Industrial and Systems Engineering Abroad
Department Contact: Dr. Paula Van Curen, pcuren@vt.edu
Message to ISE Students
Someday in the not-too-distant future, your time as an undergraduate student at Virginia Tech will end. Diploma in hand, you will move on to the next chapter in your life—graduate school, military service, work in the private or government sector— but to reach that milestone, you must do more than merely pass your classes.
Fortunately, the University, College of Engineering, and ISE department offer a number of opportunities for ISE students to enrich their undergraduate experience: Undergraduate Research, Ware Lab teams, internships, co-op experiences, and studying/working/volunteering abroad. I’d like to focus on that last item and extol the benefits an experience abroad can bring you.
For many of you, NOW is the best time to travel abroad. Once you begin your first “real” job or start working on your thesis or dissertation in graduate school, opportunities to live and work in another country for anywhere from 3 weeks to 9 months will not be as plentiful. Studying or working abroad exposes you to a new culture and a new way of life. You'll learn to recognize and appreciate how culture influences values and behaviors. You’ll begin to understand what makes life in the United States different from anywhere else in the world.
Learning abroad will not only help you develop new skills, more independence, and self-confidence that can’t be learned on campus, it will set you apart from other job seekers in a very competitive job market. You will be able to highlight your experience abroad in job interviews and on your resume. An opportunity to make lifelong friendships with people you wouldn't have met otherwise and an unparalleled opportunity to develop genuine fluency in a foreign language are two additional rewards to be gained from participation in an education abroad program.
Want more information? Visit the VT Global Education website at www.globaleducation.vt.edu. Search for programs by major, region and type. Once you’ve visit the Global Education office and meet with the Engineering Peer Advisor (an engineering student who has been abroad and is familiar with the search process), come see me in 241 Durham to discuss how a study or internship abroad can fit into the ISE major or a minor.
Paula Van Curen
ISE Academic & Program Advisor
Grado Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering
241 Durham Hall
Email
“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.“ ‑Saint Augustin
ISE Students' Experiences in Study Abroad
Guide for Researching Study Abroad Opportunities
ISE Department Study Abroad Exchange Programs
The ISE Department participates in student exchange agreements with universities in Brazil and Germany. Students can spend one or two semesters studying at the partner university while paying VT tuition. In ISE, students take pre-approved industrial engineering courses that will transfer back to VT to meet BSISE degree requirements.
Education Abroad in ISE: Overview (PDF | 360 KB)
Program: Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUCPR) is a private, not-for-profit university with a high percentage of students from different countries and a strong support infrastructure for international students. The main campus is located in Curitiba, capital city of the State of Parana, Brazil. The low cost of living, excellent public transportation, exquisite beaches and a vibrant metropolitan atmosphere in Curitiba - all while studying engineering - make PUCPR an outstanding university to earn academic credits toward the ISE degree while abroad!
Language Requirement Good Portuguese language skills are necessary since classes are taught in Portuguese. Completion of PORT 1106 at VT or equivalent before departure is recommended. In addition to VT academic courses, students can learn Portuguese using VT Library resources, including Rosetta Stone. Free tutoring can also be arranged. Exchange students typically learn the language basics fairly quickly using these resources, particularly if they had studied Spanish before. Students arrive approximately one month before the start of the semester and will spend that time studying Portuguese in an immersion class and acclimating to the university and local community.
Program Cost Virginia Tech tuition, travel, housing and food. The cost of living in Brazil is low compared to the U.S. and many European countries. Students can apply for scholarships through University Financial Aid and Scholarships, VT Global Education and the ISE department.
Transfer Credit Academic credit toward an ISE degree for pre-approved engineering courses. Courses that have been approved to transfer to VT from PUCPR include:
- ISE 2024 Probability Foundations for ISE
- ISE 3214 Facilities Planning & Material Handling
- ISE 3424 Discrete-Event Comp. Simulation
- ISE 3614 Human Factors Eng. & Ergonomics
- ISE 4204 Production Planning & Inventory Control
- ISE 4404 Statistical Quality Control
- ISE 4424 Logistics Engineering
- STAT 4706 Probability & Statistics for Engine.
Duration of study: January through June; June through December. Students arrive approximately 1 month before the start of the academic semester to enroll in a language immersion course and acclimate to the university and local community.
ISE Faculty Advisor for PUCPR: Dr. Eileen Van Aken
Featured Research Opportunity
IRES to Nottingham
Location: Nottingham, United Kingdom
Languages of Instruction: English
Program Terms: Summer, 10 weeks
Description: Competitive NSF-funded International
Research Experience for Students (IRES) program for advanced undergraduate students. Non-credit program; participate in publishable research with faculty mentors at the University of Nottingham.
Contact: Dr. Nicole Sanderlin, npsander@vt.edu
Featured Third Party Program
THE GREEN PROGRAM is a special partner for study abroad connected with the Green Engineering minor program at VT. You can go on one of the TGP programs and earn VT credit (instead of transfer credit) toward the Green Engineering minor. Please watch this video to learn about TGP. Contact Drs. Sean McGinnis, smcginn@vt.edu, OR Lindy Cranwell, lindycra@vt.edu to learn how to receive VT credit for a TGP program abroad.
Virginia Tech and ISEP Exchanges
Technical University - Darmstadt
Learn more about the opportunity here.
Location: Darmstadt, Germany
Languages of Instruction: English, German
Program Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer
University of New South Wales
Learn more about the opportunity here.
Location: Sydney, Australia
Language of Instruction: English
Program Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
University of Technology Sydney
Learn more about the opportunity here.
Location: Sydney, Australia
Language of Instruction: English
Program Terms: Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Check out the list of other Virginia Tech Exchange options and other third party options on the Global Education Office website.
For other ISEP options, check out the ISEP website!
ISE Faculty Advisor for PUCPR, Brazil
Professor and Department Head
253 Durham Hall
(540) 231-6656
Please refer to Virginia Tech’s High-Risk Travel website for current policies and procedures on international travel: https://www.globaleducation.vt.edu/globalsafety/HighRiskTravelCOVID-19.html