Study in Slovenia an Option for Students

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By: Lindsay Anderson in the Utah Stateman, April 2, 2008, Section: Campus News

 

Landscape architecture students have the opportunity to go to Ljubljana, Slovenia, for one or two semesters in a few major specialized Study Abroad programs USU offers.

 

"It's an exchange program, and we generally send one student over there and get one here," said Kay Forsyth, USU's Study Abroad director. "But it varies by semester. We tend to send one on average."

 

To be eligible, students must be in good standing with the university and have at least a 3.0 GPA. The program is seven or eight years old, Forsyth said.

 

The program fee is $5,000 and includes tuition and fees, a shared room in on-campus housing and 12 meals a week.

 

"You pay tuition and housing based on USU costs," Forsyth said. "It's usually a semester program, for one or two semesters. Because of their scheduling, they don't really have a summer term over there."

 

Forsyth said the professor who is the head of the department in Slovenia actually studied at USU for his undergraduate.

 

"The program was started because of the relationship between this professor and his connection and ties here to Utah State," she said.

 

Forsyth said this program is particularly unique because of the close relationship between the landscape architecture department in Slovenia and USU.

 

"It makes a really rich experience for the students to go to that school because they can go to the place where the professors talk back and forth, know each other, and can complement each other and the program," Forsyth said.

 

Forsyth said the program is reserved for landscape architecture students first, and typically one to two students are selected, "but if other students want to go, they can apply. The more that either side wants to go, the bigger the exchange can be."

 

Slovenia is part of the late Yugoslavia and declared its independence in 1991, and is famous for its architecture and culture, Forsyth said.

 

"Slovenia is right next to Italy," she said. "On the north is Austria, east is Hungary, and south is Croatia. Slovenia is a really pretty country, they have the mini alps, so it's got a really pretty alpine scenery. It’s in a really nice central location in Europe for site seeing and getting around to see other things."

 

Forsyth said she highly recommends students take the opportunity to study, travel or work abroad.

 

"The connections that you can make professionally, particularly in a pro degree like landscape architecture, are great. You are going to meet people, you are going to be able to work with people abroad, you're going to see projects on the ground and get involved with student projects that professors are doing.

 

"It's also going to look really good on a resume and is a career builder for sure, but it's also just quite an interesting experience to have that opportunity to study in a different setting and bring back a different perspective, perhaps to the degree they're working on here, and the chance to live in a different culture and experience that aspect just personally and socially, and the opportunity to travel in your free time."

 

There are more than 100 universities internationally where students can go, Forsyth said.

 

"Partner schools number about 25-30, so there are some possibilities to go lots of places," she said.

 

"The world is your oyster," Forsyth said. "You should explore anything that you possibly can, and I think any time that you have the opportunity to explore different cultures, learn about different people, meet people on a local and personal level, it really enriches your own life. You learn more about yourself in the process, but you also learn a lot about the world."

 

Students wishing to learn more about the Slovenia exchange plan or other Study Abroad opportunities can visit the Study Abroad Office, located in Taggart Student Center Room 313.