Advancing the Participation of Business Students in Study Abroad Programs

Dr. Zahir A. Quraeshi, Mushtaq Luqmani, Ann Veeck

Volume 12 Issue 11

Global Journal of Management and Business

“Internationalizing” the curriculum is a pivotal objective of most U.S. business schools; a common internationalization initiative is to encourage business students to participate in Study Abroad programs. Our survey of 1300 undergraduate business students indicates that students are well aware of the benefits of Study Abroad, but that perceived obstacles to participation vary significantly according to different class levels (freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors). The findings suggest that as Study Abroad initiatives mature, targeted strategies should be used to promote Study Abroad to undergraduate business students. We suggest strategies to engage students during each of four phases over a business student’s university career: an “initiation” phase a "reinforcement” phase, a “diversified experiences” phase and a "career enhancement" phase.