The Institute of International Education announced Monday that the University is ranked 14th among U.S. colleges and universities for the highest general study abroad participation.
IIE’s report shows that the University sent students 1,807 students to 77 countries and every continent except for Antarctica in 2006-07, said Marina Markot, University associate director of study abroad. Markot noted that study abroad has become part of the undergraduate experience.
“U.Va. is offering the best education it can,” Markot said. “In this day and age one cannot offer the best possible education without exposing students to the world.”
Markot said she believes the ranking and the rising number of students studying abroad is a testament to the global outlook common among members of the University community.
Dudley Doane, interim director of the International Studies Office, noted that the University has made global education a priority. He cited the Commission on the Future of the University initiatives as proof of the importance of this global education; international programs are listed as one of the top three priorities for the University in the future.
Faculty involvement and interest is also a catalyst for overseas studies, Doane said, as professors strive to integrate global perspectives into their courses.
A variety of program opportunities across all fields and in many countries make studying abroad an option for all students, Markot said.
“U.Va. has probably every kind of program you can possibly imagine,” she said.
Student exchanges — in which a University student switches places with a student at a partner institution abroad — provide the greatest opportunity for complete immersion, Markot noted. There are also field study programs and programs designed to be more intensive and less immersion-focused. For example, one program in Valencia, Spain is designed specifically for Americans seeking “to maximize their exposure to Hispanic studies and the Spanish language,” Markot said.
Other study abroad opportunities allow students to travel to a specific location to study a specific topic. For example, during January Term, students will be traveling with faculty from the Medical School to study emergency response systems in the Caribbean.
Some programs are specifically designed to teach a foreign language. Trips currently are available for those seeking to learn Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and Italian, Markot said, adding that Russian will be available in the future.
If none of the available programs are suitable for a particular student, Markot said “partner institutions and program providers” can help set up an alternative option.
There also is one other opportunity for students unsatisfied with their overseas options, Markot noted.
“If they still cannot find what they’re looking for, they can petition to have a program of their dream approved,” Markot said. “If it is a solid, good academic program and it’s safe, then we’ll approve it on a one case-by-case basis.”
In the recent past, Engineering students have been frustrated with their inability to find programs suitable to their majors and have been “very proactive” about “asking for more options,” Markot said.
Some Engineering students developed an advising tool that allows students to enter their major and classes they have taken. The program then calculates the best time for them to plan their travel.
Study abroad is especially important for American students, Markot noted, since they may not have experienced travel to other countries as a European student might have done.
“If you want to perform competently and confidently, you really have to gain firsthand experience,” Markot said. “You have to really study [abroad] and not just travel.”
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