Red Hawks Abroad
International Academic Initiatives is excited to add Red Hawks Abroad to our study abroad portfolio. This exciting model opens up pathways for study abroad in new locations around the world, at more accessible prices. Our first cohorts of students are studying in Hawai’i (NSE), Italy, and Greece, all with full financial aid support as if they were here at Montclair. As we forge ahead we will add a wide breadth of affordable programs with Red Hawks Abroad providers and partner universities, in exciting new countries and locations.
One of the key features of this program model will be predesignated tracks for semester study abroad, meaning that course equivalencies will be worked out in advance with the relevant academic departments at Montclair. The program is also exciting because it does not require reciprocity or exchange balances, so there are fewer limitations on the number of students who can go in any given semester.
Red Hawks Abroad is wonderfully affordable because students will pay either standard tuition rates for full-time enrollment at Montclair, with no additional tuition. or full-time tuition rates plus a program fee to cover the differential between Montclair tuition and the tuition costs of their chosen study abroad program. Any program fee above the standard Montclair tuition will appear on their Student Account in NEST. In this model, students can maintain their full financial aid packages and all institutional scholarships. In addition, some Red Hawks Abroad partner organizations offer their own scholarships, and our students are fully eligible to apply.
Red Hawks Abroad is a superb, student-friendly innovation that we know will positively drive internationalization at Montclari State University well into the future.
What Are Students Saying?
"I became more confident stepping into rooms."
Dominique Bennett (B.A. Sociology '25)
Graz International Summer School Seggau (GUSEGG)
Red Hawks Abroad Essentials:
How Is It Different?
These programs are hand-selected by Montclair State University to allow our students to study in new locations around the world in order to meet our growing numbers for semester study abroad programs. In coming semesters, we are going to continue to grow our consortium of programs around the world and open up pathways in collaboration with Colleges and Schools across the institution, allowing students to have predesignated tracks for study abroad programs around the world.
This model will continue to allow our study abroad programs to not only have distinguished academic pathways that are uniquely designed for their academic fields, but also allow our students to study in more locations than ever before at costs that are more affordable than ever before. Several of the institutions that we are aligned with will not only cost Montclair tuition, but many have campus housing that will align with or be more affordable than Montclair's rates. In addition, several of the study abroad providers that we are collaborating with offer their own portfolio of study abroad scholarships based on areas such as financial need, first-generation status, academic fields, and location.
All of these factors establish the foundation of the future of Montclair's study abroad portfolio in which we are committed to getting as many of our Red Hawks abroad as possible in programs that will ensure our students are the global citizens that will lead the next generation.
How are Institutions Selected?
When developing the program that would be known as Red Hawks Abroad, the Office of International Academic Initiatives recognized two prominent pathways for the growth of these programs.
Firstly, we engaged with Study Abroad Providers from around the world in a bidding process that aimed to represent our breadth of academic programs, provided institutions that aligned with student interest based on the research that International Educational Exchange has gathered in the Open Doors® Report and student interest, and those that would align within the financial means of our students studying abroad. After completing a procurement process that was compliant per the State of New Jersey, we have elected five providers that would allow our students to participate in hundreds of different programs around the world.
Secondly, the Office of International Academic Initiatives reviewed our existing data on successful study abroad programs and partnerships to create direct enrollment pathways with institutions around the world. Currently these partners include The American College of Greece, UniCollege, and University of Hawai'i at Manoa. We are currently in development with other institutions including those located in Australia, Spain, and Ireland. These partnerships are intended to provide academic opportunities for our students through curriculum mapping and engagement with universities around the world.
How Can Departments and Colleges Get Involved?
As we develop our Red Hawks Abroad programs, our office aims to work on curriculum mapping. This is a collaborative initiative that aims to fully integrate study abroad into Montclair State University's academic culture through the development of academic pathways.
In previous semesters, we have relied on the continuous process of course equivalencies between our study abroad advisors and our departments. In Red Hawks Abroad, we hope to develop designated pathways that are tailored to Montclair State University's academic departments and to create a culture of study abroad within each major. By having curriculum mapping within our departments, students will have the confidence that their courses will align with their degree plans and departments will be empowered to have signature programs that will increase access and participation within their programs. This will ultimately reflect on Study Abroad as a high impact practice that will prepare our Red Hawks for the global workplace and help them develop intercultural competency as a part of their educational portfolio.
Departments that are interested in developing these academic pathways should contact international-academic@montclair.edu and discuss what types of programs would work best within their major or college.
How Can Students Apply for Red Hawks Abroad?
Attend A Study Abroad Info Session
- All students must attend an info session prior to meeting with an advisor. These sessions provide foundational knowledge of the study abroad application process and help guide students in their program search. Info sessions are approximately 30 minutes long and can be found on Engage during the academic semester.
- If you are unable to meet at one of our two information sessions each week during the academic year, you can also book a Study Abroad 101 session with a staff member.
Meet With An Advisor
- After completing your Study Abroad Info Session, you can meet with your Study Abroad Advisor which is based on your academic major. Please visit this page to determine who your advisor is and book an appointment.
- Your Study Abroad Advisor will work with your Department and Primary Advisor to ensure appropriate enrollment of courses for your program of choice.
- Students can view our current Red Hawks Abroad programs here and ensure that their selected program aligns with their academic, financial, and personal goals.