Leaving an International Footprint:
SDSU No. 2 for Sending Students Abroad

More than 1,600 students studied abroad during 2006-2007 school year

Contact:
Gina Speciale
Media Relations Specialist
San Diego State University
speciale@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO (Thursday, Nov. 29, 2007) —San Diego State University students are becoming much more adventurous when it comes to their education.  In the Open Doors 2007 report released by the Institute for International Education, SDSU ranks No.2 in the nation and No. 1 in California for students studying abroad among all public universities with high research activity. 

SDSU student Cassie Conboy (center) visits Egypt during her study abroad trip to the island of Cyprus.

SDSU also ranked No. 23 in the nation among all U.S. universities.  This is the first time the university has ranked in the top 40 universities nationwide, above such schools as University of Southern California, Syracuse University and Cornell University.

“In today's global economy, facing a geopolitical atmosphere with cultural misunderstandings, tomorrow's leaders will require a knowledge and understanding best developed by time spent abroad,” said Al Sweedler, assistant vice president for international programs.

The number of students studying abroad has increased significantly over the past ten years.  During the 2005-06 school year, on which the ranking is based, 1,440 SDSU students studied abroad, a 14 percent increase from the previous year when 1,257 students studied abroad.
The number of students studying abroad grew to 1,600 in the 2006-07 school year. During the 1997-98 school year, just 167 SDSU students studied abroad.

The most common destination for students during the 2005-06 school year was Mexico, with 259 students traveling there during that time.  Other popular destinations included: United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Australia and China.

SDSU liberal studies junior Cassie Conboy traveled to Cyprus in the summer of 2006 to study conflict resolution and then studied literature in Oxford during summer 2007.  She said her experiences abroad were life-changing and taught her more about herself than she ever expected.

“It ended up being more than my finding a way to study abroad,” Conboy said.  “Instead, it was studying abroad that helped me to find my way.”

SDSU liberal studies junior Cassie Conboy spent summer 2006 studying conflict resolution in Cyprus.

Her trips have inspired her to pursue a career teaching English abroad when she graduates in 2009.

Twelve SDSU programs also require study abroad as a condition for graduation, including the University Honors Program, of which Conboy is a student.

In addition to students studying abroad, there were also 1,406 international students studying at SDSU during the 2005-06 school year, putting the university among the top 100 of all universities nationwide. In 2006-07, 1,696 international students studied at SDSU.

Currently, SDSU offers more than 190 study abroad programs in 44 different countries including programs for foreign language instruction and area studies.  Students may choose from short-term study tours, to summer abroad programs, to semester-long and year-long exchanges.

SDSU is a leader in innovative international education opportunities.  The university is home to the first-ever MBA program in global entrepreneurship, where students study at four universities worldwide in India, United Arab Emirates, Beirut and China. 

SDSU also has the only two transnational triple degree programs in the country for international business.  Undergraduate students earn degrees from SDSU, as well as universities in Canada and Mexico in the CaMexUs program or degrees from SDSU, Mexico and Chile in the PanAmerica program. 

The first transnational dual degree program with Universidad Autonoma de Baja California in Mexico was created in 1994 through the Mexus/international business program.  SDSU's international business program also runs transnational dual degree programs with Brazil, Canada, Chile and Mexico.

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 74 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s  approximately 35,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct contact with faculty and an increasing international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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