This summer, 161 students are traveling to 10 different countries for unique learning experiences through ACC’s Study Abroad Program. These students have helped the program make history—this year’s numbers are an 83% increase over summer 2023 and are 75% more than highest number of students sent abroad in a single summer.
This is also the first year that every single program offered for summer 2024 recruited enough students to take place. They even had to add an additional section for the Japanese II program.
Several factors may have contributed to the increase in numbers.
“First, I think many students are ready to travel after three years of the pandemic. Second, we increased our marketing efforts, working closely with faculty and department chairs and the Office of College Relations and Marketing to spread the word about study abroad,” says Sharon Miller, Interim Director of ACC International Programs.
Additionally, students interested in applying must complete an advising session first. Miller said that they increased the number of advising sessions and added several dates for “open house, group advising” sessions.
“Finally, we developed a video advising session utilizing Panopto, which allowed ACC students to get advised by watching a video and taking a series of quizzes to prove that they understood the information,” she said. “Although we only got these up and running in January 2024, an additional 60 students were able to complete the required advising session. With these changes, we were able to advise 405 students, compared to 254 last year—a 60% increase.”
Of those 405 students, 252 submitted an application.
Miller plans to have video advising sessions for the summer 2025 study abroad programs complete by the end of August 2024 and expects numbers to be even greater next year.
This summer’s study abroad programs are:
- Archaeology – England
- Art Appreciation – Austria
- Art History – Italy
- Biology – Costa Rica
- Culinary Arts – Italy
- Environmental Science – Costa Rica
- Fashion – France
- Japanese II – Japan (2 sessions)
- Percussion – Cuba
- Social Psychology – Romania
- Spanish III – Argentina
- Welding Technology – Germany
The programs take place during the summer semester. Students join faculty to study abroad for two to four weeks. Before departure, students must attend a pre-departure session. The first program this summer departed on May 19.
About Study Abroad
The benefits of studying abroad are vast and include earning credits toward a degree while exploring a foreign country, participating in multicultural exchange, enhancing the value of a degree with an expanded worldview, advancing foreign language skills, making friends and an international network, developing “soft skills” that are sought after by companies, increasing employability, and standing out on university applications or a resume.
To be eligible, students must be 18 years or older by the program departure date and in good academic standing by the end of the fall semester.
Learn more at austincc.edu/studyabroad.