By Dayna Thompson, Contributor
In its 15th annual “Open Doors” report, the Institute for International Education recently ranked KSU 8th in the nation among the top master’s-level U.S. institutions for students participating in study abroad programs.
The report is funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and surveys approximately 1,500 universities in the United States. It examines how many students from each institution study in another country, and the rankings are split into lists of universities that offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees.
According to the report, 289,408 U.S. students studied abroad for academic credit. This number has increased by 2 percent from the previous year and is at a record high. For three consecutive years, KSU has been placed in the top 10, with 766 students participating in education abroad programs during the 2012-2013 academic year.
“The Education Abroad Office offers a variety of more than 30 programs on five continents which provide students with plenty of options,” said Tara McDuffie, Assistant Director of Education Abroad and Exchanges.
The report lists the United Kingdom as the leading destination for U.S students studying abroad, followed by Italy and Spain. There has also been an increase in the number of U.S. students studying in South Africa, Denmark, South Korea, Peru, and Thailand.
The Division of Global Affairs Annual Report credits KSU’s Global Learning Scholarship, which awards nearly all students in good academic standing, for encouraging students to participate in study abroad programs.
“The Education Abroad Office gave me a lot of tips about fundraising,” Tyra Ali Douyon, a sophomore at KSU, said, “and informed me about the Global Learning Scholarship which was very useful because it paid some of my study abroad tuition.”
In addition to giving scholarships, the Office of Global Engagement also awards the Global Engagement Certification to students who embrace international values and are committed to community service.
“The department was helpful in responding to all my emails with lightning speed and a sense of humor,” junior Cecily Downs said, “which was great because it toned down the stress of going abroad for the first time. They kept me up to date with everything, and I honestly felt like they wanted me to go as much as I did.”
When asked about the helpfulness of the Education Abroad Staff, Abby Simmons, a senior on campus, said the education abroad advisors are wonderful.
“Jan Morian is great! She was very helpful every step of the way,” Simmons said.
Canada, Italy, France, Ghana and Belgium are just a handful of the countless countries students can study abroad in this year. For more information, visit the Education Abroad Office located in Town Point Building room 170.
To view the complete “Open Doors” rankings, visit www.iie.org/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doors.
