International Experience
International Experience
Going abroad—sometimes without ever leaving campus
Study abroad options, unique faculty-led trips, partnerships with organizations around the globe or learning about a friend’s culture. The Oredigger experience is about more than just what you’ll find in Golden.
Mines may be a small campus nestled in the Rocky Mountain foothills, but our focus is global. Want to help address engineering and scientific challenges in communities around the world? There are plenty of opportunities to do just that. Want to spend a semester or two in another country to better understand another culture and expand your worldview? You can do that, too. But if you can’t make it abroad during your time at Mines, you can certainly make lifelong friends with the many international students on campus. Being an Oredigger means learning how to be a responsible global citizen, and that starts from day one.
What to expect
Experience cultures around the world
Financial aid and scholarships available
Academic year and summer options
Open to
All Orediggers
When
Year-round
Where
Around the world
Orediggers live and work all around the world, becoming global citizens who affect positive change throughout their careers. But those experiences start at Mines, such as when students and faculty participated in a service trip to Nepal for Hike for Help. The group spent their three-week winter vacation volunteering in Khumbu Valley, Nepal, constructing a public restroom facility for the local community and aiding in repairing the local high school that was destroyed in an earthquake in 2015.
Oredigger reviews
Celeste, Civil Engineering, Albuquerque, N.M.
“I appreciated that several of my classes provided a global focus. We are the rising generation that society will depend on. We must learn to look at the bigger picture and understand how our actions and choices can influence communities around the world.”
Cobi, Civil Engineering, Rochester Hills, Mich.
“Mines is a global university. There are a lot of international students, and there is even an organization for them called ISA. I couldn’t study abroad due to COVID, but the study abroad office was very helpful in helping me get a program set up tailored to my needs.”
Katie, Civil Engineering, Orlando, Fla.
“I did a trip with Mines to Rome. It wasn’t a study abroad but just a winter break trip, and it was so fun!”
Morgan, Computer Science, Lakewood, Colo.
“You NEED to go abroad if at all possible! The paperwork may be difficult or annoying but it is 100 percent worth the experience!”
Colleen, Engineering, Cimarron, N.M.
“I am planning on studying abroad during my time at Mines. I hope to explore what engineering is in other countries and hopefully participate in the programs at Mines that will make me an ideal Peace Corps candidate, as that is where I see my future. Mines has the international connections to ensure I receive a valuable education across seas while also giving me networking connections to various companies across the globe!”
Rachel, Mechanical Engineering, Ridgecrest, Calif.
“I studied abroad in Paris. While I had to leave halfway through because of COVID, I think it was the best semester I’ve had. Not only did I meet amazing people, but I got to experience a new culture firsthand and travel with my free time.”
KC, Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Juneau, Alaska
“I studied in Japan without knowing a single thing about their culture, language or anything really. It was the most terrifying and difficult six months of my life followed by the most rewarding and eye-opening six months. I made lifelong friends and connections around the world. I brought back a different culture with me, and in these current times of racial tension, I feel as though I can navigate the world better having lived as a minority overseas. You gain an appreciation for the differences between each individual and stop judging people based on skin color or how they dress. I wish everyone in the U.S. had the opportunity to live abroad, because I really believe it would make the world a better and more loving place.”