The Office of International Education (OIE) recently released a new process to make applying for study abroad easier for students. In the past, the OIE was not able to track the courses that had been approved for students to take when they traveled abroad. However, with the new changes, the OIE will be able to track courses and make it easier to approve class credit.

For example, if one student looks at the website and doesn’t see a course listed as already approved, s/he can submit an approval request. When a professor approves the course, it will be added to the list of already-approved courses. Other students can then look at the list, and the approval will automatically be applied to students’ account when they return from studying abroad (rather than each student having to separately apply), which will streamline the system.

“DU switched to a software application that will be more student- and faculty-friendly. The new DU Passport allows students to search by field of study, by chance of placement and many other categories,” said Denise Cope, the Director of the Office of International Education. “We are celebrating over in the OIE because this tool will help students, faculty and staff alike understand all of the various programs and requirements of study abroad at DU.”

Cope says OIE is excited to release this new system is because it takes out “the middle man.” Students will not have to ask the OIE to add the course they wish to take, and it also makes it easier for students to navigate the system.

Over time, the database of approved classes will be large enough that academic departments and the registrar’s office will not have to deal with excessive amounts of work concerning study abroad.

According to DU’s website, DU ranks fourth in the nation among doctoral and research institutions in the percentage of undergraduate students participating in study abroad programs. DU also boasts that 67 percent of DU undergraduates study abroad.

“I applied to work in the Office of International Education because I had such a strong personal experience with being abroad, I felt that study abroad is something that everyone should get to experience,” said Tiffany Wilk, a senior studying international studies and political science from Broomfield, Colorado.

Students can find more information about studying abroad on the Office of International Education website.