Students enroll in one or more courses for ACADEMIC CREDIT while studying abroad. The courses are regular, graded UD courses, and most students earn three to seven credits for a summer or winter program. Students in full-semester programs earn 12-15 credits.

A growth area for study abroad, nationally and at the University, is in BUSINESS COURSES, as students see the need for an international perspective in today's global business environment.

The CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES coordinates study-abroad programs at UD, helping faculty members develop and plan programs and assisting groups as they travel.

Each program has at least one faculty DIRECTOR, who plans the program and teaches one or more courses while abroad. Many have two directors, with an average of 12-15 students per faculty member.

Most programs include some EXCURSIONS, side trips that may be a required cultural experience or an optional activity, depending on each student's interests.

Study-abroad participants are not required to speak a FOREIGN LANGUAGE, since most programs are taught in English. But, for those who want to learn or practice a language, study abroad can be the best way to improve fluency, instructors say.

Most programs require a minimum GPA of 2.0 to participate in study abroad, although several semester-long programs raise that requirement to a 2.8.

Lodging during a trip abroad varies according to the program, with students often staying in hotels or in dormitories at host universities, but some also involve HOME STAYS with families. Those stays let students experience everyday life in the country they are visiting.

Many programs are INTERDISCIPLINARY, giving them broader academic content and attracting a more diverse group of students, although the University also offers numerous programs targeted to a specific field or major that are highly successful and popular.

An exchange program with Shoin College in Kobe, JAPAN, allows Delaware students to take language and culture classes at Shoin's Japan Study Center each summer.

The nation's first study-abroad program for undergraduates was launched in 1923, when University of Delaware Prof. Raymond W. KIRKBRIDE took eight juniors to France for a year of study.

One of the most popular destinations is LONDON, where participants have a choice of several programs in such varied subjects as art history, economics, theatre, geography, music, women's studies and comparative literature.

Because each Winter or Summer Session study-abroad program is initiated and developed by faculty, there are many different MODELS. The length of the trip, when it's offered and whether students travel to several destinations or stay in one spot all are factors that vary among programs, as are the number of academic courses available and the overall cost.

NEW PROGRAMS are created each year, and students who have suggestions for different destinations and courses are encouraged to meet with professors and try to interest them in starting a program.

Information about study abroad is available ONLINE at [www.udel.edu/studyabroad].

Courses in PHOTOJOURNALISM are one component of a January 2003 program to Antarctica--a milestone that will mean UD students have traveled to all seven continents.

The QUANTITY and diversity of study-abroad programs continue to increase, with more than 65 programs now offered in more than 30 subjects and 25 countries.

Some programs feature REQUIRED COURSES for particular majors, including engineering and elementary education, where a highly defined curriculum limits students' flexibility. By choosing a trip that fulfills requirements, students majoring in such fields are finding it easier to take part in international study.

Although most trips are shorter, some students go abroad for a full SEMESTER, often in a program sponsored by the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, which emphasizes immersion in a language and culture.

In addition to travel costs and living expenses, study-abroad participants pay the normal UD TUITION for the academic courses in which they enroll. Students receiving financial aid usually can apply that to study abroad.

Study abroad is not just for UPPERCLASSMEN. Many programs encourage freshmen to apply.

A program in South Africa includes an unusual service-learning component, in which participants do VOLUNTEER work at such sites as an AIDS clinic for infants, a day-care center for orphaned children and an elementary school.

The most popular time for overseas programs is the University's five-week WINTER SESSION, when 70-80 percent of all study-abroad participants typically enroll.

A multidisciplinary trip to China to study 5,000 years of language, history, culture and music includes stops in Beijing, Shanghai and XI'AN, home of the Terra-Cotta Warriors.

UD ranked sixth in study-abroad participation rates among top U.S. research institutions in the 2000-01 school YEAR.

While Europe remains the most common destination, the fastest-growing area is in programs to Australia and New ZEALAND, which are increasingly popular with students in Delaware and nationally.