Shorter study abroad gaining popularity

Students pursuing dual degrees at Penn typically find it difficult to study abroad for a semester and still graduate within four years.

But accomplishing this feat is now more reasonable with the rise in short-term study abroad programs - usually two to eight weeks in length - offered by Penn's four undergraduate schools.

The rise in popularity of these programs at Penn is indicative of a wider national trend.

According to statistics from the Institute of International Education, 55.4 percent of American students studying abroad are now doing so in programs of two to eight weeks in length.

"The rise in short-term study abroad programs is not only happening across the country but is also happening at Penn," said Jennifer Kobrin, the International Internship coordinator at the Office of International Programs.

In response to this increasing demand, Penn Abroad recently developed the International Internship Program, which consists of fully funded summer internships.

Interested students will work with one of three Penn organizations including the Botswana UPenn Partnership, the Center for the Advanced Study of India and the Penn Global Development Initiative.

"They are all expanding this year because of increased student interest," Kobrin said. "I think this is part of the general trend of the rise in popularity of short-term experiences."

Assistant Dean for Global Health Affairs Marjorie Muecke attributed the increased demand for short-term abroad programs in the School of Nursing and Penn's professional health schools to "the tsunami of global health" that has taken over the country.

"I think that students have become compelled by 9/11 and the ease of global transport and telecommunications," Muecke said. "There is a huge movement of globalization that we are seeing expressed here at Penn and across the country."

The Nursing School offers programs as short as two weeks during the period between spring and summer semesters.

Historically, summer programs were all run out of Penn's language departments, but student demand for short-term programs has allowed these programs to grow.

Since these programs are relatively new, however, faculty and administrators across the country are trying to come up with a new set of standards for short-term study abroad.

"We're trying to look at how we can deepen the experience so that even in a short time, students are going to gain some insights about themselves and their position as an American abroad," Muecke said.

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