Get a World–Class Education!

Have you ever longed to see the snow-capped volcanoes of Ecuador’s northern highlands or explore the labyrinthine streets of Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter? Would you like a nighttime walk through Guanajuato’s colonial architecture accompanied by medieval musicians? As an Ohio State student, you have many opportunities to see the world, to learn about other cultures and to develop cross-cultural skills.

Today more than ever, cross-cultural competence and international perspectives are critical to a successful life and career. Study abroad is an exciting way to develop your skills while also enjoying adventure and discovery. With the many offerings available to you as an OSU student, you can choose to go virtually anywhere in the world.

It is a key factor for a quality education to provide preparation for success in our global society. As our national leaders call for increased global knowledge and employers begin to recognize the importance of a global perspective, studying abroad is becoming an essential part of a quality education. Yet minority students are not benefiting from the expanded opportunities to study abroad. According to the Institute of International Education, just six percent of all students who studied abroad in 2006-07 were Hispanic, while Hispanics represent more than ten percent of all students enrolled in college. Just as Latinos are making gains in attaining a college education, the definition of what a quality education should deliver is expanding to include global knowledge. It is important to take full advantage of the opportunities that your Ohio State experience has to offer.

What Would I Gain from an Experience Abroad?
Students often think that study abroad is primarily for language majors who need to satisfy a degree requirement. Think again! Ohio States send hundreds and hundreds of non-language majors abroad each academic year; students with majors from agriculture to zoology choose a global experience. There are many benefits to be gained from an international experience. Students who go abroad point to their experience as life-changing, and they cite increased personal confidence and maturity as a result of their experience. Students who go abroad report increased academic commitment and a greater understanding of their own culture and values. Study abroad can enhance your communication skills, adaptability and flexibility, and expand your appreciation for diversity and cultural differences — qualities that can give you a competitive advantage in the job market (Dwyer and Peters, 2004).

Maybe you have an interest in health issues. The health care professions are experiencing a critical and growing need for professionals with Spanish language and intercultural skills. The CIC Latin American Health and Nutrition program integrates coursework in health and nutrition, Spanish language, and Latin American and Caribbean studies. The program includes an independent field study component. The Engineering Service Learning program in Honduras gives students an opportunity to live and learn from children living with HIV/AIDS while applying their coursework to help an orphanage. OSU offers nearly 30 programs in Latin American locations and Spain.

Other exciting opportunities include a program in India to study social work in developing countries; studying agriculture production in China; or environmental and development issues in Siberia. There are more than 100 study abroad programs in more than 40 different countries that OSU makes available to you. All of them are guaranteed to deliver adventure, discovery and to expand your understanding of the world.

Study Abroad is Expensive, Right?
The cost of going abroad is often cited as a reason that students, especially minority students, do not participate. In many cases, however, your financial aid can be applied to the cost of your study abroad program. With careful planning, you should be able to find a program within your reach.

OSU Study Abroad Director Grace Johnson notes that study abroad and other international academic opportunities such as internships, research experiences abroad, and service learning programs can range greatly in costs. “Ideally, students recognize early on in their academic career that study abroad is an essential part of the modern degree and their career preparation.”

She emphasizes the importance of planning and encourages students to visit the Office of International Affairs. Johnson advises students to “ask questions and seek advice on available forms of financial assistance, apply for scholarships and grants! Most forms of financial aid do apply to study abroad.”

Scholarships targeting underrepresented minorities and low-income students are also available. For example:

• The Gilman Scholarship awards up to $5,000, depending on the length of study and student need. Undergraduate students who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding are eligible to apply (http://www.iie.org/programs/gilman);

• The Robert B. Bailey Scholarship grants $1,000 to students from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in study abroad, especially minority students, who participate in CIEE programs;

• Recipients of the IES Abroad David Porter Diversity Scholarship receive $5,000 off the program fee. It is open to students of diverse cultural backgrounds who have been traditionally under-represented on study abroad programs.

I’m in! How Do I Get Started?
The Office of International Affairs welcomes you! They offer open study advising every day, Monday through Friday, 1 to 4 p.m., in Oxley Hall. There you will meet with an advisor to discuss and review your interests and study abroad opportunities. You are also welcome to visit the OIA website at http://www.oia.osu.edu to learn more. Study Abroad information meetings are held regularly throughout the quarter. These meetings are a great way to find out what opportunities are available to you. Once you have decided on a program, the Office of International Affairs provides full pre-departure orientations to help prepare you for your international experience.

Grace Johnson and her staff are eager to see you. “We look forward to meeting you and to helping you choose an international opportunity. “ So what are you waiting for? It’s a big, exciting world — go out and experience it! 

Grace Johnson, Ohio State’s Director of Study Abroad, cites important reasons you should participate in an experience abroad:
• To become a responsible, informed citizen of the world;
• To prepare yourself for understanding, meeting, and even embracing the social, economic and environmental challenges of the world we live in;
• To gain global competency and awareness;
• To build self-confidence and to develop interpersonal and cross cultural communication skills which will benefit you throughout your life and in any chosen career path.

OSU senior Crystal Wade spent a summer in Guanajuato, Mexico. Crystal’s motivation to go abroad was to gain a new perspective. “You can’t really get to know a place until you spend some time there. It puts things in perspective and makes you realize what you can achieve.” The Summer Study in Mexico program offers courses in Spanish language and Latin American culture and society at the University of Guanajuato, and is open to students with five semesters of Spanish language.