Study abroad is a transformative experience that can enhance your worldview, make you more marketable to employers and allow you to grow as a person. However, planning to make your study abroad a success is important. Be sure to consider why you want to study abroad and what your academic, professional and personal goals are, and how study abroad can help you reach them.

Begin academic planning early.

  • Inform your academic advisor of your plans to study abroad and discuss how study abroad can fit into your academic plan.
  • Review course offerings and UW-Madison equivalents on the International Programs website.
  • You may take a maximum of two courses in your business major while abroad, except for International Business courses.
  • Choose the courses you will take at UW-Madison while keeping the following in mind:
    • Consider saving business breadth courses to take abroad as this provides considerable flexibility in course selection.
    • Gen Bus 300, Gen Bus 301, Comm B and ethnic studies courses are rarely offered abroad, so consider taking them while at UW-Madison.
    • Take the 300-level introductory course for your business major at UW-Madison because professors expect that you know the content from the introductory course as taught on campus.
    • If you plan to take a finance class abroad, UW-Madison’s finance department expects that you meet UW-Madison prerequisites in order to fully understand the finance course content and to be prepared for further finance courses.
    • You may take a maximum of two courses in your business major while abroad, except for International Business. Check with your department for specific regulations.

As you consider the application process, keep the following in mind.

Ensure you meet the minimum application requirements.

  • 3.0 GPA
  • 54 total credits earned before going abroad
  • 9 credits of business and/or economics
  • Language requirements (for Programs in Buenos Aires, Freiburg, Madrid, Santiago, Seville)

Review deadlines for applying. Applications are typically due March 1 in the academic year prior to the academic year of your intended program. Some programs may have earlier deadlines that will be indicated on the program specific page. If space for spring semester opens, the application process will re-open in the fall.

Research the programs that are of interest to you.

  • Visit program specific websites to learn more about typical course offerings, dates, and scholarship information.
  • Visit International Programs (3164 Grainger Hall) to talk with International Programs staff about the programs that interest you most.