During spring of sophomore year, Nursing Interest students will apply for the BSN via “standard” admission. You will either be accepted to the College of Nursing or need to decide if you want to declare a different major at UI. Under the "Programs" tab of this advising page, you’ll find recommendations for nursing and health sciences-related study abroad programs as well as advice about searching for programs relevant to other disciplines. Whatever your academic interest or need, there are plenty of study abroad options available.

The recommended programs offer you the opportunity to understand health policies and systems that affect the health and well-being of rural and/or urban populations. Often our programs guide you in cultural immersion where you’re exposed to new beliefs, customs and traditions in differing healthcare systems. Being in a new country can increase cultural understanding and help you be a better advocate for patients.

As you know, nursing is a rigorous major. You’ll need to plan your study abroad experience well in advance of your departure, and with your academic requirements in mind. To help you out, this page offers advice about when to study abroad (see "Timing") and how to coordinate study abroad with your major requirements (see "Academics"). 

If you have a second major or are completing a minor, be sure to consider the Major Advising Page corresponding with your other area of study.

Various financial aid and scholarships are available to UI undergraduates pursuing study abroad. Information about funding your study abroad experience is available on the scholarships page.

Timing

Standard Admission students begin the nursing major in the spring of their junior year. You may consider studying abroad the fall semester before starting your nursing major. Additionally, you can also study abroad in the summer or winter.

As you plan your study abroad experience, keep in mind that all of your nursing prerequisite courses and general education requirements need to be completed before you begin nursing courses in your junior year. More information about coordinating study abroad with your major requirements is available under the "Academics" tab.

Be sure to discuss your study abroad plans early on with an academic advisor. They will help you come up with the best timeframe for planning your study abroad experience.

Academics

Be sure to familiarize yourself with the nursing major requirements as you plan for study abroad. In general, whether you are on the Direct Admission or Standard Admission track, you must complete 128 semester hours while maintaining a 3.00 GPA.

While most of your major requirements must be fulfilled at UI, it’s possible that some can be substituted with courses taken abroad. Below is a breakdown of your major requirements in terms of which requirements you may be able to fulfill abroad. In general, keep in mind that a maximum of 64 s.h. hours of transfer credit can be applied toward your major (Note that study abroad programs that offer resident credit will not count toward your maximum transfer hours). 

You will want to check with your academic advisor in the Academic Advising Center if you are a nursing interest student on campus.

Nursing Courses
All nursing major courses must be completed at the University of Iowa.

Nursing Prerequisites & General Education Courses
Some of your nursing prerequisites and general education requirements can be substituted with equivalent courses taken abroad. Just be sure to get the substitutions approved by the appropriate department before your departure.

The general education requirements you could likely find substitutions for are: International and Global Issues; Literary, Visual, and Performing Arts; and Values and Society.

Electives
Keep in mind that you can earn elective credit abroad.

Language Study Abroad
Nursing students are encouraged to participate in language study abroad. In an increasingly multilingual country (and an increasingly global-minded world), knowledge of multiple languages is becoming more and more beneficial in the Health professions. If you are interested in completing language study abroad (for elective credit or as part of a minor), use the programs database with the "language" filter.

Considerations

Nursing students should use common sense when participating in hands-on medical experiences abroad. While you are encouraged to participate in certain activities—like taking vitals, bathing, and feeding—you must not perform invasive medical procedures (e.g. immunizations) while abroad. Also keep in mind that licensure requirements are different in different countries, and you might not be provided with adequate supervision to legally perform many procedures.

Programs

Europe

United Kingdom

IES London Health Practice & Policy
Fall, Spring

Study health from a variety of international perspectives. While in London, take health-focused academic courses. Then travel to the Caribbean (Kingston, Jamaica in Fall or Cave Hill, Barbados in Spring) to compare and contrast healthcare systems. Courses include International and European Health and Human Rights; Public Health in Europe: Issues and Social Policies; Comparative Health Care Systems and Policies in Britain, Europe, and the United States; and Social and Healthcare Policy in the UK and Caribbean: Community-Based Learning Perspective and Practicum.

Italy

USAC Reggio Emilia
Fall, Spring, Academic Year, Summer

Study health, nutrition, and aging in this program located in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. In addition to a required Italian language course, participants can select from the two to three health-related courses each semester. Summer participants are exempted from the Italian language course and can choose from one to two health-related course offerings per session. Course options include Comparative Global Health Issues and Systems, Foundations for Personal Health and Wellness, Nutrition Across the Lifespan, and Neurodiversity and Inclusion.

Africa and the Middle East

Kenya 

SIT Kenya Global Health & Human Rights
Fall, Spring

Connect with distinguished medical professionals, scholars, and scientists through the CDC’s relationship with the Kenya Medical Research Institute. This program has a set curriculum: Comparative Healthcare Systems, Kiswahili, Health and Human Rights in

Kenya or Epidemiology in Kenya, and Research Methods and Ethics. Complete either an independent study project or an internship.

Jordan

SIT Jordan Refugees, Health, and Humanitarian Action
Fall, Spring

Witness the humanitarian response to the regional refugee crisis – focusing on refugee health – and explore the effects of the influx of refugees on the host community. The program has a set curriculum: Refugees and Displaced Population in the Context of Jordan, Arabic, Refugee Health and Humanitarian Action, and Research Methods and Ethics. Complete either an independent study project or an internship.

Latin America

Costa Rica 

USAC Heredia
Fall, Spring, Academic Year, Summer

Choose from a variety of English-taught health, sport, and tropical sciences courses: Foundations for Personal Health and Wellness, General Chemistry I with lab, Human Anatomy and Physiology with lab, Introductory Biochemistry, Plants and People, and Psychology of Happiness. Spanish language courses are optional and available at a variety of levels.

Chile 

IES Santiago Health Studies
Fall, Spring

This program is designed for students who are health-related majors and have an advanced level of Spanish. Take two required courses – Spanish for Health Care Practitioners and Health Studies Program Seminar – and complete 80 hours of observation in a clinical setting, a community health setting, or in a clinical public health area. Choose from other Spanish-taught electives related to Latin American Studies.

Argentina 

SIT Argentina Public Health in Urban Environments
Fall, Spring

Study urban epidemiology and the challenges and inequities in public health policy in Buenos Aires. This program is taught in Spanish and has a set curriculum: Epidemiology and Social Determinants of Health; Health Systems, Policies, and Programs; Public Health Research Methods and Ethics; and Spanish for Health Sciences. Complete either an independent study project or an internship.