Nearly half of Duke undergraduates earn academic credit for study abroad by time they graduate. They spend a semester, summer, or year in another country. Many actually go abroad more than once. Their experiences range from participation in a Duke administered program to direct enrollment in a foreign university, with a multitude of options in between. They may have studied in English, or in a program fully conducted in the language of the host country. Students majoring in the humanities, social or natural sciences, and engineering have found that study abroad provides a opportunity that enhances their undergraduate Duke experience.
"Studying
abroad does not mean taking a vacation from Duke," says
Robert J. Thompson, Jr., dean of Trinity College and
vice provost for undergraduate education. “Our
Study Abroad program offers students an opportunity
to step in more deeply,” Thompson says, “to
engage more fully with their majors, to connect with
areas of interest, to accentuate the opportunities
for intellectual and personal growth by developing
a deeper understanding of other histories, cultures,
languages, and current affairs.”
“Duke
hopes to educate global citizens prepared to enter
today’s interdependent world,” says
Margaret Riley, director of Duke’s Office of
Study Abroad. “One of the best ways to open
our students’ minds to the rest of the world
is for them to experience that world.”
All undergraduates are encouraged to consider studying abroad. Academic advisers of those students interested in careers in medicine, science, and engineering help them devise ways to have a fruitful study abroad experience and still fulfill the requirements of further education.