Summer study abroad programs sponsored by the Global Education Office for Undergraduates are increasingly becoming a part of Duke students’ summer experiences.
The Global Education Office has added new programs in recent years—the newest, which will begin this Summer, is a neuroeconomics program at Duke Kunshan University in China. The programs have also grown in the number of participating students, having expanded from serving 280 students in 2010 to 383 students in 2014. They vary greatly in their size, focus and goals, Amanda Kelso, GEO executive director and assistant vice provost for undergraduate education, wrote in an email.
“Each summer has a unique set of programs and world circumstances, but there appears to be an overall trend of growth,” she wrote.
The number of domestic study away programs Duke offers has also increased in recent years, Kelso added. For a long time, Duke in New York was the only domestic program the GEO offered in the summer, but now the offerings have expanded to include Duke in Chicago and Duke in Silicon Valley. In the future, a Duke in Alaska program affiliated with the biology department may be offered.
Although the smaller programs may have 10 to 20 students, Duke in Oxford—one of the largest—typically has more than 40. Kelso explained that determining which programs are most popular can sometimes be difficult. Smaller programs may attract as much student interest as larger programs, but are simply limited by size constraints.
The programs in Europe tend to draw the most students, Kelso wrote. But although the European programs have value, she added, some of the smaller programs that offer more unique opportunities can be overlooked.
“Sometimes we build great academic programs offering incredible learning experiences, and we struggle with enrollment,” Kelso wrote. “I wouldn’t say these programs have declining popularity, but they do struggle against the Duke student tendency to cluster in the European programs.”
Sarah Russell, director of academic engagement in global and civic opportunities, said she helps students think through some of the options they have when selecting summer programs and decide how they can integrate their experience into their other coursework at Duke.
“While we encourage [studying abroad], we don’t necessarily say everybody has to do it,” Russell said.
Summer study away options can be great alternatives for students who cannot fit in a semester abroad due to a heavy courseload, Russell explained. Other reasons students are attracted to the summer programs include the opportunity to complete a Trinity requirement, an opportunity to travel without missing an entire semester at Duke and short-term language immersion, she said. Russell also noted that summer study abroad programs can be a great option for underclassmen who have not yet declared their majors. When students study abroad during the school year, they usually must take at least one or two courses for their major.
Carina Arellano, a junior who participated in Duke in Oxford in Summer 2014, said the classes she took through the program fulfilled some graduation requirements, and although they were not for her major, the classes were still valuable.
“Being able to discuss hot-button issues like drones, a just war or the ethics of eating meat with my professor and classmates made it easier to defend a position and more difficult to not see the devil's advocate's position,” she wrote in an email.
Several students who participated in summer study abroad programs in 2014 noted that although they were taking classes in a different university with different professors, the majority of their time abroad was still spent with Duke students. This has contributed to a somewhat negative perception of the programs, students admitted.
“Sometimes study abroad becomes groups of Americans partying in other countries,” said Zach Heater, a junior who participated in Duke in Oxford in Summer 2014.
Heater said that although his courseload in Oxford was fairly demanding, he would describe it as equal parts academic and fun.
Elizabeth George, a junior who participated in Duke in Turkey in Summer 2014, said she chose the program because it was outside her comfort zone.
Unlike Spanish, which she will speak when she studies in Madrid this Fall, she had little experience with Turkish before the program. Although the students attended frequent “survival Turkish” language lessons, cultural immersion and communication still proved difficult, she said. In addition to the language barrier, Duke students in the program only took classes made up of other Duke students and stayed in international wings of the dormitories together.
“90 percent of our time was spent with each other,” George said.
Arellano said she appreciated the opportunity to interact with Duke students whom she normally would not have crossed paths with.
Junior Cassie Yuan, who participated in Duke in Singapore in Summer 2014, said she felt the fact that most interactions were with other Duke students was one of the program's downsides.
“Our class was half-Duke, half-[National University of Singapore], but it was a pity that all the NUS students lived far from the campus so most of them went home as soon as the day was over,” Yuan said. “I really wish that we had had spent more time together. The division of my time was expected, but again, I wish I had given more effort to get to know the Singaporean students better.”
Kelso noted that not every summer program has cultural immersion as a goal, but if students are looking for that aspect of an experience, they must be prepared to personally put forth effort to get it.
“If cultural immersion is a goal, students should keep that in mind when choosing a program, and should constantly seek out immersive experiences once abroad,” Kelso wrote. “A study abroad program can only do so much to immerse you in culture and language—you have to be willing to engage your surroundings if you want maximum benefit.”
The University strives to ensure that students' desires to study abroad during the Summer are not limited by cost.
"Students may receive institutional financial aid for up to two summer terms, including summer Duke-In Global Education programs," according to the Duke Financial Aid website.
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