Another record year for Purdue study abroad

English landscape students at the Stourhead English Landscape Garden in May 2016 . The students, from landscape architecture and landscape horticulture, sketched and journaled after touring the garden. (Photo provided) Download image

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More Purdue University students studied abroad this year to gain valuable global experience to help post-graduation.

From fall 2015 to summer 2016, some 2,198 undergraduate students studied abroad, compared with 1,964 students in 2014-15 and 1,666 students in 2013-14. The students who participated this year studied in 52 countries.

 "This growth is thanks to additional funding from Purdue Moves scholarships to support our students, as well as faculty members successfully incorporating study abroad opportunities into academic programs," said Brian Harley, associate dean of international programs and director of programs for Study Abroad. "Global experience is a must across all disciplines, and this summer some Purdue students studied transportation infrastructure in London, food production techniques in Italy and athletic training practices in China, just to name a few programs that take students into international industries."

Construction management technology students from Purdue’s Polytechnic Institute visited a BAM Contractors worksite during a summer study abroad program at NUI-Galway in Ireland. (Photo provided) Download image

This year, more than 22 percent of graduates, 1,428 and out of 6,371 - studied abroad as an undergraduate. In 2013-14, the year during which the Purdue Moves study abroad initiative was announced, that number was just over18 percent - 1,146 out of 6,278.

Purdue Moves is a range of initiatives designed to broaden Purdue's global impact and enhance educational opportunities for its students. The aspirational goal is for one-third of all undergraduate students to have participate in an international study, internship or research credit-bearing experience before graduation.

Purdue offers up to $1,000 for qualified undergraduate students who participate in a shorter-term, formalized credit-bearing study-abroad program. For summer programs of at least six credits and six weeks, awards up to $2,000 are offered. Larger scholarships of up to $3,000 are available for semester and yearlong program participation.

Information about study-abroad opportunities or scholarships is available online. The deadline for application for spring semester study abroad programs is Sept. 15.  

Writer: Amy Patterson Neubert, 765-494-9723, apatterson@purdue.edu

Source: Brian Harley, bharley@purdue.edu