Program Types

Description: Students attend a partner university and pay tuition and fees at the home university (South Dakota Mines).  

Length of Time: Short term, Semester, Year

Cost Structure: Pay tuition and fees at home university; pay living expenses in country, possibly small fee at host university 

Description: students attend a partner university and pay the tuition and fees at that university but do not pay fees here. Sometimes there are discounts for going to those universities.

Length of Time: Short term, Semester, Year

Cost Structure: Pay tuition and fees at partner university. 

Description: Direct enrollment allows students to choose a university (other than an exchange or partner university) and directly enroll there, if allowed by the university.  

Length of Time:Semester, Year

Cost Structure: Pay tuition and fees to host university; pay living expenses in country; register in zero-credit place-holder course at South Dakota Mines 

Description: Program providers offer a wide variety of programs and support services. This allows students to choose from many different options for study abroad.

Length of Time:Short term, Summer, Semester, Year

Cost Structure: Pay program fee to provider, which usually covers tuition/fees, room, possibly some meals, and usually a few excursions during the program; also may include support personnel on site 

Description: Students study with a professor in another country. Most are short-term and carry academic credit. Programs may be offered by other universities, including those within the South Dakota Board of Regents system 

Length of Time:Short term, Summer

Cost Structure: Pay program fee for course or program, which may be one amount or may be broken into segments; generally includes tuition and fees; may also include room, some meals, and field trips; usually does not include airfare 

Description: Student-led humanitarian projects allow students to participate in service projects in another country, applying their engineering skills while learning more about the culture they are serving; additional options for humanitarian projects include volunteer service projects offered through a variety of providers. Many of these require you to pay a fee to participate.  

Length of Time:Short term, Summer

Cost Structure: Usually not for credit; program fee may include housing, some meals, supplies for project, etc.; if student-led from South Dakota Mines ESA group, you will be expected to help with fundraising, which pays for a large portion of your trip 

Description: These are usually very short-term and may include international conferences, competitions, research projects, etc. 

Length of Time:Short term

Cost Structure: Usually not for credit; fees are variable for program, airfare, housing, meals, etc.