Study and work abroad

Study abroad

If you want to prepare yourself for global success through education, exchange and international experience, consider adding some culturally diverse experiences to your personal resume.

There is a growing need in the workplace for individuals who are able to live and work in an intercultural environment. Start setting yourself apart from your peers by showing potential employers how culturally competent you are.
Studying or working abroad can give you:

  • a culturally diverse learning environment
  • a better understanding of different perspectives
  • the opportunity to connect practical skills with a global mindset

To increase your likelihood of global success we suggest you start taking action to open your world by participating in culturally diverse activities. These opportunities will give you the chance to develop new skills and global competencies that will distinguish you as a global graduate.

There are 3 different ways we suggest for you to increase your cultural knowledge:

In the classroom

Participate in intercultural group work, presentations or projects by teaming up with international students and/or choosing internationally based topics;

On campus

  • Attend intercultural social events such as Global Talkafe’s, Cultural Exchange club’s activities and Diversity Week;
  • Apply to become a peer mentor;
  • Join a student club to expand your social group

Around the world

Georgian College works hard to find study and work abroad opportunities for its students and faculty. These opportunities are always changing and growing.

If you are interested in going abroad to work or study please go to the contact section to get in touch with us and ask us about what the current opportunities are. Below is more information about co-op opportunities, but since we are always making new agreements and partnerships we suggest you contact us for a meeting so we can discuss what type of opportunity you are looking for and places you might be interested in going.

If you’re in a co-op program at Georgian, you may be able to find a co-op or placement abroad!

Students are responsible for securing their own co-op positions abroad and ensuring that the placement is approved by their co-op consultant. Students can search for appropriate positions using the below resource and meeting with the international co-op consultant joanne.foxton@georgiancollege.ca

Once you have secured an approved co-op position abroad, the International Centre can provide support and guidance in your visa applications, finding accommodations, helping to prepare you for life abroad and general tips and advice on the country you will be visiting.

International Experience Canada (IEC)

The government of Canada has made it easier for Canadian students to do their co-op abroad. Use this website to start your search for co-op opportunities abroad.

Health Insurance for students going abroad is provided through a company called guard.me International Insurance. This insurance coverage is for emergency health conditions as well as illnesses and conditions (flu, sore throat, rash, etc.) that start after your insurance coverage begins. The plan does not cover pre-existing conditions. Please visit guard.me for more details on the insurance plan

Studying in Ireland

Cassidy Chafe

I am in the Business General Program at Georgian College and I was lucky enough to have my first co-op in the Segal International Centre where I discovered my love of International Business.  I have always loved to travel so when my co-worker Brandy Mullen told me there was an opening for a semester abroad and asked if I wanted to study in Ireland for four months I jumped at the chance.

I chose to study abroad because of the incredible adventure and experiences that would come from it.  I have a deep passion for travel and this was a chance to do that while also learning and expanding my perspective.  Studying abroad opens up so many opportunities and allows you to learn more about yourself and the world.  For me one of the benefits I experienced abroad was personal growth.  Studying abroad allowed me to discover so many things about myself while navigating my way through new experiences and being in new environments.  I learned more about who I am, who I want to be and what I want to do in my life.  Another major benefit of studying abroad is the people you meet.  They will teach you a great deal about yourself and the world.  It is incredible the new perspectives you will gain, not to mention the life-long friends you will make.  International experience is also very important and very beneficial when it comes to future job searches.  Today, having international experience is a big deal for employers as it speaks not only to your personality but to your life experience as well.

While I was in Ireland, I ran a blog called Georgian Experiencing Galway (gctravellingstudent.wordpress.com) where I documented my travels and shared my experiences being an International student.  Having a blog was a great way to tell my stories and keep my friends and family up to date on everything going on.  I am now working in the International Centre at Georgian College while finishing my final semester in my program.  Thanks to the International Centre and my semester abroad, I now have many amazing opportunities in my future at Georgian and around the world.

Internship in Scotland

Carlie Manners

woman wearing a sweater, glasses and latex gloves stands next to museum display caseGeorgian College Museum and Gallery Studies student Carlie Manners is enjoying an amazing educational opportunity in Scotland’s Dumfries and Galloway region. Carlie is interning over the summer in the collections department of the Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura. She’s the second Georgian student to have chosen this particular international destination and among four students currently pursuing an internship overseas.“The collection here in Dumfries is unlike anything I will get to work with back home in Canada,” Carlie says. “It’s certainly not every day you come across Roman swords and Viking weaponry!”Far from fetching coffees as a museum intern, Carlie’s assignments include photographing and curating an online exhibition on witchcraft lore in the Dumfries and Galloway region and gathering research and identifying local soldiers in archived photographs who fought in World War I. There’s a special Canadian connection in the second project, as some of the photos are of soldiers from the Canadian Expeditionary Forces.Carlie believes working internationally provides her with an opportunity she may never get again – to experience another country and culture both within the museum environment and outside of it. When she returns home this fall, she’ll put the skills she gained through her internship to good use pursuing her Master of History at the University of New Brunswick.‘I plan to become a museum and gallery curator once I complete my studies,” she says “While I certainly have a long journey ahead, being in Scotland this summer is a great way to enjoy the ride.”

Studying in France

Sara Loyst

I had the fantastic opportunity to study abroad in Strasbourg, France during my second year of the Hospitality and Tourism program at Georgian. We got to live and learn in a 200-year old Chateau, do an internship in local restaurants, and go on field trips to Germany! I spent most of my weekends traveling to other countries like Switzerland, Italy, London, and more! It was such an incredible and life-changing experience and I would encourage everyone to go abroad!

Co-op Abroad Opportunities
joanne.foxton@georgiancollege.ca

Study Abroad Opportunities
jennifer.charbonneau@georgiancollege.ca

Other Abroad Opportunities
brandy.mullen@georgiancollege.ca

Globally Networked Learning Pilot Project with VIA University in Denmark

Dr. Kirsten Nielsen from VIA University College in Denmark visited the Barrie Campus of Georgian Sept. 26 to 29, 2017. The visit was arranged and hosted by the research lead for the school of Health, Wellness and Sciences to strengthen our partnership with VIA University College through research and internationalization-at-home.

The visit included academic activities and opportunities for students, faculty and administrators to meet with Dr. Nielsen to exchange ideas, and learn about her research, nursing and nursing education in Denmark.

While on campus, Dr. Nielsen also had an opportunity to sit in on a class and two simulation labs. Four Georgian BScN students and four Danish nursing students are currently engaged in a globally networked learning pilot project and Dr. Nielsen spent time with the students and faculty involved in this project. Dr. Nielsen also met with Dr. Treva McCumber at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre so that she could see nursing practice at an Ontario hospital first hand.

Dr. Nielsen’s schedule was jam packed from early morning to late at night to maximize her time in Canada and to develop ideas and opportunities to support globally networked learning and internationalization.

Mexico Faculty Exchange

Ron Sky, Professor, Engineering Technology and Environmental Studies from Georgian College and Mr. Quinn Anderson William Conway, Director of the Language Department from ITESO, Universidad Jesuita de Guadalajara are collaborating on the partial design and teaching of a course.

This is a project through the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration (CONAHEC),  a not-for-profit membership-based network of approximately 180 institutions of higher education in Canada, the United States and Mexico, as well as a select group of institutions from other parts of the world. The organization was established shortly after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect and was initially designed to support the resulting increase in economic integration by helping institutions of higher education collaborate to develop programs and educational opportunities to prepare globally knowledgeable professionals able to contribute to the region’s continued success.