Wouldn't it be fun to have the opportunity to study abroad in your online graduate program? Many people choose an online graduate program because of the convenience to work wherever, whenever. Yet to create more of a community I think it would be great to offer courses abroad at different times throughout the program. Marist could take a survey and ask students when entering the program if they would be interested in studying abroad, where they feel would be the most beneficial, and when in the program it would fit into their lifestyle. The graduate courses are eight weeks long which most likely would not be realistic for the average graduate student. The majority have careers, children, and other responsibilities that they could not take that much time away from. However I think offering a trip for a week or two weeks and incorporate it into the course would not only be fun but also extremely beneficial. Many employers appreciate travel related to ones education or career because it makes them stand out more as a candidate. There are many articles out there explaining why studying abroad is such a wonderful opportunity. The following article points out five reasons as to why one should consider studying abroad.
A downfall to studying abroad is that some students may not find it affordable, yet I think there could be ways around that. For example, how Marist offers academic scholarships for those maintaining a certain GPA they could do something similar with opportunities to study abroad. They could also offer students to participate in events to help raise money for their trip. By doing so students would be more motivated to succeed in their courses and become more involved as a team to earn an amazing opportunity. Even though it can be more expensive to study abroad than the typical graduate course, generally it is usually cheaper than traveling to these places on your own for pleasure.
What do you think about studying abroad? Is this something you would be interested in? If so what places would you enjoy traveling to? How long would you want the trip to be?
Cornell College in Iowa does one course at a time for undergraduates. A big advantage of this is that students have the opportunity to study abroad within some classes for a few weeks at a time. It would interesting to see a shortened version of this program. Perhaps Marist could offer an elective to the current list of classes in Communication where students know in advance that for one week they will be traveling abroad and examining communication from a cultural point of view.
ReplyDeleteI love that idea! By making it an elective option it also provides an opportunity for the student to have a choice in what course to take.
DeleteKristen, I totally agree with you. Even for working parents with children if the class was limited to two weeks and scheduled in the month of August, those of us working with families could take vacation time and bring our families along. That would be a fantastic experience! Best, Helen.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I love the way you keep changing the look of your web site. You always make it look so fresh!
Thank you Helen! :) I didn't even think of bringing family along but you are right that would be awesome! A great opportunity to study abroad and not have to worry about what your family is going to do. I love that idea, and maybe there could be a meet and greet or family day where everyone can meet everyone's families.
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