Education Abroad Opportunities Expand to Accommodate Sharp Increase in Student Participation

Traveling overseas was not commonplace for most college students 10 to 15 years ago.  If they did trek to other countries, it was for an adventure or to get away for a vacation. Today, a global business economy means that more employers are searching for graduates who have experience traveling overseas, learning international skills, and understanding different cultures through an immersive experience.

Over the past five years, the College of Business has partnered with an increased number of international universities to expand its education abroad program. It started with a handful of institutions, but now BGSU business students have the opportunity to study at 15 different institutions. The newest universities added in 2017- 2018 include

• University of Essex in England
• Njimagen School of Business in The Netherlands
• Universitá Cattolica del Sacre Coure in Italy
• University of Rennes in France
• University of Quebec Montreal in Canada
• Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil

The number of study abroad opportunities will increase as the College continues to explore more partnerships with universities in Germany and Australia.

Even with the increased number of partner institutions, student capacity levels are full for 2018-19. College of Business student participation levels jumped more than 100%, from 44 students in the 2014-2015 academic year to 92 students who are expected to study overseas this academic year.

One of the study abroad opportunities offers the chance to earn a dual undergraduate business degree from BGSU as well as from the University of Strasbourg in France.

Students may think it costs a lot to study abroad, however, the cost is not that different from a semester at BGSU, and there are scholarships and grants available for students.  Read more about BGSU scholarships and grants, including the Hoskins Global Scholar Program, established by BGSU graduate Mike Hoskins ’77.  The BGSU International Programs and Partnerships office also has scholarships and grants.