Miami students continue to study abroad in large numbers

Among public doctoral institutions nationwide, Miami University had the second highest rate of undergraduate student participation in study abroad programs, with 41 percent (1,541) of students studying abroad by the time of graduation. This, according to the just released Open Doors 2011 report by the Institute of International Education, which covers the academic year 2009-2010.

Miami’s study abroad rate placed Miami 26th nationally among comparable universities in undergraduate participation. For overall numbers of students earning credit abroad (including graduate students), Miami placed 23rd with 1,832 students.

Miami is the only doctoral institution in Ohio in the top 40 for undergraduate participation in study abroad. Miami has been among the top 30 nationally among doctoral institutions for both the number of students and undergraduate participation for the past 15 years.

“It’s possible even more Miami students would have studied abroad in 2009-2010 were it not for the nation’s tight economy,” said David Keitges, director of Miami’s office of international education. “We will continue to work toward Miami’s goal of helping 50 percent of undergraduates study abroad by the time they graduate.”

At Miami, students are able to apply their Miami scholarships and federal financial aid to sponsored, exchange or co-sponsored programs with other, non-Miami semester study abroad providers.

Students may choose from among approximately 350 co-sponsored programs that permit scholarship transfer. Special airfare grants are available to financially needy students.

Open Doors also reports numbers of international students at U.S. campuses in the 2010-2011 academic year. At Miami last year there were 840 international students enrolled, 20 of whom were on the Hamilton campus.

Seventy-three percent were undergraduates, and the countries most represented were, in descending order, China, India, South Korea, France, Canada and Kenya.

Many of Miami’s study abroad options are offered through the office of Lifelong Learning. For more information about study abroad at Miami, go to www.studyabroad.muohio.edu.