FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SDSU AMONG TOP 3 DOCTORAL UNIVERSITIES
FOR STUDENTS STUDYING ABROAD

Close to 18 Percent of SDSU's 2002-2003 Graduates Study Abroad

SAN DIEGO, Monday, November 17, 2003 — SDSU is now one of the top three doctoral institutions in the country for students studying internationally, a new report shows.

The Institute of International Education (IIE)’s Open Doors 2003 report ranks SDSU third in the nation for students studying abroad, up two spots from last year. The ranking is based on the total number of students who studied abroad during the 2001-2002 academic year. During that period, 799 SDSU students studied abroad.

“We are proud to be recognized as one of the leading institutions fostering study abroad. Given the world situation today, international education is all the more necessary. Students need to be able to work internationally and in different cultures. This is what truly contributes to international security,” said SDSU Provost Nancy Marlin.

The 10 most popular destinations for SDSU students for 2001-2002 were: Mexico (230 students), Spain (164), the United Kingdom (55), Costa Rica (50), China (42), France (40), Italy (31), Japan (28), Brazil (20), and Australia (20).

“Study abroad is becoming more of a norm. And there are more faculty than ever who have become involved in working to create these opportunities for their students,” said Marlin. “But our students remain the best recruiters. When they return from their international travels and tell other students about their incredible experiences, others become very interested in pursuing study abroad as well.”

Ignacio Lopez, 20, a junior at SDSU majoring in political science and Spanish, is one example. He heard about studying overseas from other students and plans to study in Spain this spring. Lopez, a former foster care child, applied for a scholarship to study abroad from foster care group Families First, and was awarded a $5,000 grant toward his trip. “I want to be a teacher and I know this opportunity will have a great impact on me – not just as a Spanish speaker but as someone with Spanish ethnicity,” he said. He’s looking forward to what he calls “complete culture emersion” in Spain, where he plans to learn the dialect and pick up the language first hand.

This year’s class of foreign-bound students caps a 478 percent increase in study abroad participants at SDSU over the last five years. “We weren’t even ranked in this listing four years ago,” said Alan Sweedler, SDSU Assistant Vice President for International Programs. “In just three years, we went from 11th to fifth and now up to third. We had fewer than 200 students studying abroad five years ago; last year we had more than 1,000 students who studied abroad.”

Other notable facts include:

* SDSU is the only doctoral institution in California to make the top 10 in the IIE’s study abroad rankings;

* SDSU ranks 13th for hosting international students, according to the IIE report;

* Close to 18 percent of SDSU’s 2002-2003 graduates studied abroad during that academic year.

Miami University of Ohio topped the study abroad list (1,160 students), followed by George Mason University (864). Baylor University (689) and Dartmouth College (649) came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

The Open Doors 2003 report is published by the Institute of International Education, the leading not-for-profit educational and cultural exchange organization in the United States. IIE has conducted the annual statistical survey of the foreign students in the United States since 1949, and has been collecting study abroad figures since 1986. A grant from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs underwrites the research and report.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since its founding in 1897, SDSU has grown to offer bachelor's degrees in 79 areas, master's degrees in 67 areas and doctorates in 14. SDSU's more than 34,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information log on to www.sdsu.edu.

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