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Research shows that studying abroad increases cultural literacy, retention rates, 4 year graduation rates, grade point averages, future employability, future salary and overall opportunities. In addition, it will paint your life in a more interesting light because it’s adventurous, creates lifelong bonds and allows students to gain enlightening new perspectives. FGCU International Services Office and FGCU Career Services to help students frame their international experiences for job searches.   

You can go almost anywhere. At FGCU, staff and faculty members lead study abroad tours and other short-term study abroad programs. These programs change from year to year depending on where faculty decide to propose programs. Lutgert Business students have the option to study abroad with one of our exchange partner universities in France, Germany, Spain or Sweden. We also work with a host of education abroad program provider organizations and chances are that if you have a country in mind, we can help find a program for you there. We follow safety and security guidelines set forth by the U.S. State Department to determine regional risks around the world.

Speaking the language of the country is not a requirement, but it is helpful. Most programs offer courses taught in English and also offer language courses to assist you in learning the local language. We believe it should be a goal of every FGCU student to learn a language at some point in their lives, and studying abroad is a great opportunity to do so. But it is not a requisite. 

With the appropriate approval signatures on your study abroad approval form, credits you receive while studying abroad may be transferred back to FGCU.  Transfer credit is dependent on the course content, equivalency to FGCU courses, and degree requirements in your particular major.

You can study for just a week over the spring break, a few weeks in the summer, one semester, or one full academic or calendar year. Program lengths and designs vary.

The cost may vary depending on the type of program and program sponsor, location, length, services provided, and course tuition fees.  Some of the costs to consider are: course tuition, living expenses (room and board, personal expenditures, health care/insurance, local transportation, cultural tours, etc), airfare, application fees, passport, visas, etc. As you research different programs be sure to pay attention to what’s included in the programs fees.

Eligibility will vary from program to program. In general, programs will require a 2.0 or better cumulative average. A strong start in your freshman year will be very helpful, but there are programs of study or work abroad for all students. When in doubt, come in and talk to us about requirements for different programs.

Housing arrangements vary among the study abroad programs. Some offer a room in a residence hall, or with a host family. Others offer a shared apartment. Meals may be provided in a dining hall, or kitchen facilities may be provided so that you can prepare your own meals.

Deadlines vary according to the program. Generally, for year-long programs, you should begin to prepare your application a year in advance. For semester programs, a semester ahead of time is usually appropriate. For summer programs, you should begin the application procedure in January.

There are so many programs out there. FGCU’s International Services Office will help you sort through all of the options and help you find the right one. We tend to promote longer term programs that involve deeper cultural immersion, but we also know that studying abroad for a semester is not always possible. We recommend that if you plan on studying abroad at FGCU to try to save your general elective courses, this will give you more flexibility in choosing the right program. The process involves a series of tasks and hoops to jump through, but then you find yourself on a plane heading towards the adventure of a lifetime

Schedule an appointment with our staff, or attend one of our information sessions or our Study Abroad Fair.

Office of International Services and Study Abroad
Reed Hall 122
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Blvd. S.
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565

Phone: 239-590-7925
Fax: 239-590-7977