JMU a national leader in study abroad
JMU students are shown in Gui Zhou province during the 2011 Beijing program.
James Madison University is one of the top master’s-level
institutions in the country in participation in study
abroad programs, according to a report released this week by the Institute of
International Education.
The Open Doors 2012 report,
which covers the 2010-11 academic year, ranked JMU second nationally among
comparable universities in the total number of students who studied abroad
(1,101) and second in participation in short-term study abroad programs (816),
which are generally offered during the summer.
Additionally, JMU was No. 12 in semester programs and No. 15
in long-term programs, which are defined as lasting a full academic year or
longer.
The university’s rankings were consistent with 2009-10, when
JMU was second in total participation, first in short-term programs, 11th in
semester programs and 12th in long-term programs.
“I am delighted
that the most recent edition of the Institute of International Education’s Open
Doors has once again confirmed JMU’s outstanding success in study abroad,”
said Dr. Lee Sternberger, executive director of the Office of
International Programs at JMU. “We
are fortunate to have an energetic and forward-looking staff, creative and
collegial faculty leaders, and a university administration actively supporting
comprehensive internationalization — all committed to offering a great variety
of programs for JMU’s students seeking a broader outlook on the world.”
JMU was one of only three Virginia universities included in
the most recent study abroad rankings. The University of Virginia was 26th
among doctorate-level institutions in total participation, while the University
of Richmond was 10th among baccalaureate institutions.
Although the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain and France remain
the most popular study destinations for American students, the report found increasing
interest in programs outside of Europe, such as Brazil, China, Costa Rica,
India and South Korea.
From its inaugural semester in London in 1979, JMU’s study
abroad programs have grown and flourished. Today JMU students enjoy literally a
world of opportunities for international study, including semester programs in
Antwerp, Belgium; Salamanca, Spain; Florence, Italy; Beijing; and London;
graduate programs in Florence and Malta; and more than 60 short-term programs
spanning the globe.
For more information on JMU study abroad programs, click here.
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Nov. 15, 2012
