What is the GEARE program?

The GEARE (Global Engineering Alliance for Research and Education) program is a one-of-a-kind work-abroad study-abroad program from Purdue University that has been running for over twenty years. Participating students spend a semester studying at a foreign partner university and continue their intercultural experience with a work experience abroad. The GEARE program gives students an unparalleled education in intercultural competence aided by professional and cultural development seminars, language learning classes, and a Global Design project, all of which are increasingly relevant in the incredibly globalized workforce. GEARE students who fulfill all requirements also receive the Global Engineering Studies Minor.

Program Requirements

Student must be enrolled in the College of Engineering, Computer Science, or Data Science and maintain a 3.0 GPA
Language credits
GEARE seminar series
Domestic internship
Study abroad
International internship
Global Design Project

Language Credits

GEARE students are required to complete 12 credits of foreign language study before they go abroad, which gets students up to or through 200-level classes, depending on the language. This requirement means that students are able to experience their host country's culture and navigate daily life better. While exceptions are made in certain cases, the majority of GEARE students study abroad in a country that speaks their target language.

Section Title

GEARE Seminar Series

ENGR 29601

ENGR 29601 is a GEARE-student specific professional development seminar taught to sophomore level students. It is offered both Fall and Spring, although students are encouraged to take it in Fall semester to help with internship applications. Students learn about resume building, interview skills, how to prepare for study abroad applications, and much more.

ENGR 29701

ENGR 29701 is an intercultural development seminar offered to GEARE students the semester before they go abroad. In this small-group class, students learn how to analyze their own cultural backgrounds and how they compare and contrast with others'. Students learn about professionalism, ethics, leadership, and team work in the context of domestic and international work environments.

ENGR 39701

ENGR 39701 is a distance class taken by students while they are studying or working abroad. Reflections and independent class activities allow students to analyze their experiences in a different environment more thoroughly than they would independently. While ENGR 29701 helps students prepare for their international experience, ENGR 39701 helps students make the most of it while abroad.

ENGR 49700

The final class in the GEARE seminar series acts as a cultural debrief for students who have returned from their exchange experience. Students review their experiences abroad and how it shaped and change their perspectives, mindsets, and even inherent biases. By comparing intercultural development indexes taken during ENGR 29701 and ENGR 49701, it is clear that the international experiences from the GEARE program have profound impacts on students.

Domestic Internship

As a part of program requirements, GEARE students must complete at least one domestic internship or work experience. While the GEARE program does not provide internships to students, the professional development opportunities offered by Office of Professional Practice and Center for Career Opportunities as well as the GEARE Networking Night in September are great places to start.

GEARE students are still able to participate in the co-op program. In fact, many students have been able to do part of their co-op program as their domestic work experience and have one rotation as their international work experience with the same company.

Another possible route to fulfill the domestic internship requirement is to participate in research on- or off-campus. The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) and the Engineering Undergraduate Research Office (EURO) are wonderful places to start if this is an opportunity that interests you.

Study Abroad

Study abroad with the GEARE program takes place at one of Purdue's many partner universities. This means that students are able to continue to take engineering classes while abroad — a critical benefit of the GEARE program that means a study abroad semester can have minimal impact on graduation dates.

Applications for study abroad open roughly one year before the

intended semester of study abroad, and it is recommended that you

apply as early as possible. Countries available and partner

universities differ by major, so make sure to check with the GEARE

office and your academic advisor to make sure you're making the

best choice for your academic plan.

For more information, check out these links:

GEARE Program Official Website

Study Abroad Website

GEARE Countries

International Internship

The international internship portion is what makes the GEARE experience truly unique! While it is again ultimately the student's responsibility to secure an international internship, the Office of Professional Practice has many connections that make it easier for students to find international opportunities. Keep an eye out for the annual GEARE Networking Night in September, check and see if your domestic internship employer might have an international branch they would be willing to send you to, and look into research opportunities at universities!

Also, make sure to register yourself with IASTE, a platform for connecting students with international work opportunities in different sectors all over the globe. Many GEARE students have had great success with IASTE over the years, and some host countries even have IASTE student chapters to help you adjust to local life better.

IASTE

Global Design Project

The Global Design Project is the final part of the GEARE program. Students work together in a team to address and solve a real-world engineering problem. There is a lot of flexibility on this requirement and many ways to fulfill it. Some of the most popular ways are to take ENGR 39697, Global Sustainable Engineering, EPICS, or doing an internationally-aimed project while abroad.

Global Design Requirements

While it may seem overwhelming, the GEARE program has been around for over 20 years and is growing larger every year! There are plenty of people to help you along the way, from Ambassadors to peers to students who have gone before you.