Students studying Wood Innovation for Sustainability (previously Renewable Materials) at OSU have opportunities to go abroad to more deeply explore the interconnectedness of manufacturing, fabrication and design in the value chain, learn from innovative researchers, and experience the beauty and power of wood and its potential as a large-scale structural material.

With advanced planning with your academic and study abroad advisors, you can fulfill WINS degree requirements while staying on track for graduation in your intended timeframe. You can use financial aid and university, college and externally-sourced scholarships to fund your experience on one of our credit-bearing programs. 

Exchange & University-based Programs

Typically a semester or academic year in length, these are often the most immersive and affordable type of international experience. Integrated into a host university's academic model and student community, students can take a broad range of courses that can be applied to their WINS degree. OSU offers an expansive list of partner universities around the world. The options below have strong WINS programs taught in English with courses that have been pre-approved to count toward your OSU WINS degree:

• École Supérieure du Bois (France)
• Fachhochschule Salzburg (Austria)
• University of British Columbia (BC, Canada)

Check out all of OSU's exchange universities.

Faculty-Led Programs

These short-term programs are popular as they are typically offered over Spring, Winter, or Summer breaks and can fit easily into most degree plans. They are led by OSU faculty around a specific theme or focus. COF offers several faculty-led programs annually (or every other year) that have been specifically designed for our students:  

• Tradition and Innovation in the Wood Construction Industry: A Journey in the Italian Alps
• The Salmon Coast: Forest + Resource Management for Sustainability in Canada
• Mountains to the Sea: Ecosystems of Chile
• Land of the Long White Cloud: Ecosystems of New Zealand
• Oil Palms + Orangutans: Forest Conservation in Malaysian Borneo
• Forest to Frame: Sustainable Manufacturing + Design in Alpine Europe

Check out all of OSU's faculty-led program offerings.

Internships & Research

International internships allow students to pursue professional-level work experience overseas while receiving academic credit and meeting degree requirements for work experience. Most internships are a minimum of ten weeks in duration and can take place any time of the year. The College of Forestry offers a diverse array of internships for WINS student in several countries:

• Visit the COF International Internships page to learn about current offerings and the application process.
• Previous WINS students have benefitted from the Marshall Plan Scholarship which offers generous funding for accepted proposals on a research topic of your choosing in Austria. 
• Visit our Stories Blog to read about previous WINS students who have interned abroad to get ideas of what is possible!
  • Savannah Stanton in Chile
  • Kendall Conroy in Slovenia
• Consider IE3 Global Internships as well!
   

Student Experiences

Read about some other students' experiences abroad on our blog!

Dylan Dripps in France (university exchange)

Esther Baas in Alpine Europe (faculty-led program)

In alignment with the College of Forestry's overarching commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, the International Programs Office aspires to create a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for OSU students going abroad, international students coming to COF, and for our visiting faculty, researchers, and partners. We are committed to providing equitable and inclusive opportunities and supporting an affirming and fulfilling experience for all COF community members to enhance their academic, professional, and personal goals through international activity.  An international experience – study, research or internship - is an amazing way to learn about yourself, your field, and the world around you, and we believe that every person should have that opportunity. The breadth of lived experiences and identities in our global COF community is what makes our programs life-changing.