Arcadia University #1 in Study Abroad, Open Doors 2009 Reports

GLENSIDE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arcadia University has the highest rate of undergraduate participation in study abroad of any master’s university in the nation, taking the #1 spot for the second year in a row as the Institute of International Education publishes its Open Doors 2009 report today.

“With our new colleges organized around academic synergies this past summer, Arcadia students and faculty are better positioned to engage both across disciplines and within related fields to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

“We prepare our students to be leaders in the world, with the skills, understanding and cultural awareness to excel in a dynamic global society,” says Arcadia University President Jerry Greiner. “Since 2008, we have required all of our undergraduates to have a sustained Global Connections Experience as an integral part of our Undergraduate Curriculum. Whether they are working with homeless shelters in Philadelphia or studying abroad, our students get real-world learning experiences.”

Arcadia’s rate of 109 percent is not only the highest rate among master’s universities, it’s also the second highest rate of all types of universities in the nation. The Open Doors 2009 report is based on data from the academic year 2007-08. The undergraduate participation rate is determined by dividing the number of undergraduate study abroad students by total undergraduate degrees conferred. Arcadia’s rate is 485 students out of 445 graduates. View the rankings.

Arcadia’s emphasis on a global perspective for all students includes its graduate programs, and the number of graduate participation in study abroad in 2007-08 increased by 20 percent, from 138 to 164 students.

"Arcadia is distinct in that all of our students—both graduate and undergraduate—engage in integrative, real-world learning opportunities such as internships, evidence-based research, service learning, interdisciplinary study, problem-based learning, and co-curricular learning opportunities that expand beyond the traditional classroom," says President Jerry Greiner. "With our new colleges organized around academic synergies this past summer, Arcadia students and faculty are better positioned to engage both across disciplines and within related fields to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow."

"With the world as their classroom, Arcadia students are prepared to lead in a changing global society," Greiner adds. "Arcadia is committed to preparing the leaders of tomorrow through immersion with cultures, places, people, and languages around the world—and to meeting the challenges and solving the problems of that changing world through campus internationalization.”

"This is an exciting time at Arcadia where we are poised to truly internationalize the educational experience and respond to local and global needs," says Dr. Steve O. Michael, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

About Arcadia University: Arcadia University is a top-ranked private university in metropolitan Philadelphia and a national leader in study abroad. The 2009 Open Doors report ranks Arcadia University 1st in the nation in the percentage of undergraduate students studying abroad. U.S. News & World Report ranks Arcadia University among the top master’s universities in the North, as one of the top study abroad programs in the nation, and a “top up-and-coming school.” The Physical Therapy program is ranked 7th in the nation. Arcadia University promises a distinctively global, integrative and personal learning experience that prepares students to contribute and prosper in a diverse and dynamic world.