Pre-Departure Orientation

 At your pre-departure orientations, you will:

• Address expectations for your upcoming experience
• Hear from study abroad alumni and international students about their experiences with the culture of your host region
• Meet other students who are studying abroad in your host region or on your program
• Learn how to prepare for your upcoming experience

Mandatory pre-departure events
Additional pre-departure events

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Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation Meeting

All students must attend a mandatory pre-departure orientation meeting. There are no exceptions. For some programs, the session will be held in-person and others will be held virtually on Zoom. Please review your orientation schedule and location closely and follow up with your EA advisor if you have any questions. Click on your program type below to see orientation information:

• Maryland-Led Short-term Programs
• Maryland Semester Programs (i.e. Maryland-in)
• Exchange, Affiliate, and Other Approved Programs

Maryland-Led Short-term Programs

Students participating in Maryland Short-term programs are required to attend a program-specific meeting with their program director. Your program director will give you the details about the time and date of your meeting.

Maryland Semester Programs (i.e. Maryland-in)

Students participating in a Maryland Semester program will attend a program-specific orientation. 
 

Spring 2026 Programs	Date	Time	Location
Arts & Humanities in London	Monday, April 13	3-5pm	HJP 1102
Clark-in-Madrid & ENGR Exchanges in Madrid	Wednesday, March 25	5-8pm	ESJ 2204
Maryland-in-Barcelona	Wednesday, April 15	4-6pm	HJP 1102
Maryland-in-Copenhagen & Stockholm	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
Maryland-in-Florence (including ARCH and PHYS) Maryland-in-Perugia	Thursday, April 2	4-6pm	ESJ 1202
Maryland-in-Aix	To be confirmed	To be confirmed	To be confirmed
Maryland-in-Rome	Thursday, April 2	3-5pm	HJP 2217
Maryland-in-Sevilla	N/A	N/A	N/A
Maryland-in-Amman	Part 1: March 23	3pm	Virtual with CET
Honors-in-Oxford	April 27	4-5:30/6pm	UH Conference Room (YDH 0104A)

  *Your Global Learning Advisor will send the link for virtual sessions to students prior to the scheduled session. 

Exchange, Affiliate, and Other Approved Programs
Students participating in UMD exchanges, affiliate, or approved programs are required to attend a pre-departure orientation.There are different sessions and time blocks for different regions and/or countries. You should attend the session for the location of your study abroad program.

Exchange, Affiliate, and Other Approved orientation sessions will occur in mid November, by country/regions as assigned below:
 

Additional Pre-Departure Events

Community Coffee Hours
Education Abroad is hosting the Community Coffee Hour event series to create a more inclusive space for students to build community around study abroad planning and experiences. We are inviting prospective, admitted, and returned study abroad students for an afternoon of snacks, beverages, activities, resources, and panel discussion facilitated by Education Abroad staff tailored to each student group.
 

First Gen Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
2 - 4pm
HJ Patterson Hall Global Crossroads (outside the Education Abroad office in 1118 HJ Patterson Hall)

Students with Disabilities Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
2 - 4pm
HJ Patterson Hall Global Crossroads (outside the Education Abroad office in 1118 HJ Patterson Hall)