St. Louis University-Madrid’s nursing study abroad program is no longer offering spots to Marquette nursing students due to limited capacity and high demand from SLU’s own nursing program.
Marquette sent eight nursing students to SLU-Madrid’s campus in fall 2016 and another eight in fall 2017 before learning this month that the program will no longer be offered.
Jessica Lothman, study abroad coordinator in the Office of International Education, said the lack of spots will not hinder nursing students’ chances to study abroad as they have programs in Dublin, Peru and South Africa.
A program is held at the University College Dublin for nursing students in the spring semester of their junior year, which offers 16 spots. The university also offers a faculty-lead nursing program in Peru in the summer and another in South Africa during J-session, which runs during part of winter break.
The Peru program historically had 10 spaces for undergraduate nursing students. But because of SLU-Madrid dropping their Marquette affiliation, six more spots were added for the next J-session, giving more nursing students the opportunity to study abroad, Lothman said.
In J-session 2018, the South Africa program was five spots under capacity. University College Dublin currently does not have any limitation on space.
SLU-Madrid’s nursing program was an option some nursing students said they were looking forward to.
“My gut reaction was feeling so disheartened. I love the Spanish language, and I came to Marquette under the promise that I, as a nursing student, would be able to study in Madrid — an opportunity that very few nursing schools offer,” Brendan Blaney, a sophomore in the College of Nursing, said.
OIE and the College of Nursing said they are aware students have expressed disappointment, and the offices are working together to increase the capacity in nursing-specific programs.
Blaney pointed out that some students plan their college experiences around study abroad because of expenses.
“Semester programs can be cheaper than semesters in Milwaukee, and any financial aid a person has at Marquette transfers to their semester abroad, making it affordable,” he said.
Lothman said the Office of International Education is working in partnership with the College of Nursing to rectify the decrease in SLU’s study abroad spots.
“(We) remain committed to identifying options and preparing students for an increasingly diverse society and globally-connected world,” Lothman said.
