The General Types of Programs

When I began my research this week, I wanted to look into the different types of programs offered when choosing to study abroad. The types of programs and details on the programs differ depending on what institution you attend, so different schools have different studying abroad programs. Despite the differences from school to school, there are a few standard or common types of programs offered generally at most schools which can be looked at broadly without getting into the details exclusive to a certain school. Direct enrollment, sponsored studying abroad programs, and summer study abroad programs are the main types I’m interested in looking into and comparing. Internship programs are also offered at certain schools, but I’m less interested in those types of programs so I won’t write about those; I just wanted to mention they are out there if anyone was interested. I also looked into general long-term and short-term trips when studying abroad.

Direct enrollment is a type of abroad program where the student is directly enrolled into a school in the host country. This means that the classes taken are usually offered in the native language of the country and the majority of students in the classes are natives. You would be attending and enrolled in the foreign college for however long you had chosen to be. This, to me, seems like a very adventurous way to study abroad and of course you would have to know the native language very well since your classes would be in the language and you still want to pass your classes abroad. According to Jason Rogers in his article, The Perks of Direct Enrollment for Studying Abroad, direct enrollment is cheaper because one can escape third party expenses and it also offers a great deal more of independence than other programs. I agree that it would take a lot of independence to choose to do this and you would be doing more of the planning yourself.

Sponsored programs are usually when the university is sponsored by many organizations for the studying abroad program. These programs can sometimes be direct enrollment but usually students are enrolled in the university within the United States, but attend classes abroad in a college that the United States college is paired with or in collaboration with. The classes are sometimes offered in English but sometimes they can be in the native language. I believe the school offers a bit more guidance with these types of programs, but you would still need to try to know the native language the best you could unless the program chosen offered English classes.

Summer programs are generally shorter trips offered during the summer by a university and can sometimes be offered by private studying abroad programs or by a university working in collaboration with organizations or with the foreign institute.

With those common types of programs explained, I want to cover long and short term studying abroad. Programs offered vary on time spend spent abroad and that is an important factor when making the decision. Short term usually means anywhere from a summer program that offers a few weeks abroad or spending one semester abroad depending on what a person considers ‘short’. Shorter time abroad can be less expensive than longer trips. Isabel Eva Bohrer says in her article,

“In general, keeping it short is a good option for first-timers. Going abroad always carries with it inherent challenges, whether it be culture shock, homesickness, or merely jet lag for the first couple of days. If you have never studied abroad, or even been abroad before, the first experience in a foreign country can be difficult at times, and perhaps even overwhelming. Restricting your time abroad can help you see the challenge as temporary; you would be surprised, homesickness will not feel as bad if you know you have only a week to go.”

 

I would agree that a shorter time abroad sounds more appealing for a first time experience. I wouldn’t want to sign up for anything longer than a semester without knowing what to expect. I can see that if I liked it then I would maybe think about going for a longer time abroad. Long term can mean anything longer than one semester or even earning a whole degree abroad. This may be good for people who really enjoy the experience or want to get as much foreign experience as possible. A perk to a longer time abroad is that a student has more time to participate within the culture and community of the country they are studying in.

Kevin Kehl and Jason Morris address the issue of global mindedness when comparing short and long term studies. Global mindedness is the new ideas and perspectives gained from international immersion and respect and understanding for different cultures, people, and places. Morris and Kehl claim that shorter term studies offer less opportunity for actually learning about a culture and that students returning from longer term programs are much more global minded than students returning from shorter summer trips. This makes sense and it is easy to see how a trip in the summer can be seen more as a long vacation than a chance to interact and learn-- outside of required classes.

An article posted by Alex Berger on his website explains that the major differences in short term and long term studying abroad are,

“Commitment, Support, Different Educational Systems, Social Restart, and Family”

I think he covers his points very well and offers lots of helpful information. I would recommend checking out his article if you are really interested in studying abroad. Here is a quick link: Five Major Differences Between Long-Term and Short-Term Study Abroad Programs

In conclusion, I learned that planning and choosing just the type of program you are interested in partaking in requires some thought and research. I believe that a short term program would be something I’d lean towards for a first taste of studying abroad even though I agree that it offers less chances to learn about the culture. I want to find out first if I would enjoy it before I commit a large amount of time into it.

 

Sources:

Berger, Alex. "Five Major Differences Between Long-Term and Short-Term Study Abroad Programs." VirtualWayfarer., 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. http://virtualwayfarer.com/five-major-differences-between-long-term-and-short-term-study-abroad-programs/.

Bohrer, Isabel E. "Short or Long-Term Study Abroad? ." Short or Long-Term Study Abroad?  Making the Decision. Transitions Abroad, 17 Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://www.transitionsabroad.com/listings/study/articles/study-abroad-short-or-long-term.shtml>.       

            Kehl, Kevin, and Jason Morris. Differences in Global-Mindedness between Short-Term and Semester-Long Study Abroad Participants at Selected Private Universities: n. pag. Www.frontiersjournal.com. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. http://www.frontiersjournal.com/documents/KehlMorrisFRONTIERSJOURNALXVWinter2007-08.pdf.

            Rogers, Jason. "The Perks of Direct Enrollment for Study Abroad." The Perks of Direct Enrollment for Study Abroad. Go Overseas, 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. http://www.gooverseas.com/blog/perks-direct-enrollment-study-abroad.

            The University of Scranton. "The University of Scranton Study Abroad Program." Types of Study Abroad ProgramsStudy Abroad. The University of Scranton, 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. <http://studyabroad.scranton.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Abroad.ViewLink&Parent_ID=0&Link_ID=CDD1A4D6-26B9-564D-D6068A20001AB689>.