Athens, Ga. – The University of Georgia remained a national leader in study abroad, ranked 5th among doctoral/research institutions with 2,060 total study abroad participants in 2006-2007, according to a recently released national “Open Doors” report.
“I could not be more proud of UGA’s students for their enthusiasm about study abroad,” said UGA President Michael F. Adams. “They recognize that the world they will enter when they leave this campus requires an understanding of other cultures and they are preparing themselves for success in that world.”
UGA also is ranked second in the nation in the number of students who participate in summer and other short-term programs. Additionally, around 400 students choose a full semester or academic year abroad each year.
“The story of international education at the University of Georgia has been one of growth. The number of students studying abroad at UGA has tripled over the last decade,” said Judith Shaw, associate provost for International Education. “The Office of International Education has sustained the university’s international vision by providing students the opportunity to expand their horizons, equipping them to live and work in an increasingly interconnected world through study abroad programs and international student exchange.”
New York University (private), Michigan State University, University of Texas and the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (all public) took the top four rankings.
“It should be noted that UGA ranked among schools that are considerably larger and in at least one case, substantially more expensive. So the sheer number of students we have participating is even more impressive,” said Kasee Laster, director of study abroad.
UGA offers 170 different study abroad and exchange programs in dozens of countries on every continent. Three year-round residential centers (Oxford, UK; Cortona, Italy; and San Luis, Costa Rica) each offer unique facilities and foci.
These centers and other programs offer UGA students many opportunities for students to obtain core credits abroad. The 10-year-old UGA at Oxford Residential Center, for example – housed in new, larger location dedicated in May of 2008 – is able to house more than 40 students at one time. Students may choose from a wide variety of core and upper-division classes in order to stay on track with their degree programs.
The fastest-growing group of study abroad participants at UGA is one that, nationally, has not traditionally studied abroad in high numbers: graduate and professional students. Graduate students now account for more than 10 percent of all UGA study abroad participants.
Additionally, hundreds of non-UGA students are applying for transient admission to the university just to attend its faculty-led study abroad programs. According to Laster, about 12 percent of total study abroad participants transferred their credit back to a degree at another institution, testifying to UGA’s breadth of international choices and national reputation in study abroad.
Reflecting 2006-2007 enrollment data, the “Open Doors” report is published each November by the Institute of International Education with funding from the U.S Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
For more information on study abroad opportunities at UGA, see http://www.uga.edu/oie/studyabroad.htm