Student posing in France

“Not only is it a great opportunity academically, but personally. Its a great way to push yourself to be able to learn in a new environment, but also a great way to work on being independent. You also make friends that last a lifetime.”

Diana Jimenez, Sociology and Gender and Women Studies  |  CIEE, Paris, France

Flames Abroad Portal - Scheduled Maintenance on November 9th and 10th Heading link

Sign that says scheduled maintenance

The Flames Abroad Portal will undergo scheduled maintenance the weekend of November 9th and 10th. During this time, users will be unable to access the following:

  • Study Abroad Program Applications
  • First Step Advising Applications
  • International Travel Safety Portal Records

Please take this into consideration if needing to complete tasks in the portal for deadlines around this time.

For questions, please contact sao@uic.edu.

SAO Thanksgiving and Winter Break Hours Heading link

An illustration of mountains and trees with snow falling. The words Study Abroad Office Thanksgiving and Winter Break Hours is written on the top.

The Study Abroad Office will be operating with a reduced staff presence in the physical office on the following dates:

  • Wednesday, November 27th
  • December 16th, 17th, and 18th

Staff will be working remotely and available via sao@uic.edu and campus communication platforms such (e.g. Zoom and Teams).

The University will be closed on the following dates in observance of the winter break holiday schedule:

  • November 28th and 29th
  • December 20th, and 23rd – 31st
  • January 1st

UIC faculty, staff, and students abroad who experience an emergency should contact the 24/7 emergency phone: 312-355-5555.

A letter from the SAO Executive Director Heading link

Why does study abroad matter….now?

Consider these reflections from the SAO Executive Director, Dr. Kyle Rausch.

Why does study abroad matter...now?

Health & Safety Updates Heading link

COVID-19
(Updated April 4th, 2022)

COVID-19 has and will impact study abroad’s normal operations; however, our commitment to student mobility and access to international opportunities remains central to our operations.

UIC’s Office of Global Engagement (OGE) continues to monitor the global pandemic to determine if conditions in countries where our students have applied to study are stable enough to permit the university’s endorsement of participation in study abroad programs.

OGE consults a variety of sources, including:

-The U.S. Department of State
-The Centers for Disease Control
-Official governmental sources for host countries
-Information from our program partners
-Arthur J. Gallagher – UIC’s international health insurance providers

Based on this information, the university is using a multi-source risk analysis approach to make its decisions about which countries we can resume study abroad programming in. Programs in countries with a Department of State travel advisory of level 4 due to non-COVID-19 factors are not countries we are able to support. Other countries will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis upon consulting the aforementioned resources.

The CDC advises that travelers ensure they are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccines before traveling internationally. Getting vaccinated is still the best way to protect yourself from severe disease and slow the spread of COVID-19. All students who apply to study abroad will be asked to disclose their vaccination and booster status. Due to requirements by certain countries and/or program partners, there may be vaccination requirements for certain programs. Please speak with an SAO advisor to learn if your program has COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

Visit today.uic.edu/coronavirus for additional information, campus updates and support resources for the UIC community. Please contact us at sao@uic.edu or schedule an appointment with a study abroad staff member to discuss questions or concerns.

More Health & Safety Information

#StudyAbroadisforUIC Heading link

Study abroad is for all UIC students.  We strive to ensure that our students continue to have access to meaningful study abroad experiences.

  • 83 % Receive federal aid

  • 44 % Are Pell eligible

  • 69 % Identify as an under-represented minority

  • 38 % Are the first in their family to attend college

  • 59 Majors (and counting...)

  • 41 % Are STEM Majors