Overview

Students are the best representatives of our study abroad & away programs. We invite all Global Spartans (current or former study abroad students) to submit a 40-80 seconds reel-style video of your time on your program showing the various components of an abroad experience including, but not limited to student life, cultural excursions, classroom, travels, and community. We particularly encourage you to show connections with the local community. Be as creative as possible to impress and inform viewers – all genre, format, style (animation, film, stop motion, photo montage, noir, romance, abstract, documentary, etc) are accepted. We are ready to be impressed by your creative summary of your amazing experiences abroad. Winners will be announced sometime in March as part of the Global Spartan Month celebrations of global education and student exchange. Videos will be featured on the Study Abroad & Away website, Abroad View blog, monthly newsletter, and our social media channels (IG, FB, YouTube, etc). Winners will receive prize money!

Rules

• Eligibility: Open to all SJSU students or alumni who participated in any of our 400+ study abroad or away programs on the Spartans Abroad Portal.
• Music: Any background music used must be copyright and royalty free such as those used on IG-produced reels.
• Length: 40-80 seconds
• Video format: Any audiovisual multimedia (e.g. video, animation, cell phone, slide show) 
• Relevance: Must be original and relevant to the goal of the contest to inform students about your experience and created specifically for this contest.
• Title: All videos for this contest must start with the “Global Spartan: ______ (add your unique title).
• Description: Your video must include a short 70-character description that can be used on social media. We reserve the right to edit video descriptions for space. 
• Ownership: All submitted entries including images, photos, captions and name, will be used by SJSU exclusively for promotional reasons. This includes, but is not limited to print, video, and digital mediums. Please note the CSU Video Image Release below. 
• Deadline: All video entries must be submitted by March 1, 2025

How to Submit

• All entries must be in a digital format and uploaded to a file sharing service and share it with spartansabroad@sjsu.edu AND vid.raatior@sjsu.edu. 
• Send email to spartansabroad@sjsu.edu AND vid.raatior@sjsu.edu with the subject line: “Video Contest: Your Full Name” 
• In your email, please include the following information: Your Full Name, Title for your video, a short description and link to the video file. 
• Deadline: March 1, 2025. 

Prizes

This inaugural video contest is funded by a marketing grant from the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP)

• First Prize: $100
• Second Prize: $75
• Third Prize: $50
• Honorable Mentions (3): $25
• ISEP Winner: $50 (additional prize for the top winner who participated on an ISEP program)

All prizes will be awarded in the form of SJSU Gold Card which can be used in all on-campus dining services, bookstores, etc. 

CSU Video Image Release

By submitting your video, you grant to the Board of Trustees of the California State University and each of its constituent campuses (including the Office of the Chancellor), and their officers, employees, agents, assigns, and volunteers (collectively “CSU”), the irrevocable and unrestricted right and permission to take, use, re-use, publish, and republish photographic portraits, video, or pictures of me or in which I may be included, in whole or in part, or composite or distorted in character or form, without restriction as to changes or alterations, in conjunction with my own or a fictitious name, or reproductions thereof in color or otherwise, made through any medium, and in any and all media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to educational uses, marketing, public relations, websites, social media, publications, promotions, broadcasts, advertisements, and posters. I also consent to the use of any published matter in conjunction therewith.

I waive any right that I may have to inspect or approve the finished product or products and the advertising copy or other matter that may be used in connection therewith or the use to which it may be applied.

I further acknowledge that I have voluntarily agreed to allow CSU to use my image without the promise of compensation or remuneration in any form whatsoever, and I waive any claim for compensation or remuneration of any kind for CSU’s use or publication of my image except for the published one-time contest prizes.

I release, discharge, and agree to hold harmless the CSU and each of its constituent campuses (including, but not limited to the Office of the Chancellor), and their officers, employees, agents, assigns, and volunteers, from any and all liability for claims by me, my family, or any third parties in connection with my participation, including without limitation, any claims ensuing from or in connection with the taking of my photograph and use or publication of my image, as well as any claims for invasion of privacy, defamation, false light, or misappropriation of name, likeness, or image.

I am at least 18 years of age and competent to agree to this release. I have read the above authorization, release, and agreement. I understand the legal consequences of its contents, meaning, and impact, and I freely accept the terms. This release shall be binding upon me and my heirs, legal representatives, and assigns.

More Information

Contact Vid Raatior (vid.raatior@sjsu.edu) or the team at spartansabroad@sjsu.edu if you have any questions. 

Application Workshop

Have questions about the application process? Join us for an application workshop on January 27 from 12-1pm in Student Union Meeting Room 3B. RSVP here!

Upcoming Application Deadlines

SUMMER 2025

View all summer options below and join an upcoming info session to learn more on January 28 from 12-1:30pm (click here to register).

Faculty-Led Programs (FLP): DEADLINE: February 3, 2025

The deadline for Summer 2025 Faculty-Led Programs has been extended to February 3, 2025 at 11:59pm PT! We have 18 programs in 14 countries that offer a variety of courses and price points. These short-term programs enable you to travel with a group of SJSU students led by an SJSU faculty ranging in duration (2-3 weeks) and eligibility; many are open to all majors and several fulfill General Education requirements.

Summer School Abroad (SSA): DEADLINE: February 3 and March 16, 2025

We are happy to inform you that applications are now open for Summer School Abroad (SSA) programs for summer 2025! These programs enable students to take summer classes at an international university for 2-8 weeks with students from around the world, travel independently, and earn SJSU credits. All programs offer courses that fulfill GE graduation requirements. Check out options in Finland, England (Roehampton and Sussex), South Korea, and Spain! Applications are due by February 3 (for Finland and Spain) and March 16 (for England and South Korea).

Global Internships: DEADLINE: February 11 (SJSU), February or March (partner)

We are excited to launch our Global Internship programs for summer 2025! The Study Abroad & Away Office partners with organizations to offer global internship programs in multiple countries and for a variety of academic and career fields. Students receive a customized internship placement that aligns with their interests, background and skills for 6, 8, 9 or 10 weeks during the summer at a host organization abroad. Students have the option to receive academic credit (as transfer credit, pending approval from academic depts.) and most opportunities are available in English.

Students must apply through both SJSU and the partner organization. The SJSU priority application deadline is February 11 and partner deadlines will vary based on the program location and start date. Please note that some partner deadlines may be EARLIER than SJSU’s application deadline. Applicants are accepted on a rolling basis and some programs may fill up before the deadline. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to apply early. View all program options here and join one of our upcoming info sessions to learn more:

• January 24, 12-1pm
• January 30, 1-2pm
• February 3, 12-1pm

FALL 2025 or ACADEMIC YEAR 2025-2026

SJSU Exchanges: DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

We are accepting applications for fall 2025 and academic year 2025-2026 at our 40+ SJSU Exchange universities in 20+ countries. These long-term opportunities enable you to study at a partner university abroad for an entire semester or year while paying the same SJSU tuition, using your financial aid, and fulfilling your major, minor, or GE requirements.

CSU IP: DEADLINE: February 15, 2025

CSU IP provides students in the CSU system with an affordable opportunity to study abroad for a semester or year. Earn SJSU credit while studying at a host university or study center! Many programs offer opportunities to study the local language and culture. View all program options here.

ISEP: DEADLINES START: March 1, 2025

Study abroad for a semester or academic year on an ISEP program! ISEP offers study abroad opportunities at over 200 universities in 51 countries. Immerse yourself in classes at local universities while receiving SJSU credit. If you are interested in studying abroad in a location that is off the beaten path, ISEP has the program for you. View all program options here.

QUESTIONS?

Have questions or not sure where to start? Meet with an advisor or contact us at spartansabroad@sjsu.edu.

All of us in Study Abroad & Away (SAA) hope the fall 2024 semester is off to a great start. The team of international educators continues to develop new programs and help students find the right study abroad and away program to further their intellectual and personal growth. We are thrilled to announce the launch of a domestic exchange program through the National Student Exchange (NSE), with more details below.

We encourage all of you, students, staff, and faculty, to attend our Study Abroad Fair on Tuesday, October 8th to learn about the many global and intercultural learning opportunities available to our SJSU students. You can see more information about this event below.

We are happy to report that in summer 2024, we successfully launched 9 faculty-led programs in which faculty took over 150 students to seven countries with faculty from three colleges. We would like to recognize the faculty champions who worked tirelessly to make these opportunities possible for our students: 

• Elizabeth Carroll (Department of Art and Art History, College of Humanities and the Arts)
• Seung Ho Chang (Department of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Sciences)
• Greg Feist (Department of Psychology, College of Social Sciences)
• Alison George (Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health and Human Sciences)
• Tabitha Hart (Department Communication Studies, College of Social Sciences)
• Sherri Harvey (Department of English, College of Humanities and the Arts)
• Mary Juno (Department of Justice Studies, College of Social Sciences)
• Marco Meniketti (Department of Anthropology, College of Social Sciences)
• Gigi Smith (Department of Occupational Therapy, College of Health and Human Sciences) 
• Susan Trimingham (Department of Art and Art History, College of Humanities and the Arts)
• Andrew Wood (Department Communication Studies, College of Social Sciences)

We also soft-launched our Summer School Abroad in summer 2024. This fall 2024, we will have 95 students abroad in 17 countries and are expected to have 101 students study abroad in spring 2025.

Our students continue to shine in many ways. Our Gilman scholarship recipients include: 

• Alec Noland (Summer 2024, Scotland)
• Kelly Ngo (Winter 2024, Thailand)
• Sophia Garske (Fall 2023-Spring 2024, Spain)

Our Louie Barozzi scholarship recipient for 2024-25 is:

• Henry Gibson (Fall 2024, Hong Kong)

Congratulations, we are so proud of you!

The SAA team continues to find innovative ways to promote global learning opportunities for our students, faculty, and staff successfully. To that end, we continue to grow our Global Ambassador Program. You can read more information about our amazing global ambassadors  in this blog post. We have also transitioned to  a new website for SAA. Check it out and provide us with any feedback.

We look forward to working with each and every one of you to find ways to broaden your global learning, teaching and service. Our commitment remains to promote a global ethos on campus and to move forward comprehensive internationalization as a priority for SJSU. Please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the SAA team members with any questions or ideas by contacting them directly or by emailing spartansabroad@sjsu.edu.

As you navigate the opportunities and challenges this fall 2024 semester, we wish you continued success and the best of luck. We look forward to being part of your journey!