Virginia Tech Rising Sophomore Abroad Program (RSAP)
The Virginia Tech Rising Sophomore Abroad Program combines a Spring course with a two-week international module abroad in May immediately following the end of the Spring Semester. By giving students a taste of an international experience and increasing their comfort level with global travel, the program promotes additional, more extended international academic experiences such as internships, study abroad programs, or faculty-led programs. The program also allows students the opportunity to make initial contact with a company or university in another country to further their student experience or career prospects.
Eligibility
Students in the College of Engineering may apply. Students in their first year will not have a GPA when they apply for RSAP, but should have a GPA of 2.5 or higher at the end of their first semester.
Got questions about RSAP or ENGE 1644? Join us for an information session on August 31 at 6pm in New Classroom Building, Room 260 or email rsap@vt.edu.
Visit our program page to apply or to connect with the Virginia Tech Global Education Office.
Course Info: Global STEM Practice (ENGE 1644)
Accepted students will be registered for this 3-credit course in the spring semester. The class is designed to introduce students to global engineering and science, emphasizes the importance of cultural competency for engineers and scientists, and focuses on how differences in cultural, social and economic contexts influence engineering and science in practice. ENGE 1644 fulfills the Pathways 3 requirement.
Learning Objectives
Having successfully completed this course, students will be able to:
- Understand global STEM professions and the professional skills needed to function successfully in a range of different cultural settings.
- Identify global challenges, technological problems, and business opportunities and their implications for STEM professionals.
- Describe how differences in political, technological, social, educational, and environmental contexts influence STEM practice, including leadership needs, teamwork processes, and problem-solving processes.
- Describe the value of cultural diversity and how culture impacts STEM contexts in a global society.
- Engage in a professional international environment.
The RSAP application opens August 15, and is due no later than October 1. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the application window.
The application includes general student information, several short essay responses and a non-refundable application fee of $50. Please note, applications are largely judged on the quality of the essay responses. A successfull application will pay close attention to the question requirements and provide thoughtful, well developed answers.
1) Why do you want to participate in the Rising Sophomore Abroad Program?(REQUIRED)
Provide your response in 200-300 words. Please note: The answer box counts individual characters, not words. Please make sure that your response fully and thoughtfully answers the question.
2) How will RSAP impact your professional goals?(REQUIRED)
Provide your response in 200-300 words. Please note: The answer box counts individual characters, not words. Please make sure that your response fully and thoughtfully answers the question.
3) Is there anything else we should know about you as we consider your application to participate in RSAP? (OPTIONAL)
Essays will be scored using this rubric.
This is question 5 in the GEO: VT Scholarships & Financial Aid Verification section of the application. You should answer 3 credits, since ENGE 1644 is a 3-credit course.
2024 Track Information
Dates: May 12 - May 25, 2024 (Australia & New Zealand departs May 10)
Track Locations
Click on the buttons below for itineraries and total estimated costs.
Important Notes
Each track needs a minimum of 20 student participants in order to run. Students who apply for and are accepted into tracks that ultimately fail to reach 20 participants will be rerouted to other destinations.
To respond dynamically to ever-changing health and safety situations, international travel itineraries are subject to change to align with health and safety guidance, immigration and border entry restrictions, etc. In the event that a track destination is no longer a suitable option, RSAP will make every effort to reroute students to an alternate destination.
Students participating in RSAP will be charged one program fee through their student account. The program fee includes airfare, accommodations, in-country transportation, excursions, corporate visits, most meals, and international health and security insurance.
Upon acceptance into the program, a $500 non-refundable deposit is required. Commitment decisions must be made within two weeks of acceptance. The full program fee is due by January 10.
The program fee does not include: GEO Application Fee, Faculty-led Study Abroad Participation fee, most lunches and dinners, passport/visa fees, souvenirs, and personal spending while on the program.
Visit individual program pages for total estimated costs.
| Program Fees | |
| Australia & New Zealand | $6,000 |
| Finland & Norway | $5,830 |
| Italy & Germany | $6,000 |
| Japan | $5,600 |
Financial Responsibility Policy
Should a program cancellation become necessary for health and safety reasons prior to student departure, every effort will be made to refund recoverable costs to participants. Students who commit to RSAP are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to purchase Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) Travel Insurance to protect their monetary investment. When purchasing CFAR insurance, please ensure that cancellation due to the COVID-19 is covered in the policy terms.
Once a student has committed to RSAP, the student will be responsible for program costs based on the following schedule.
| Timeline of Student Withdrawal or Program Cancellation | Financial Responsibility |
| Prior to commitment | No financial responsibility, but space in the program is only secured for 2 weeks after acceptance |
| After commitment until January 9 | $500 (non-refundable deposit) |
| January 10 to January 31 | 50% of the program fee |
| February 1 to February 28 | 80% of the program fee |
| After March 1 | 100% of the program fee |
COVID Disclaimer
To respond dynamically to the ever-changing health and safety situation brought about by the global pandemic, international travel itineraries are subject to change to align with health and safety guidance, immigration and border entry restrictions, etc. In the event that a track destination is no longer a suitable option, RSAP will make every effort to reroute students to a different destination.
Scholarship Opportunities
Global Education Scholarships
Deadline: September 6 and December 6
Applicants do not need to have been accepted to RSAP to apply for Global Education Scholarships. Students planning to participate in RSAP are highly recommended to apply by the September 6 deadline. Students who apply to the December 6 cycle will need to commit to participate in RSAP before they receive scholarship notifications.
First-Year Passport Project
Deadline: September 9
The Global Education Office supports this scholarship. Participants selected for the Passport Project will be required to engage in a minimum of 10 hours of peer mentorship, attend designated Passport Project workshops, social and community-building events, and specialized advising sessions focused on study abroad and scholarships in exchange for receiving a U.S. passport book at no cost. See website for eligibility requirements.
RSAP Scholarships
Deadline: October 1
All students applying to RSAP are eligible for this scholarship. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need. To apply, complete the short application in scholarship central.
Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship
Deadline: October 5
The Gilman Scholarship is designed for students who receive Federal Pell Grants. Students should carefully read the Gilman Scholarship’s eligibility requirements before completing an application.
SEC Global Access Scholarship
Deadline: March 1, 2024
Eligibility Requirements:
1) Full-time undergraduate student majoring within the College of Engineering
2) Student enrolled or will be enrolled in abroad programs in Spring 2024, Spring Embedded 2024, Summer 2024 or Fall 2024 (where fees are charged in Spring/Summer 2024).
3) Overall GPA of 2.75 or above.
4) International program takes place during Spring 2024, Spring Embedded 2024, Summer 2024 or program fees are charged in Spring/Summer 2024 for a Fall 2024 program.
Other University, local, or national scholarships
Students are encouraged to research scholarships awarded by the University, entities in their hometown or to identity groups they pertain to. A good place to start looking for other opportunities is through an internet search for study abroad scholarship + any pertinent identities you hold.
To apply, students must be an engineering student at Virginia Tech. Students of all academic years are eligible, application is not limited to rising sophomores. First year students must attain a minimum 2.5 GPA after their first semester. Please note, applications are largely judged on the quality of the essay responses. A successfull application will pay close attention to the question requirements and provide thoughtful, well developed answers. See the rubric above for scoring specifics.
No, enrollment is open only to engineering students.
No, enrollment is open to all engineering students of any academic year who have availability in their spring semester and will be able to travel during the travel period.
At this time, vaccination for COVID-19 will only be required to countries where vaccination is a national entry requirement. As of July 1, 2023, none of the countries visited by RSAP require a COVID-19 vaccination for entry. Students should be advised that countries may change their entry requirements prior to travel for RSAP and should entry requirements change, it may affect students’ ability to travel to their chosen destination. Similarly, students should be aware that even if there is no country-level requirement, companies may have policies that require proof of vaccination to access their facilities, preventing students from attending some visits if that is the case.
All students MUST have a valid passport to leave the country and participate in a study abroad program. The passport should be valid 6 months beyond the end of the program or the last day of travel. For example, if a program ends on May 25, the student's passport should be valid until at least November 25 of the same year. If you don't have a valid passport, you are HIGHLY encouraged to begin the process of getting one early as it normally takes a minimum of two to three months to receive it. You can obtain a passport right here on Virginia Tech’s campus. Please visit the Passport Acceptance Facility’s webpage for more information.
RSAP participants with passports issued by the United States are required to complete electronic visa processes to most RSAP locations. Students holding passports from a country other than the United States should check the visa requirements for all program destinations. While RSAP will support students obtaining visas, it is the student's responsibility to complete and obtain a visa in time to travel. RSAP is not responsible for a student's inability to travel due to visa issues.
Students who hold passports from countries other than the United States should consider the visa requirements for entering the countries in their track of choice. If a visa is required, it may be necessary to make an embassy visit. Most embassies are processing a backlog of visa applications, so it is important to consider whether this may cause an issue with the RSAP travel timeline.
The program cost includes a non-refundable commitment fee due after admission and commitment to the program ($500), international air fare, accommodations, in-country excursions, in-country transportation, international health and security insurance, all breakfasts while in-country and some lunches and dinners.
Scholarships are available for RSAP. Please visit Financing RSAP for more details.
The application deadline is October 1. However, applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so, students are encouraged to complete their application early in the application window to have the best chance to be accepted to their preferred location.
To maximize the learning opportunities during the international module, students will have a full schedule and will not be able to travel on their own during the program dates. Students may choose to stay in-country after the program concludes to travel on their own or with family and friends. Students planning to travel after the program dates must communicate their travel plans with RSAP.
As RSAP participants, students are enrolled in a Friday recitation course that includes the other students with whom they will be traveling during the international module.
Should a program cancellation become necessary for health and safety reasons prior to student departure, every effort will be made to refund recoverable costs to participants. Students who commit to RSAP are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to purchase Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) Insurance to protect their monetary investment. When purchasing CFAR insurance, please ensure that cancellation due to the COVID-19 Pandemic is covered in the policy terms.
When purchasing CFAR insurance, please ensure that cancellation due to the COVID-19 Pandemic is covered in the policy terms. Other items to consider are the percentage of costs that will be reimbursed through the policy and the timeframe in which the policy needs to be purchased in relation to the planning/paying for RSAP.
Once a student has committed to RSAP, the student will be responsible for program costs based on the following schedule:
| Timeline of Student Withdrawal or Program Cancellation | Financial Responsibility |
| Prior to commitment | No financial responsibility, but space in the program is only secured for 2 weeks after acceptance |
| After commitment until January 9 |
$500 (non-refundable deposit) |
| January 10 to January 31 | 50% of the program fee |
| February 1 to February 28 |
80% of the program fee |
| After March 1 | 100% of the program fee |
Should a program cancellation become necessary for health and safety reasons prior to student departure, every effort will be made to refund recoverable costs to participants. Students who commit to RSAP are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to purchase Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) Insurance to protect their monetary investment. RSAP is unable to recommend a specific policy or insurance company, but we encourage students to start with an internet search and compare policies based on their personal preferences and risk tolerance.
When purchasing CFAR insurance, please ensure that cancellation due to the COVID-19 Pandemic is covered in the policy terms. Other items to consider are the percentage of costs that will be reimbursed through the policy and the timeframe in which the policy needs to be purchased in relation to the planning/paying for RSAP.
The program starts and ends in Washington, D.C. at the airport. Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the D.C. area. Students wishing to start or end their travel in a different location should choose to purchase their own airline tickets in lieu of the group ticket option.
A group ticket option (arranged for the student by RSAP) is available for all tracks. Students who prefer to start or end their travel at a different location or choose to extend their travel at the end of the program are able to purchase their own airfare and be reimbursed at the cost of the group ticket. Students who purchase their own airfare are required to schedule the group international flight from the U.S. to the destination country in order to arrive with the group at the destination. Specific instructions about purchasing flights will be provided early in the spring semester.
If you are a first year or new transfer student, we understand that you will not have a GPA until the end of your first semester. Your GPA will not be considered as a part of your application for RSAP. Please leave it blank or put N/A. RSAP participants are expected to have a GPA of 2.5 or higher by the end of their first semester.
No, all RSAP tracks have a variety of engineering visits scheduled. In order to find the track that is the best fit for your interests, take a look at hte itineraries on the track details page and look at the different visits that are scheduled. One thing to note: Itineraries may change due to circumstances outside the program's control prior to travel, but the spirit of the itinerary will be maintained.
No, students participating in RSAP are required to abide by the moveout deadlines outlined in their housing contract. Most students move home before joining RSAP at the start of the program in Washington, D.C. Students who have a summer housing contract may be able to work with Housing to find an alternative solution and should email housing@vt.edu as soon as they have a summer housing contract to start that conversation.
“Engineers are meant to be for the people,” Hossain said, “and we can’t grow if we stay stagnant. There's a whole world of people there, and if we stay in our little box, we’ll never get to hear their stories.”
Ameera Hossain, RSAP '22
