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MU
() A Letter from the Director of Study Abroad Study Abroad Participation by Year, 1995-2005 (Figure 1). A record number of MU students chose to study abroad in 2004-05. With 782 overseas studies participants, MU registered an 11.6 % increase over the 2003-2004 rate of participation. Once again, MU's rate of increase exceeded the national rate of increase, which was 9.6%. Over the past five years, the percentage of MU students who study abroad has grown by 45%. Percentage of MU Undergraduates Studying Abroad, 1995-2005 (Figure 2). During 2004-2005, 16.7% of the MU undergraduate graduating class studied abroad. U.S. students normally study abroad once during their academic careers; therefore, a more accurate campus overview can be found when annual overseas enrollments are seen both in absolute totals, as well as a percentage, not of total campus enrollments, but of the number of undergraduate degrees conferred during a particular academic year. Credit Hours Generated by Study Abroad, 1995-2005 (Figure 3). The increase in the number of MU credit hours generated by overseas studies resulted from the fact that participation in interim programs nearly doubled as compared with the previous year along with continued increases in participation in summer study abroad programs. 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, 2003-2005 (Figure 4). Participation in interim programs nearly doubled as compared with the previous year. There was a slight increase in number of MU students who studied abroad in summer 2005 as compared to summer 2004. The number of semester and year-long participants remained virtually unchanged. Study Abroad Participation by Class Level, 2000-2005 (Figure 5). In continuance of a long-term trend, the majority of MU students chose to study abroad either during their senior years (45%) or junior years (35%). 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 in the numbers of graduate students studying abroad can be attributed in large part to participation in interim and summer programs developed by the MBA program and the Law School. Study Abroad Participation by Gender, 2000-2005 (Figure 6). MU is exactly in line with national trends in regard to the number of men participating in study abroad as compared to the number of women who studied abroad (approximately 2:1). Ethnicity of Study Abroad Participants (compared to that of the overall MU undergraduate population), 2004-2005 (Figure 7). The "Other" category continued to increase in large part due to the fact that each year a greater number of study abroad participants decline to report their ethnicity to MU. The percentages of MU students from ethnic minority groups who study abroad traditionally have mirrored the percentages of minority students enrolled on campus. While low, the percentages of participation by Black and American Indian/AK Native students are similar to national percentages. Percentage of Undergraduate Students Participating in Study Abroad by College, 2004-2005 (Figure 8). During 2004-2005, 16.7% of MU students studied abroad during their academic careers. The School of Journalism sent the highest percentage of its students abroad (10%). The College of Business experienced a dramatic increase in the percentage of its students studying overseas as compared to the previous year (5.8% vs. 3.8% in 2003-04). Study Abroad Participation by College (compared to percent of total MU undergraduate enrollment), 2004-2005 (Figure 9). The College of Arts and Science, which enrolls the largest number of MU undergraduate students, continued to send the greatest number of students abroad. This was followed by the College of Business (25%), the School of Journalism (21%), and the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (11%), all of which successfully send large numbers of their students overseas. College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 10). The College of Arts and Science continues to send more MU students abroad than any other MU College/School. In 2004-2005, the percentage of Arts and Science students who chose to study overseas increased by 7%. A&S Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2004-2005 (Figure 11). As in the previous year, International Studies majors constituted the largest group of study abroad students within the College of Arts and Science. Psychology sent the second greatest number of its majors abroad, followed closely by Biological Sciences, English, and Political Science. College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 12) and CAFNR Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2004-2005 (Figure 13). The number of College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) students who studied abroad in 2004-2005 remained steady as compared to the previous year. The majority of CAFNR study abroad participants were majoring in one or more of the following disciplines: Agribusiness Management, Agricultural Systems Management, and Animal Sciences. School of Journalism Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 14) and School of Journalism Study Abroad Participation by Emphasis, 2004-2005 (Figure 15). The School of Journalism experienced a16% increase in the percentage of its students who studied overseas during 2004-2005 as compared to the previous year. The greatest number of study abroad participants had declared an emphasis in Advertising, followed by Magazine. College of Business Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 16) and College of Business Study Abroad Participation by Major/Emphasis Area, 2004-2005 (Figure 17). The College of Business achieved dramatic growth in overseas studies participation during the 2004-2005 academic year. A new London/Paris interim program (31 participants) and a new summer program in Alicante, Spain (22 participants) together drew 53 of these students. The greatest number of business abroad participants were majoring in Business Administration: Marketing (18%), and Business Administration: Finance & Banking (18%). College of Engineering Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 18) and College of Engineering Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2004-2005 (Figure 19). The number of College of Engineering students studying abroad during 2004-2005 remained unchanged as compared with the previous academic year. Biological Engineering was the most prevalent major among those students studying overseas. College of Education Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 20) and College of Education Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2004-2005 (Figure 21). During 2004-2005, participation in overseas studies by College of Education students decreased by 27%. 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, 2000-2005 (Figure 22) and College of HES Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2004-2005 (Figure 23). The percentage of College of Human Environmental Sciences (HES) students who studied abroad in 2004-05 decreased by 41% as compared to the previous year. Students majoring in Environmental Design (33%) and Textile and Apparel Management (30%) constituted the majority of overseas studies participants in this College. School of Health Professions Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 24) and School of Health Professions Study Abroad Participation by Major, 2004-2005 (Figure 25). The number of School of Health Professions students who studied abroad during 2004-2005 decreased as compared to the previous year with two Occupational Therapy students studying overseas. School of Social Work Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 26). School of Social Work students choose a wide variety of study abroad destinations with students studying in Australia, Korea, Mexico, Spain, and one participating in a Multi-country program. Note: Majors are not separated out due to the fact that all students in this School major in Social Work. School of Nursing Participation in Study Abroad, 2000-2005 (Figure 27). The number of School of Nursing students who studied overseas during 2004-2005 was higher than the previous year. Note: Majors are not separated out due to the fact that all students in this School major in Nursing. Study Abroad Participation by Minor, 2004-2005 (Figure 28). As in the previous year, among study abroad participants who had declared minors, Spanish clearly stands out as the most popular choice. Business ranked second, followed by Psychological Sciences, and Political Science. Overall, 41% of overseas studies participants had declared a minor in foreign languages and/or area studies. Participation in MU vs. Non-MU Sponsored Programs, 2000-2005 (Figure 29). The vast majority of MU students continue to choose 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, 2004-2005 (Figure 30). The majority of MU students continue to choose to study in Western Europe (71%). While England was the most popular destination, there was an increase in participation in Western European countries where English is not the primary spoken language, most notably Italy, Spain, France, and Germany. In accordance with national trends, there was growth in the number of MU students studying in Russia and East Central Europe. Geographic Distribution of Study Abroad Participation, 2004-2005 (Table. 1). |
