Participation in study abroad there has grown steadily -- as a result of in-depth discussion between academic departments and the University's Learning Abroad Center.
Here's an excerpt from the Chronicle's piece, including an interview with Center Director Martha Johnson:
For engineering, studying in another country might be relevant because of the increasingly global nature of the profession, while for students of graphic design, the appeal could be the opportunity to explore the influence of foreign artists on their home turf.
Each department "defines in its own terms why it's important to go abroad," Ms. Johnson says.For more information on Minnesota's approach to curriculum integration, check here.
The group then works together to pinpoint times when overseas study can best fit into the curriculum. And Ms. Johnson and her staff work to provide programmatic choices.
Over the last decade, Minnesota has added more than 50 programs to enable students in nontraditional disciplines to study abroad, says Ms. Johnson, who gets ribbed by colleagues from other colleges on visits to study-abroad sites when she asks about offerings in areas like soil sciences or volcanology. Some 200 Minnesota faculty members have also gone overseas in recent years to review programs.
Other study-abroad options include academic exchanges that grow out of professors' international research collaborations and short-term programs led by Minnesota faculty members. For example, professors affiliated with the university's health-careers center, which works with students considering jobs in medicine and other health-related careers, are planning a seminar in India, focusing on public health and primary care in tribal areas.
In all, the university has more than 300 options for students wishing to study overseas.
The common thread, Ms. Johnson says, is that all programs must be evaluated and approved by the department, not just her office.
