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Unleashed!
Behind-the-scenes advice for your journey to become a vet

Choosing the Semester for You!

Loop Abroad offers two semester abroad options for pre-vet students and students who want to learn more about animal science, conservation, and veterinary medicine around the world:

  • Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad
  • Global Veterinary Semester Abroad

How can you choose which one is the best fit for you? It may help to understand the differences between the Thailand VSA and the Global VSA.

Timing: School Year versus Summer

Doi Inthanon montain peakThe Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad is offered during the fall and spring academic semesters, while the Global Veterinary Semester Abroad is offered during the summer.

Many students prefer to study abroad during the fall or spring because:

  • They have other plans in the summer
  • They would like to replace their fall or spring semester at their home institution with an abroad option
  • They want to skip the winter weather at home
  • They plan to use their home institution semester tuition toward their study abroad tuition

On the other hand, many students prefer to study abroad in the summer because:

  • They cannot fit fall or spring study abroad into their requirement schedule
  • They are looking to catch up by a semester or get an extra semester worth of credits by adding a summer semester
  • They are involved in sports or other activities that they don’t want to miss

There are benefits to both a school-year or summer veterinary semester abroad- it just depends on your goal!

Tuition and Airfare

Plane departingThe tuition for the Global Veterinary Semester Abroad is $20,450. The tuition for the Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad is $21,450. Both semester options have up to $5,000 in need-based financial aid available.

 

You will find that the airfare for the Global Veterinary Semester Abroad costs more than the airfare for the Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad. We can help you to arrange a multi-stop ticket for the Global Veterinary Semester Abroad.

 

 

Classmates and Cohort

Loop Abroad student having a back poseDuring the Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad, you will have all your courses with the same group of up to 12 students. You will live together, travel together, study together, and go to all your classes together. This means you’ll have the chance to form close friendships with your cohort and support one another throughout the semester.

During the Global Veterinary Semester Abroad, your group for each course will be different. You may have some students in your group who are only traveling with Loop Abroad for 2 weeks, and you may have others who are in your group for a few classes in a row or even the whole summer. You will have the chance to get to know a different group of classmates and friends with each class.

On the Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad, once you arrive in Thailand, you will travel with your group to each program location. On the Global Semester Abroad, you may be flying by yourself or with one or two other students between program locations. Loop Abroad staff will pick you up at the airport as you arrive in each program country. Within your program country, you will travel with your group between program locations.

Academic Rigor and Requirements

Rescued dog having check up at the vetThe Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad requires a rabies vaccination, and applicants must have successfully completed one course of college-level biology before participating. The Global Veterinary Semester Abroad does not have either of these requirements, although a rabies vaccination is suggested for Ecuador.

The Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad courses are more academically rigorous than the courses in the Global Veterinary Semester Abroad. They build on one another and allow you to get a deeper expertise and understanding of veterinary medicine. The Global Veterinary Semester Abroad courses will also give you an understanding of different areas of veterinary medicine, but the focus is more on a breadth of experiences than a depth of knowledge in one field.

 

 

Cultural Exploration

Buddha GardenThe Thailand Veterinary Semester Abroad lets you spend the entire semester (13 weeks of courses) in Thailand, traveling from Chiang Mai in the North to the islands in the South. You will get to know Thai culture on a deep level, including a course in Thai culture and practice in Thai language throughout your semester. For students looking for a chance to delve deeply into one new culture, this can be a great option.

The Global Veterinary Semester Abroad gives you a chance to spend four weeks at a time in South Africa, Thailand, and Ecuador. Four weeks gives you a chance to learn about culture and how it interacts with conservation and development. You’ll explore Buddhism in Thailand, Spanish language in Ecuador, and national history and politics in South Africa throughout your time in-country. For students who want to explore different cultures around the globe, the Global Veterinary Semester Abroad can give them the opportunity to do so.