The History Department encourages its majors to education abroad in order to fulfill the Global Miami Plan. There are many study abroad options available to History majors, including summer and winter-term workshops, semester programs, year-long programs, and the MUDEC (Luxembourg) campus.  Choosing the right program, however, requires some advance planning.  We encourage you to communicate with a History faculty advisor or mentor and the History Department's Education Abroad Advisor in order to locate the right program for you.

What should factor into your decision about education abroad?  First, see it as a chance to further your interest in history.  We encourage you to choose a education abroad experience that complements your historical interests and other courses, particularly language classes, you have taken.  Second, choose a quality education abroad experience.  Quality programs are usually immersive, have history courses, have a significant writing component to them, and are grounded in the historical skills emphasized in the history major.  To accomplish this task, talk to your advisor or another member of the History Department faculty, the department's Education Abroad Advisor, and a campus Education Abroad staff member.  Third, seek out an opportunity to reflect upon your education abroad experience after you return.  Talk to your advisor and professors about incorporating your education abroad experience into an honors thesis, a paper assignment for class, or other outlets (keep a blog, for example).  Preparing in advance, finding an experience with a quality history component to it, and reflecting upon your experience will go a long way toward making your study abroad experience all the more memorable!

For more ideas, check out Rachael Taft's article "25 Things I Wish I Had Done Differently When I Studied Abroad."

The History Department received a prestigious grant in 2010 from the National History Center and Teagle Foundation to develop a education abroad plan for history majors.  The information above summarizes our conclusions.  If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact Stephen Norris.

Send an email to the Department's Education Abroad Advisor, Stephen Norris.