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MU
() A Letter from the Director of Study Abroad Study Abroad Participation by Year, 1994-2004 (Figure 1). In keeping with a general upward trend, more MU students chose to study abroad during 2003-2004 than ever before. With 701 overseas studies participants, MU registered slightly more than a 10% increase over the 2002-2003 rate of participation. Over the past five years, the percentage of MU students who study abroad has grown by 45%. Percentage of MU Undergraduates Studying Abroad, 1994-2004 (Figure 2). The percentage of MU undergraduate students studying abroad during 2003-2004 has remained stable at 3.2%. This percentage is based on the 2003-2004 average MU undergraduate enrollment of 19,670. Credit Hours Generated by Study Abroad, 1994-2004 (Figure 3). The sharp increase in the number of MU credit hours generated by overseas studies reflects growth of semester study abroad programs and a slight decrease in the number of students choosing an interim length option. Estimates are based on the following formula: Academic Year Abroad: 24 credit hours; Semester Abroad: 12 credit hours; Mexico Semester Abroad: 15 credit hours; Summer Abroad: 7 credit hours; Fall Interim/Winter Interim: 3 credit hours; Grad Semester Abroad: 9 credit hours. Study Abroad Participation by Term, 2002-2004 (Figure 4). Increased participation in interim programs continued to constitute a substantial portion of overall growth in study abroad at MU. The number of MU students who took part in summer study abroad also grew by 23%, which reflects a significant increase in comparison to the previous four years ('99-'00: 217, '00-'01: 282, "01-'02: 248). There was also a notable increase in participation in semester-long overseas studies programs. Study Abroad Participation by Class Level, 1999-2004 (Figure 5). In continuance of a long-term trend, the majority of MU students chose to study abroad either during their senior years (46%) or junior years (36%). Given the fact that class-standing at MU is based solely on total number of credits earned, in most cases this does not mean that students classified as seniors are completing their final years. Growth among graduate students studying abroad can be attributed in part to the MU School of Law's new summer program in South Africa. Study Abroad Participation by Gender, 1999-2004 (Figure 6). National trends indicate that women participating in study abroad programs outnumber men by nearly 3 to 1. During the 2003-2004 academic year, there was a somewhat dramatic increase in the number of women participating in study abroad at MU as compared with the previous year. This may be due in part to the absence of the CAFNR fall interim program in Germany, which attracted a large number of men in 2002-2003 (48 out of 73 participants were male). Ethnicity of Study Abroad Participants (compared to that of the overall MU undergraduate population), 2003-2004 (Figure 7). In comparison to the previous year, the "Other" category increased slightly. This was due in part to the fact that a greater number of MU students declined to report their ethnicity to MU. The percentage of Black students studying overseas fell slightly in 2003-2004. The percentages of MU students from ethnic minority groups who study abroad have traditionally mirrored the percentages of minority students enrolled on campus. Percentage of Undergraduate Students Participating in Study Abroad by College, 2003-2004 (Figure 8). During the 2003-2004 academic year, 3.2% of MU students studied overseas. The School of Journalism continued to send the highest percentage of its students abroad (13%), while Human Environmental Sciences enjoyed a robust increase in their participation percentage (5.7%). The College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (5.7%) and the College of Business (3.8%) also outpaced the university-wide average. Study Abroad Participation by College (compared to percent of total MU undergraduate enrollment), 2003-2004 (Figure 9). The College of Arts and Sciences, which enrolls the largest number of MU undergraduate students, continued to send the greatest number of students abroad. This was followed by the School of Journalism (20%), the College of Business (19%), the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (12%), and the College of Human Environmental Sciences (7%), all of which successfully send large numbers of their students overseas. College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 10). The College of Arts and Sciences continues to send more MU students abroad than any other MU College/School. The number of Arts and Sciences students who chose to study overseas increased by 8.5% in 2003-2004. A&S Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2003-2004 (Figure 11). As one might predict, International Studies majors represented the largest group of study abroad students within the College of Arts and Sciences in 2003-2004. Biological Sciences sent the second greatest number of its majors abroad, followed closely by Psychology and English. College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 12) and CAFNR Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2003-2004 (Figure 13). The decrease in the number of College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) students who studied abroad in 2003-2004, as compared to the previous year, can be explained by the absence of a very popular fall interim program in Germany (Fall 2002). If one removes that program, which had 73 participants, CAFNR's numbers show a steady rate of increase over time. The majority of CAFNR study abroad participants (54%) were majoring in one or more of the following disciplines: Animal Sciences, Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Systems Management and Agribusiness Management. School of Journalism Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 14) and School of Journalism Study Abroad Participation by Emphasis, 2003-2004 (Figure 15). The School of Journalism enjoyed tremendous growth in the number of its students who studied overseas during 2003-2004. Participation rose by 54% as compared to the previous year. Increases in participation can be attributed in part to development of an EU Journalism winter interim program (22 participants) and a new summer study abroad option in Guadalajara, Mexico (10 participants). The greatest number of study abroad participants had an emphasis in Advertising, followed very closely by Broadcast News and Magazine. College of Business Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 16) and College of Business Study Abroad Participation by Major/Emphasis Area, 2003-2004 (Figure 17). The College of Business maintained consistent growth in overseas studies participation during the 2003-2004 academic year. Of particular note was a faculty-led summer program in Bergamo, Italy, which drew 59 participants. Departments sending the greatest number of students abroad were Marketing (29%) and Finance & Banking (20%). College of Engineering Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 18) and College of Engineering Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2003-2004 (Figure 19). The number of College of Engineering students studying abroad during the 2003-2004 academic year increased slightly as compared with the previous academic year. Civil Engineering was the most prevalent major among those students studying overseas. College of Education Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 20) and College of Education Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2003-2004 (Figure 21). During 2003-2004, the number of College of Education students who participated in overseas studies increased significantly after a significant decline during the previous academic year. The majority of College of Education students who studied abroad were Secondary Education majors. College of Human and Environmental Sciences (HES) Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 22) and College of HES Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2003-2004 (Figure 23). The number of College of Human Environmental Sciences students who studied abroad more than doubled as compared with the previous year. Much of this growth can be attributed to the popularity of a faculty-led program offered during summer 2004, which took students to Paris, France and Barcelona, Spain. Students majoring in Environmental Design (62%) made up the vast majority of overseas studies participants in this College. School of Health Professions Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 24) and School of Health Professions Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2003-2004 (Figure 25). The number of School of Health Professions students who studied abroad during 2003-2004 increased slightly as compared to the previous year. The department with the most students studying overseas was Communication Science & Disorders, followed closely by Occupational Therapy. School of Social Work Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 26). The number of School of Social Work students studying abroad dropped to zero after remaining steady for the previous four years. This may be explained by the fact that a summer program in Bristol, England, which had been offered in previous years, was not offered during summer 2004. Note: Majors are separated out due to the fact that all students in this School major in Social Work. School of Nursing Participation in Study Abroad, 1999-2004 (Figure 27). The number of School of Nursing students who studied overseas during 2003-2004 as well as during 2002-2003 was lower than in previous years. This may be attributable to the fact that a faculty-led summer program for Nursing majors has not been offered during these two years. Note: Majors are not separated out due to the fact that all students in this School major in Nursing. Study Abroad Participation by Minor, 2003-2004 (Figure 28). Among MU 2003-2004 study abroad participants who had declared minors, Spanish clearly stands out as the most popular choice. Business ranked second, followed by Psychology, Agricultural Economics, French, Political Science, and Sociology. Overall, 38% of overseas studies participants had declared a minor in foreign languages and/or area studies. Participation in MU vs. Non-MU Sponsored Programs, 1999-2004 (Figure 28). The vast majority of MU students chose to participate on MU Sponsored overseas studies programs rather than programs that are not affiliated with the University. In most cases, students who study abroad on MU Sponsored programs are able to apply all of their financial aid toward program costs. Regional Distribution of Participation in all MU Study Abroad Programs, 2003-2004 (Figure 29). While the majority of MU students continue to choose to study in Western Europe (62%), other regions saw significant growth in comparison with previous years. The College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources winter interim program in China contributed to a dramatic increase in study abroad in Asia. The MU School of Law's summer program in South Africa and the College of Human Environmental Sciences summer program in the British Virgin Islands had a similar effect on the regions of Africa and the Caribbean. Geographic Distribution of Study Abroad Participation, 2003-2004 (Table. 1). |
