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UO sends students across the globe in record numbers
Study abroad celebrates record summer enrollment and new scholarships and programs
Ducks flocked to the University of Oregon’s study abroad program in record numbers over the summer, continuing steady growth that officials attributed to an increase in scholarships and diversified program offerings.
For the third consecutive year, Global Education Oregon, the UO study abroad program, sent a record number of students on study and intern abroad programs throughout the world. The milestone comes as GEO continues to launch new scholarships and programs.
GEO places students in more than 200 programs in 60 countries around the world. These experiences include faculty-led endeavors, programs at GEO centers, university exchanges and international internships.
Put your cursor on the map and spin the globe to see all the UO study abroad locations.
Student enrollment for summer study abroad was 1,089, up 11.3 percent from summer 2023, the previous enrollment record. Total enrollment for the entire 2023-24 academic year was 1,569, up 9.3 percent.
“We know students are eager to take their Oregon education abroad,” said Dennis Galvan, dean and vice provost of the Division of Global Engagement. “GEO has done an amazing job making sure more students can afford to study abroad by pouring as many resources as possible into scholarships to make these eye-opening, personally enriching, career-boosting international experiences affordable for everyone.”
The cultural immersion of study abroad promotes personal growth and contributes to academic and professional skills, GEO officials said.
Galvan noted study abroad also promotes career preparation, a strategic goal of the university. Through GlobalWorks International Internships, for example, students earn credit while working in one of more than 20 countries.
Sienna Barry, a public relations major and member of the Class of 2025, went “across the pond” and found work in her desired career field. She interned with In+ Addition Communication in London, learning how to write press releases, pitch ideas and create communication reports.
“I loved this opportunity because it pushed me out of my comfort zone,” she said, enabling her to learn “more about myself as an individual outside of my college bubble.”
An analysis by the UO Office of Institutional Research found meaningful academic gains for students who studied abroad compared to those who didn’t. The four-year graduation rate for participants was 76 percent, more than 5 percentage points higher than that for the control group.
“Students who participated in study abroad programs appear to have better academic outcomes than those who didn’t,” the research office reported. “More students graduate, graduate in less time, fewer students graduate with debt and [study abroad students] have a higher cumulative GPA.”
Studying abroad is a significant financial commitment, but most forms of financial aid and UO scholarships can be applied to the cost. GEO helps defray costs by providing $420,000 in scholarships each year to more than 300 recipients. That exceeds previous amounts that ranged between $250,000 and $300,000.
Through GEO, undergraduate students receiving a Pell Grant for financial need also can apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, which provides up to $5,000 to pursue study abroad and/or international internships. The university continues to rank among the top 10 U.S. institutions with the most recipients. During the 2023-24 academic year, 26 UO students received the Gilman Scholarship.
In its commitment to making study abroad as accessible to as many students as possible, GEO also added a new scholarship in 2023: Study Abroad Global Equity, or SAGE, a scholarship for students who identify as first-generation college students, low-income and/or people from underrepresented racial or ethnic backgrounds.
The SAGE scholarship can be used to study or intern abroad on a GEO-sponsored, credit-bearing program, with awards averaging $3,250 but ranging up to $5,000. This year’s first class of SAGE scholars included 32 students who went abroad, all of them described by GEO as having “the highest level of financial need” and 60 percent of them identifying as nonwhite.
Said Luis Ruiz, associate director for Student Success and Analytics: “The SAGE and Gilman scholarships provide access to students who might not otherwise be able to pursue study abroad opportunities through GEO that enhance career readiness and bolster the path to four-year graduation.”
The study abroad program also awards $250,000 annually through the Freeman Fellowship. Recipients of the Freeman Fellowship receive up to $6,500 to participate in GlobalWorks International Internships in Japan, Korea, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
The GEO team and the UO Native American and Indigenous Studies program also have collaborated on launching an exchange with the University of Otago, the oldest university in New Zealand and one holding an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching.
Under the UO-Otago Indigenous Studies Exchange Scholarship Program, majors and minors in Native American and Indigenous studies can explore Indigenous sovereignty and Native studies through the lens of the Pacific and Indigenous Studies program at the University of Otago’s Te Tumu School of Maori. The experience helps students frame their understanding of Native American and Indigenous studies topics in the United States within a broader international Indigenous studies perspective.
“All of us at GEO are thrilled to see the continued growth in participation in our global study and internship programs,” said Will Johnson, GEO director. “These life-changing experiences not only advance academic and professional goals, but they also empower our students to be the future leaders this world needs by teaching them how to understand, respect and communicate effectively with people whose value system or way of life may be vastly different from their own.”
