Three Models for Short-Term Study Abroad

Abstract

Nearly 250,000 U.S. college students participate in study abroad programs each year. A growing proportion of students are participating in short-term study abroad programs. Despite the large number of students in these programs, there are relatively few articles that describe how to start or manage a short-term, business-related, study abroad program. With this in mind, this article includes three examples of short-term study abroad programs: the summer semester abroad, the study tour, and the servicelearning trip. Benefits of short-term study abroad programs are discussed. The article also includes tips for designing and managing the programs. The article is intended as a resource for faculty who are considering taking students abroad.

Business Students' Choice of Short-Term or Long-Term Study Abroad Opportunities

“…Long-term programs provide more opportunities for language learning, cultural immersion, and personal growth and independence, compared to short-term programs, and we would expect students to perceive this difference. In contrast, some students may perceive short-term programs to be more "fun" than long-term programs, based on lower levels of perceived riskiness (traveling with friends and a known faculty member, rather than traveling by oneself, is likely to be seen as less risky), combined with fun activities that are often bundled into short-term programs, such as scuba diving, exploring nightlife, or tourist activities (Sachau et al, 2010). However, other students may perceive long-term programs to be more fun than short-term programs, based on higher levels of freedom for long-term study abroad participants.…”

“…More recently, institutions have also started offering increasing numbers of short-term study abroad programs, ranging from one to eight weeks in length (Sachau, Brasher, & Fee, 2010). These programs are usually faculty-led, where a group of students from the home university travel abroad together, visiting several sites or working on an experiential project together in the host country.…”

“…Evidence is mixed, with studies finding both positive outcomes (Carlson, Burn, Useem, & Yachimowicz, 1990;Litvin, 2003) and no change in students (Ceasar & Jones-Rikker, 2001;Gullekson, Tucker, Coombs Jr., & Wright, 2011;Kitsantas, 2004). Perhaps in response to these mixed outcomes, a separate stream of research offers practical advice on how to build and run a study abroad program (Henthorne, Miller, & Hudson, 2001;Sachau et al, 2010). Although knowledge about how to run effective short-term programs, and the range of possible outcomes they predict, are both important, they do not explain why students choose short-term or long-term study abroad programs.…”

Engineering a Business School in a Former Soviet-Era Closed City: The Case of Omsk, Siberia

“…An ability to remotely deliver courses in a developed country was perceived by the team as a critically important component of globalization of the school; also, as demonstrated by researchers, study abroad had a wide variety of benefits for participating students (Sachau et al, 2010). By surveying students and their parents, the team discovered that there was a room for a new undergraduate degree program where Omsk students would travel to a developed country as part of their home degree program.…”

Toward a New Practice of Internationalization: A Case Study on a Short-Term Study Abroad Program at European Institutions of Higher Education

“…Among the types of short-term study programs for business and management students cited in recent research are international study tours (Weaver &Tucker, 2010 andPeppas, 2008), summer semesters abroad, and service-learning trips (Sachau et al, 2010). The components of short-term study abroad programs and courses for business administration students at institutions of higher education reportedly have included visits to companies and other organizations, cultural tours, guest speakers, social gatherings as well as pre-trip activities (Rough et al, 2002).…”