The Education Abroad office launched a new online system for study abroad applicants Dec. 17 that will make the application process easier for advisers and students.

The new application system allows students to search a database of available programs, request required teacher recommendations and watch informational videos online. Students can also apply for a program and check their application statuses without picking up the phone or scheduling a meeting. These developments will allow the office to devote more time to individual students, said Alice Kloker, assistant director of Education Abroad and project manager for the new system.

The old application system required students to attend an information session in the Education Abroad office before they could apply. Now applicants can get the same information from watching several short videos online. The virtual information sessions will allow the office to reach more students and parents who want information, Kloker said.

Jessica Mitzner, an English and French sophomore, learned about the new application system over the weekend. Mitzner used the database to search for programs available in France next fall.

“Some of my professors recommended studying abroad to me and recommended the programs, so then I just used the database to start learning more information about those programs,” Mitzner said.

Steven Dixon, University College freshman, said he used the system to apply for a three-week exchange program this summer in South Korea.

“If people are pretty aware, just in general, and know what they’re looking for, the online exchange guide is pretty simple to follow,” Dixon said. “I didn’t find it difficult.”

The new system uses a software called Studio Abroad that helps university study abroad offices run more efficiently. Other Big 12 schools, like Baylor, Texas A&M and Texas Tech, as well as Ivy League universities, including Yale and Cornell, use the program. Kloker said the online system helps the office to better manage information requests and gauge their workflow.

“Right now, 165 students have requested applications to study abroad. We wouldn’t have known this before,” Kloker said. “It helps us to plan much better.”

Students interested in studying abroad can visit ou.edu/ea for more information.