Patrick Raczkowski, a senior in the College of Engineering, has always been fascinated by engineering—and everything about cars. His aspiration was to work for BMW, one of the world’s leading automobile manufacturers.

Raczkowski’s dream started when he took a URI campus tour and learned about the International Engineering Program (IEP). “It was certainly eye opening,” said Raczkowski. “They had a lot of alumni that worked at companies that I wanted to work at, like BMW and Porsche.”

Raczkowski chose URI and the International Engineering Program, which led to an internship at none other than Bavarian Motor Works, or BMW, in the main research and development center in north Munich. Yes, dreams can come true.

Going Global

Become a global engineer by combining the power of a world-class engineering program, immersion in a foreign language, and a year of studying and interning abroad.

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About URI’s IEP

Engineering students interested in the five-year IEP program double major in their engineering field and in the native language of the country where they hope to study abroad during their fourth year. For some it’s French, Italian, or Spanish, for others it’s Chinese, Japanese, or German. Raczkowski chose German. “I decided to learn the German language in particular because that met directly with my interest in German car manufacturers,” he said.

IEP students typically spend a year abroad. The first six months they spend in the classroom and the other six months they spend in an internship. Every part of their schooling at URI is essential once they are overseas. The language specialization is key because when abroad, they will work for companies where a significant amount of communication will be in that language.

Language proficiency is half of what makes the IEP unique. Students must not only become fluent in the language; they must learn the culture. But that half of the equation is that the program provides intercultural competence coaching.

“When the students apply to go abroad, they have to go through certain training,” said Sigrid Berka, a professor of German and the executive director of the IEP program. “They have to meet with us in addition to all of the classes they are doing to understand the country-specific differences in education systems, work environment, and lifestyle.”

Despite comprehensive training, students often experience culture shock upon arriving overseas. They are forced to adapt very quickly and rely on their training, in part because they’re by themselves. Program advisors are on the other side of the pond.

Being There

“It’s a whole new experience once you arrive,” said Raczkowski. “You are required to navigate on your own. There’s no one waiting to pick you up at the airport that you can rely on.”

“For example, you quickly have to become adept at the public transportation system. This is just one of many things the IEP prepares us for throughout our classes. From the moment you set foot in a foreign country, you are confronted with challenges that push you to grow,” said Raczkowski.

For Raczkowski and others, there’s often an additional layer of complexity. Often, dialects can vary across regions. Raczkowski spent several months at Technische Universität Braunschweig, which is in the northern part of Germany. But his BMW internship was in the southern part of Germany.

The IEP program not only allows students to study abroad but it creates global citizens, and changes lives. “It was another culture shock when I got to use the German I learned in a professional setting. For me, in particular, I used German on a daily basis,” said Raczkowski.

What’s Next

So, Raczkowski was able to fulfill his dream and work at a company that makes his favorite car, and it was all thanks to the IEP program. But that’s not the end of the story. After graduation, he will continue racing forward by working for his dream company, BMW, in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Raczkowski will be working in a leadership development program that allows incoming employees a chance to work in three different departments to see where they excel.

“In the two-year program, I will work in three different departments to rapidly expand my network and skills as a young professional,” said Raczkowski. “In one of those placements I will take on a role similar to that of my time in Munich as a steering systems engineer and continue my work as an acoustic engineer.”

He says so many people put off studying abroad until it’s too late, but as the world is changing it’s crucial to have that language and cultural experience.

“Going to a whole different country and being thrown in the deep water, forces someone to be resilient,” said Raczkowski. “I’m certainly very grateful that I had the opportunity to do it.”

—Nicholas Phillips