Recent statistics from the University’s International Studies Office revealed one in four students from the Class of 2014 studied abroad during their time at the University.
A majority of the students who studied abroad came from the College of Arts and Sciences — 671 of the collective 1016. Erica Goldfarb, ISO Education Abroad and ISSP promotional coordinator, said this is because many College majors channel the benefits of studying abroad.
“Language majors, obviously, study abroad. Psychology majors study abroad,” Goldfarb said. “I mean, really that’s what we’re trying to initiate now is to get that word out that you [can] be any major and go study abroad. We’re trying to get pre-meds, and we’re really pushing engineering now.”
While only 84 of the 1016 students who studied abroad were from the Engineering School, 23 percent of the total number of students involved majored in science, technology, engineering or math. 11 percent of those who studied abroad were foreign language majors, and 31 percent of those who studied abroad received need-based aid.
Goldfarb said most students who apply to study abroad are accepted, and the programs are becoming more popular with University students.
“I do marketing surveys at the study abroad fair and ask students where they’re going to go or if they’re going to go,” Goldfarb said. “It’s really hard to figure out why some semesters we don’t get as many think we should. Sometimes we figure it’s economic, with whatever the world economic situation is … We definitely get more girls than boys.”
Popular study abroad destinations for UVa students, 2013-2014
University President Teresa Sullivan has encouraged students to study abroad, attempting to increase the number of students studying abroad by 2020.
“They’re trying to turn U.Va. into a more global university, and it’s really important to engage yourself out in the world, and even more, that should be part of your education,” Goldfarb said. “Internationalization of U.Va. has been a really important goal.”
The University leads two flagship programs in Valencia, Spain and Lyon, France.
“They both run on a semester, summer or all-year basis so we try to channel a lot of students to those programs because you get a U.Va. transcript,” Goldbard said. “They also accept students from other schools as well — we get a lot of students from other colleges who attend U.Va. programs.”
Goldfarb also said the University will accept credit for certain study abroad programs organized by other universities and companies that facilitate study abroad programs.
The University recently received the Simon Award based on factors such as the number of University students are out doing research in the world, of international students studying at the University in Charlottesville and of University students studying abroad.
“The Simon award is an award given out by the Association of Foreign Studies Advisors to five universities every year for campus internationalization,” Goldfarb said. “We’re really proud that we just won that.”
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