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Lukas Brekke-Miesner said when he travelled to Cordoba, Spain, he learned about a rich new culture and began to identify with the country’s unique way of life.

The third-year sociology student, who went to Spain with the Education Abroad Program, recalled such experiences as communicating with locals and visiting beautiful monuments such as the Mesquita mosque.

“Cordoba had a small-town feel. It was in the south of Spain ... (and was a) good introduction to Spanish culture; no one spoke English there and it was easier to meet Spanish people,” Brekke-Miesner said.

“It wasn’t all hustle and bustle like it would have been in a big city. There was a slower pace of life.”

But the most surprising moment for Lukas was when he returned to America.

“The defining moment occurred after I returned,” he said. “The whole immersion process is so gradual, you don’t realize what you’ve learned during it. ... When I came back I went through reverse culture shock. It showed that I had become adapted to and comfortable in an entirely different country.”

Though EAP is no longer accepting applications for Summer 2007, there are several other programs still accepting applications that allow students to study internationally.

UCLA Travel Study, which offers access to short-term summer programs, has limited spaces available for Summer 2007, according to the program Web site.

These programs allow students to take courses for UC credit, and are being offered in Europe, Asia, North America, South America and Africa.

Though many travel study programs now have waiting lists, there are still about 20 programs left to choose from for Summer 2007, including a study of Spanish and Portuguese in San Jose, Costa Rica; a study of Germanic languages in Vienna, Austria, and Berlin and Munich, Germany; and a newly introduced South Asian Studies program in India.

Professor Gyanam Mahajan, of the UCLA Department of Asian Languages and Cultures, is directing the travel study program in India. She said she believes the uniqueness of this particular travel study course is the opportunity for students to “live” the topics covered by traveling to many different locations in India.

Going abroad through a UCLA travel study program allows students to earn UCLA credit while being taught by actual UCLA faculty, according to the program Web site. For example, through the classics and Italian program in Sorrento, Italy, students can earn 10 units.

Travel study programs are structured by the specific professor in charge, and include a core curriculum of classes chosen by the professor, according to the Web site.

Study abroad programs are also available through the UCLA Career Center, where students can speak to a counselor about their interests and explore the hundreds of programs that can be accessed through the center.

Most programs require that students have a GPA of at least 2.5, and are in good standing.

Students are able to use their financial aid money toward attending some of these programs, said David Bravo, manager of the Internship and Study Abroad program at the UCLA Career Center.

Bravo said it is not necessary to know the language of the country in which you are studying.

“If you want to go to a country where you don’t speak the language, you can still do that,” he said.

Though students will be taught in English, for some programs, they must enroll in language classes as well.

After students apply, they will be tested to determine their level of fluency and will then be placed in appropriate classes, Bravo said.

If students wish to further immerse themselves in the language and culture of a country, they can request to house with families to accelerate their speaking capabilities and gain insight into the country’s culture, he said.

Mandy Sutton, a fourth-year English student, traveled to England through EAP, and said she felt very comfortable in her surroundings.

“It’s an eye-opening experience,” she said. “Everyone should attempt to do it. You’re not so much a tourist as you are an actual citizen of the place; it becomes your hometown. ... It’s a really cool thing.”

She said she was pleased with the personalized learning experience she had while studying in England.

“At the university, I got to know my professors by their first names and I participated in small seminar-like classes with about 15 students in each class,” she said.

For more information about UCLA Travel Studies visit http://www.summer.ucla.edu/travel.