Study Abroad

NOTE: Dates listed are when program begins. Flights will need to be scheduled to arrive the day prior to the program start date.

The 2026 winter 2-week Puebla, Mexico study abroad program begins and ends in Mexico City with most of your stay in the vibrant city of Puebla. Site visits and activities provide experiences and create memories that you will cherish forever, such as:

• Explore Mexico City and its famous monuments such as the National Palace, the Cathedral Metropolitana, and the National Museum of Anthropology and History
• Experience the breath-taking vista of the magnificent mountain of Popocatépetl from the view of the Great Pyramid of Cholula
• Submerse yourself in the culture via dancing, food, and tile-making classes
• Seize the opportunity to fully engage in your engineering elective, Resilient Global Supply Chains, without outside obligations
  
• Examine various career paths via daily corporate site visits and tours
• Journey to the historic Aztec city of Coyocán and the ancient Pyramid of the Moon in Teotihuacán before returning to Mexico City for departure

COURSE OFFERED

• ENGR 4510: The Future of Engineering:  Artisans, Automation, and AI - The movement from craft to automation has transformed every engineering discipline. Engines once drawn by hand on drafting tables are now modeled and optimized with CAD, finite-element analysis, and generative design—yet hand-tuning remains essential for high-performance or safety-critical parts. Likewise, early integrated circuits with only thousands of transistors were painstakingly laid out by hand, while today’s chips containing billions of transistors are created with powerful electronic design automation tools, with only the most constrained areas still crafted by human experts. This course examines how automation reshapes engineering design and manufacturing and the enduring roles of human engineers. Through readings, discussions, and site-visit reflections, students will analyze the constraints—cost, safety, performance, aesthetics, and regulations—that determine where automation ends and human craft continues and will think critically about how trends such as AI are shaping the future of their own fields.

FACULTY AND STAFF SUPPORT

• Faculty: Dr. Ron Barnes
• Staff: TBA

NOTE: Students attending this program must depart the U.S. no later than May 18th in order to arrive on the program start date.

The 2026 summer 4-week Arezzo, Italy study abroad program begins and ends in Venice with most of your stay in the hill-top, Tuscan city of Arezzo. Day trips and activities offer the opportunity to create memories that will last you a lifetime, for example:

• Experience the vista of Renaissance Florence from the top of Brunelleschi’s Dome and marvel over Michelangelo’s legendary sculpture of David. Visit the historic streets of Rome, and the beautiful Amalfi Coast through programmatic excursions.
• Tackle your Professional Development course without outside obligations, and enjoy the opportunity to collaborate with classmates.
• Ignite your knowledge of career paths by attending corporate site visits and company tours.

COURSE OFFERED

• ENGR 2002 Engineering Professional Skills and Responsibilities

FACULTY AND STAFF SUPPORT

• Faculty: Dr. Ryan Stoddard
• Staff: TBA

Arezzo, Italy - Fall STEAM Semester

At the cradle of western civilization, students can enjoy the Mediterranean atmosphere and study the culture and traditions of Italy, while engaging in a selection of Engineering courses with fellow Sooners. Site visits to various engineering companies will serve to expose students to the international business practices. The students will live in Arezzo, a former ancient Etruscan city, and enjoy this beautifully picturesque Tuscan city nestled in Italy's Arno River Valley region. With a population of nearly 100,000, Arezzo is located about 80km (50 miles) south-east of Florence. The program will include cultural tours of Rome, Florence and nearby Italian cities.

Since OUA is the University of Oklahoma’s Italian study center, there is no need to transfer international credits – it is like taking classes in Norman! OUA offers a variety of OU coursework that is intended for a general student audience. Many OUA courses are approved to count as general education credits that can apply to many different majors. All courses will be graded on an A-F scale and will be factored into the student's GPA.

Study Abroad 101 gives you a great overview of the ins and outs of studying abroad at OU.  This is a great first step and a requirement to submit your application.

Study Abroad 101 sessions are available throughout the semester for all students interested in studying abroad. Sessions will be held 4:30 PM Tuesday-Friday in Farzaneh Hall RM 146 and Monday nights 7:00 PM on Zoom. Prior to the Zoom session, you will receive a Zoom call invite in an email sent by us.

If you have any questions or are having any trouble signing up, please email ea@ou.edu for assistance.