation on one of the automobile industries that we studied. Each group consisted of a couple of Pitt Business students, Pitt Engineering students, and University of Augsburg students. So on top of networking with students and professionals in Germany, as a CBA student I was given the opportunity to get to know and work with Swanson Engineering students. Overall, Plus 3 Germany not only expanded my professional network, but also gave... Read more -
Madeline Wells
Through the Pitt in Alcalá program and the Franklin Institute at the the Universidad de Alcalá in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, I had the opportunity to shadow a doctor at the local hospital in Alcalá. This experience was by far the most challenging, but also most rewarding. I was paired with a medical student in her third year of residency and had the opportunity to shadow her work for 15 hours. She worked in the rehabilitation department in the emergency room, so we saw lots of patients with muscular or skeletal injuries. I definitely had trouble understanding what the patients and doctors were saying, because they spoke very quickly and used advanced medical terminology. However, by the end of my time shadowing there, I could tell that my Spanish skills, especially my knowledge of medical Spanish, had improved tremendously. I am currently pursuing a degree in Rehabilitation Science and plan on being a physical therapist, and would love to incorporate Spanish into my career plans... Read more -
Jay Carter
As an exchange student in Marseille, France, I gained insight into the international business of the European culture and its influence on the global economy. The geographical and cultural diversity of each exchange student enriched course discussions; Chinese, Russian, Mauritian, Italian, Mumbian and Londoner are just a few of the student nationalities. Classroom presentations ranged on topics of ‘ethics, corporate social responsibility, unconscious bias, personal branding, talent marketing and skills management.’
Outside of the classroom, the Interact Team was welcoming and made Marseille enjoyable. The social activities exposed us to a lot of what Marseille had to offer. A few activities included water tubing, hiking the tranquil trails of Les Calanques, scenic tours, shopping and beach activities. The faculty, staff and students of Kedge were extremely accommodating to everyone, ensuring safety and well-being.
Currently, I am employed with Luxottica Retail, a multinational... Read more -
Rachel Vinciguerra
I spent a little over two months in Haiti this summer conducting a program evaluation for a girls' empowerment program I helped to start there two years prior as well as completing an internship with an emerging foster care agency. This summer marks the first time that I have formally been involved in professional program evaluation. After my experiences in Haiti, I can say that I led two separate program evaluations (one a mid-point evaluation and one to design monitoring and evaluation protocol pre-implementation). Having this experience not only taught me a lot about program evaluation on-the-ground and helped me identify areas I can improve, but it also communicates to others in my field that I am serious about this work. After this summer I have deliverables in the form of a program evaluation report (in two languages) and program monitoring and evaluation guides that I could share with potential employers. This experience has brought me to a new level in my academic and... Read more -
Nina Kneuer
I believe that the two skills I learned the most while abroad was independence and adaptation. I've always been someone who is very independent, but when you're thrown into a country where you've never lived before and you're suddenly there, without family or friends, living with new people and new friends, it can be quite a culture shock, and can really test your true independence. I learned very quickly how to make real friends and how to become comfortable with my new surroundings. I also believe that having friends in this program really helped my independence grow while I was abroad, because with friends you go out and travel, like you wouldn't otherwise do by yourself. Hence, going out to pubs for a social night out with friends and booking last minute plane tickets to a weekend in Belgium, became a usual, fun, comforting, and independent thing for me to do.
Adaptation comes along with independence in the sense that you are thrown into something you do... Read more
