Participation in study abroad at the University this past year, including this past summer, has reached an all time high. University administrators hope that the most recent numbers will enhance the University's stature in the upcoming Institute of International Education rankings, for which the University has recently submitted data.

In recent years, there has been an increase in number of students who study abroad. Dr. Rebecca Brown, director of the International Studies Office, said that based on 2003-2004 school year data, the University was recently ranked 17th in the country for students studying abroad.

Brown said the University International Studies office recently submitted the 2004-2005 data to the Institute of International Education.

"Every year the numbers are going up," Brown said.

During the 2003-2004 school year, 1,427 University students studied abroad. The 2004-2005 year saw an increase, with 1,684 students abroad. Their estimated projection for the 2005-2006 year is 1,875 students abroad. Brown said these numbers include students who studied abroad with any program.

The first batch of students studying abroad in the 2006-2007 year will be in their respective international destinations for this semester.

Growth and Diversity

Not only has participation increased, but so has the breadth of available destinations and programs said Brown and Associate Director for Study Abroad Dr. Marina S. Markot.

Markot said there has been a growth in the number of international programs the University has offered.

For example, Markot said the January term international programs have seen "definite growth."

Brown said January term has been "growing exponentially due to student demand." In 2006, there were four January term study abroad programs. This coming January term, Brown said the University will offer eight January term study abroad options.

In addition to last year's Ireland, Italy, Nicaragua and Spain programs, the University has added January Term programs in Belize, Berlin, Ghana and Tanzania for 2007.

"There is diversity in terms of geography and academic content," Markot said. She added that not all the programs are language programs.

The Belize program, Markot said, is for marine biology.

Brown said applications for study abroad in January term are due October 2.

Appreciation and Demand

To accommodate the recent growth, the International Studies Office has added a fourth Study Abroad Advisor.

"The office keeps growing," Markot said.

Brown also said the study abroad office is about to select a new group of peer advisers as well.

Markot said she attributes this growth to both student and faculty appreciation for international education.

Markot and Brown said the growing office and international programs reflective of the University.

"U.Va.'s own programs have a broad geographical span, which is characteristic of the direction the University is going," Markot said.

Markot added that the cities which have semester-long programs are varied and give students a deeper look into the country's culture.

"With the University's two European semester long programs, students study in Lyon [France] and Valencia [Spain] instead of in the capital cities," Merkot said.

Merkot added that these students "go deeper, beyond the flash."

Third-year College student Jessica McHie, who went to Valencia with the summer 2006 program, said she appreciated staying in Valencia.

"You go deeper in Spanish culture," McHie said. "You got to see different regions and how they are all different."

Applying to Study Abroad

Students apply to study abroad through a new online application process, Brown said.

The applications have been available online since September 2005, but Brown said this is the first year the new online system is fully functional.

Markot said in order to get the personal code to start applying online, students need to attend an information session.

She said the office will soon begin to hold information sessions for January term programs up to four times a week.

Student Experiences and Responses

Third-year College student Kate Gilchrist said she applied online to a few different international programs for summer 2006.

Gilchrist added it was not a difficult process, and she chose to travel with the three-week U.Va. in Oxford program to England because she "wanted to go to an English-speaking country that offered a lot of politics classes."

Gilchrist said the workload was appropriate and she was able to travel beyond Oxford for outside-classroom experience.

"It was pretty relaxed, [and the planners] definitely make an effort to schedule a lot of activities," Gilchrist said. Meanwhile, Gilchrist said each student took one class per three-week term.

Gilchrist said she had heard a lot of positive things about the Oxford program before she went, and she said the experience was what she expected.

Third-year College student Adam Bozeman spent eight weeks of his summer in China with a University program stationed in Shanghai.

"The program was terrific," Bozeman said. Bozeman attended the language program, but there was a cultural immersion program also stationed in Shanghai this summer.

Bozeman said his eight-week program included an 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. class and an hour-long one-on-one at East China Normal University.

Bozeman said the program seemed to be an overwhelming success.

"I really think we just all loved the programs and these teachers," Bozeman said, who took Chinese 201 and 202 over the course of the eight-week program.

Another plus of the program was that Bozeman said he and his fellow students "really got to travel around, as much as an intense language program could allow you to do."

McHie, who studied in Valencia with the four-week summer program, started planning for her term abroad in December 2005 and the application was due the following April. The application, she said, involved short essays and teacher recommendations.

McHie said she took two classes at a local university with native Valencia teachers. She added that the program also included travel outside Valencia.

Gilchrist, Bozeman and McHie all agreed that international education has been an important part of their course of study.

"Studying a language like Chinese, the best way to really get it is to go there," Bozeman said.

Brown and Markot said the overwhelmingly positive student feedback is indicative of the growth in appreciation of international education.

"So many people are starting to realize, with globalization, we have to be more conscious and aware of other cultures, and one of the best ways is to study the culture, the language," Bozeman said.

McHie said her international experience contributed even further to her appreciation.

"You get more respect of other cultures, and you learn so much," McHie said. "You get a different sense of other life styles around the world."

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