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The literature available on study abroad addresses reasons students chose to study abroad, outcomes of participation in study abroad, and study abroad program characteristics. However, there is a lack of research linking outcomes of study abroad to program characteristics. The present study will add to the literature by providing information about study abroad program characteristics and their relationship to one possible outcome of study abroad, cross-cultural adaptability. In this study, four factors were used to measure cross-cultural adaptability: (a) emotional resilience, (b) flexibility/openness, (c) perceptual acuity, and (d) personal autonomy. Data were collected using the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) (Kelley & Meyers, 1995). The target sample for this study was undergraduate college students that have participated in study abroad programs of varying lengths. The findings showed significant differences in all five areas: emotional resilience, flexibility/openness, perceptual acuity, personal autonomy, and total CCAI score. These findings suggest that researchers need to take a further look at study abroad program characteristics and their relationship to beneficial outcomes. / Master of Arts

This study examines impact of study abroad on early career outcomes at a professionally-focused northeastern private college. A mixed-methods sequential research design provides a thorough inquiry into the influence of study abroad on early career outcomes at this institution. In the first, quantitative phase of the study, The National Organization of College and Employer’s (NACE) First-Destination Survey data is analyzed to assess whether a study abroad experience has an impact on career outcomes. The quantitative results compare career outcomes for 2014, 2015, and 2016 graduates who have studied abroad (n = 523) and those who did not study abroad (n = 661). The quantitative survey contains 1184 participants and represents a response rate of approximately 90% of the total graduates at the college. The second qualitative phase examines the quantitative results in order to help explain and provide insights into the outcomes. A theoretical lens of appreciative inquiry is applied as a framework for interpreting the results and informs the qualitative line of questioning. In this project, studying abroad did not prove to significantly impact early career outcomes. Based on the NACE First Destination Survey, the higher education industry standard for capturing career placement information, graduates from this college got no quantifiable positive early career impact from studying abroad. In fact, some trends in the data even show an early negative effect from having studied abroad especially for female graduates. Further trends in the results contradict assumptions about study abroad that are held by students and international educators. However, meaningful impacts of studying abroad on graduate’s vocational clarity along with personal and professional development are revealed in the qualitative phase of the study that simply cannot be captured in the NACE survey.

This study analyzed the perceptions of University of Kentucky Dietetic and Human Nutrition students as they relate to the benefits and barriers of study abroad educational opportunities. The final sample consisted of 164 participants, with 18.9% (n=31) in the Coordinated Program in Dietetics (CP), 32.3% (n=53) in the Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD), 42.7% (n=70) in the Human Nutrition (HN) program and 5.5% (n=9) who identified their program as ‘other’. The primary barriers to participation in study abroad were cost and problems fitting education abroad into the current program of study. The primary benefits were identified as dietary and health knowledge acquisition, cultural knowledge acquisition and forming relationships with other students, professors and members of the host community. The information found in this study can be used in the design of study abroad programs for nutrition majors to make programs tailored to fit these students’ needs.

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“Not Drowning but Waving: The American Junior Year Abroad” explores and describes study abroad amongst college students while also showing the historical roots of study abroad. This thesis seeks to understand the history and current issues in study abroad while also giving a literary description of the experiences, personal changes, and development of insight in the students who decide to study abroad. The Introduction serves both as the introduction to my project as well as an overview of the history and current issues within study abroad. It is divided into three main parts. The first section discusses the impetus for the project, the research methodology, relevant literature, and the genre of creative nonfiction. The second section covers the history of American travel and study abroad, as well as the work of the Fulbright Program. The third section is a short survey of contemporary trends within study abroad, and addresses issues of gender, race, location, and student behavior while abroad. The creative portion of this thesis describes the study abroad students’ stories, experiences, and insights during and after a semester in Europe. The first three chapters of this section—“Leaving”, “Destinations” and “Guardians at the Gate”—describe some of the initial experiences during a semester abroad. Chapter one looks at the process of traveling to a new country and adapting to new cultural norms. Chapter two describes the study abroad destinations where I did my primary research for this project. Chapter three explores some logistical issues in study abroad, namely academics, finances, and housing. Chapter four explores the challenges students face after the initial excitement of study abroad wears off, and looks at the issues of student responsibility, danger, harassment, and alcohol abuse. Chapter five describes student travel habits, which is one of the most popular elements of study abroad but also one of the more problematic. Chapter six looks at the challenge of re-entry to North America for study abroad students, and chapter seven provides a conclusion to the piece.

The multitude of existing research conducted within the field of study abroad programs generally reinforces the popular understanding that the practice not only broadens the mind, provides valuable experiences and enhances stagnating perspectives, but also contributes to a skillset that is becoming increasingly necessary for success in the globally focused world of today. Despite the evidence supporting their effectiveness, relatively few undergraduate students in the United States choose to participate in some form of study abroad program. The following analysis will examine the potential reasoning of why this is so. Through the administration of questionnaires and interviews along with a comprehensive review of existing research, the following pages examine the attitudes and inhibitions of undergraduate university students as they relate to studying abroad and to what extent these perceptions fall in line with the escalating importance of multicultural competence. Used as an exemplifying case of American undergraduate students, Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business furnished the sample of participants used in this study. Largely supported through the data obtained from the conducted interviews, undergraduate students are seen to place a high value on the personal and cultural benefits acquired through study abroad participation while relegating academic focus to a somewhat tangential position. Factors such as a student’s previous international travel experience and awareness of available programs are seen to influence these perceptions to some degree. Despite the significant value placed on such programs, a large percentage of students express concern over a variety of barriers prohibiting them from pursuing enrollment. The financial commitments associated with the participation in a study abroad program were almost unanimously considered to be a serious burden on individuals. These concerns were supplemented and at times exacerbated by other factors such as a student’s availability of time, willingness to suspend important personal relationships and needed class credit. Covered in detail below, these findings are seen to support and corroborate much of the existing research that has been previously conducted within this field while providing additional insight by way of student testimony.

Despite efforts of U.S. education institutions to encourage study abroad participation, Black and low income students are severely underrepresented compared with their White and higher income peers. Literature reveals that a combination of individual and institutional factors influences study abroad involvement; however, they fail to address how these factors work to limit the participation of interested students. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 21 Black and White students to investigate how they navigate the study abroad process. Cultural and social capital theories were used to understand their experiences. My findings demonstrate that for students that did not study abroad, Blacks compared to Whites encountered more difficulties when trying to activate their available resources to navigate the process. Also, non participating White students were more likely to make the conscious decision not to invest their class privileges to study abroad compared with their Black counterparts. Together, these findings suggest that race and class play a role in the activation and usage of cultural and social resources to study abroad.