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. 
 

Summer + Fall 2025 Programs	Date	Time	Location
Arts & Humanities in London	N/A	N/A	N/A
Clark-in-Madrid & ENGR Exchanges in Madrid	Wednesday, March 12, 2025	5-8pm	IRB 1116
Maryland-in-Barcelona	Wednesday, April 2, 2025	4-6pm	ESJ 2309
Maryland-in-Copenhagen & Stockholm	Monday April 28, 2025	Summer: 4-6pm Fall: 2-4pm	Summer: ESJ 2208 Fall: HJP 1102
Maryland-in-Florence (including ARCH and PHYS) Maryland-in-Perugia	Wednesday, April 9, 2025	4-6pm	ESJ 2309
Maryland Honors-in-Oxford	Thursday, April 3, 2025	4-6pm	HJP 1102
Maryland-in-Nice	Tuesday, April 1, 2025	5-7pm	HJP 1102
Maryland-in-Rome	Tuesday, April 8, 2025	3-5pm	HJP 1102
Maryland-in-Sevilla	N/A	N/A	N/A

  *EA Advisors will send the link for virtual sessions to students about 2 weeks 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 to late April, by term 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.

LGBTQIA+ Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, March 5, 2025
2-4pm
HJ Patterson Hall Global Crossroads (outside the Education Abroad office in 1118 HJ Patterson Hall)

Students with Disabilities Community Coffee Hour
Wednesday, March 26, 2025
2-4pm
HJ Patterson Hall Global Crossroads (outside of the Education Abroad office in 1118 H.J Patterson Hall)

Supported by Dream of Coffee student organization