1.) Why bother to study abroad? What's there to gain?
Students that study abroad gain global literacy and develop a more global view of God's kingdom and their role in it. Many college students in America have difficulty communicating in another language or explaining one aspect of U.S. foreign policy. Only occasionally or rarely do they watch non-American news or TV, look up something on map of other country, or think about why other countries have different perspective than the U.S. However, those that study abroad are on average significantly above those that do not in all of these areas (Chieffo & Griffiths, 2003).
 
2.) Will studying abroad enhance my chance of getting a job upon graduation?
Yes, according to some data published by the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program (2005, link available in this site):
  • "Fully one in six American jobs is now tied to international trade."
  • "More than 65 federal agencies, ranging from the Central Intelligence Agency to the Peace Corps, annually nee to fill 34,000 positions requiring foreign language skills - a requirement that is often unmet or filled only through outside contractors."
  • "Corporate leaders rank international curricula high on their priority list of what's important in American higher education."
  • "There is near unanimity among American personnel officers that job applicants with international experience are likely to possess desirable skills in cross-cultural communication, cultural awareness, leadership, and independence."
3.) Why Brazil?
  • Although there is a clear preference for Western European destinations among US college students studying abroad, the Commission on the Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Fellowship Program (2005) indicates that it is from the "emerging giants" such as Brazil, China, and India that a large proportion of the global labor force will be coming in the near future (in fact, some analysts say this is already reality).
  • Increasing safety concerns for Americans traveling to Europe or Asia leave Latin America as a sensible choice.
  • Seeking to make study abroad less Eurocentric, US federal funding agencies prefer applicants that are heading to "nontraditional" countries, and so "over the past decade more colleges, universities, and educational exchange organizations have been offering an increasing array of programs in parts of the world beyond Europe" (Jenkins, 2005). The most recent data from multiple sources show Latin American countries as second only to European countries in programs hosting US college students. 
  • With the money exchange rates favoring the Euro against US dollars, American travelers find better deals flying to South America. 
 
4.) Why a short-term program?
Short-term programs (usually during the summer) have grown the most in the last 10 to 15 years (Dessoff, 2006). They tend to have these 3 advantages over either semester- or year-long programs:
  • For students who have never left the United States (and most college students are in this situation), a short-term program may make more sense as a first experience abroad.
  • Most college students find it very hard to interrupt job, family, and other obligations for a long time in order to pursue study abroad.
  • Cost is much lower than that for either a semester or a full-year program.
5.) How is the Săo Paulo study abroad any different from other options that I have at Malone?
  • This is the first faculty-approved program open to all majors that allows one to earn required General Education credit (3 credit hours in the "Global Connections" menu).
  • The travel experience component may also be used toward the "cross-cultural experience" requirement, provided that you take the SOSC211 workshop.
  • This is the only Malone course abroad that incorporates foreign language with a Malone faculty native of the host country and service learning into the curriculum.
  • Because this course involves service learning, it also allows participants to do fundraising to defray travel costs.
1.800.521.1146