Ever thought of going to Spain? South Africa? India? Peru? As college students, the easiest way for us to do so is through a study abroad program, an option becoming increasingly more popular as students take advantage of student rates and the chance to travel.

Here at Marquette, the Office of International Education and Office of International Business Studies oversee study abroad programs for non-business students and business students, respectively.

That Marquette has two offices dedicated to handling international students and study abroad efforts is impressive. Some colleges don’t offer much help beyond ushering students to other American universities with better study abroad programs.

If it is financially feasible, having a study abroad experience is important for us students. It allows us to see the world on a limited budget, often costing less than our Marquette tuition.

Marquette offers help for students throughout the process. OIE and OIBS offer study abroad fairs, advising meetings, program information sessions and websites with information on individual programs, financial aid as well as health and safety.

While all of these tools are great beginning resources for students, we can do better.

According to OIE’s website, Marquette en Madrid and the South Africa Service Learning programs are the only Marquette-sponsored offerings. The advertising, public relations, Ghana Historical Experience, Digital Storytelling in Cagli, Universidad de Veracruz in Mexico and Community Nursing in Peru programs are all faculty-led. The OBIS offers faculty-led programs in Belgium, Italy and China.

This may seem like a comprehensive list. While 10 Marquette programs are better than none, consider the number 62 – the amount of total programs listed on the OIE website. Marquette-approved, exchange and external approved programs are run by other universities but allow Marquette students to enter their programs or act as exchange students with those from the home universities. Credits earned from such programs count as transfer credits, and financial aid policies differ based on program classification.

Out of the 62 programs offered, 21 of them are labeled “Business Majors Only,” giving one-third of all the options exclusively to that college. Students in the seven other undergraduate colleges are missing out on those programs, and limited to the programs remaining — most of which are also open to business students.

There are also only a handful of specialized programs outside of the business college. While many of the 21 undergraduate business programs are for international business majors, it seems unfair to the other majors who only get one specialized program (i.e. advertising and PR, nursing and journalism) or the dozens more who do not have any.

Additionally, the application process, including recommendations and references, is conducted through an online system that can be difficult and confusing to navigate.  Often deadlines are extended and unclear, and once students are accepted into programs they are at the mercy of program directors or liaisons, meaning OIE’s ability to assist students is limited. When abroad, advisers can be difficult to contact and students can end up feeling lost or left alone in their respective non-Marquette communities.

This sometimes overwhelming process of applying for the programs and actually living and studying abroad can and should be streamlined for students’ sake.
The course approval process poses an additional challenge for students, since many of the exchange programs have different educational systems that don’t transfer as easily as other American colleges or community colleges at home. Moreover, many schools abroad do not provide the next semester’s course catalog until after the deadline for course approval submissions, rendering the entire process largely arbitrary.

OIE gives us an important service, and we need its help. But they cannot adequately help students if they offer insufficient resources.

Marquette needs to invest in its study abroad service in order for students to become more involved. It’s an opportunity to set Marquette apart and have excellent study abroad programs for the whole university, not just the College of Business Administration.

We want our students to study abroad, and we want to be able to do so through our own programs, not another university’s. Having a more comprehensive and user-friendly Marquette program would only benefit students and the reputation of the university as a whole.