Benefit/cost analysis for international study options

All engineering graduates from Union College are required to complete the "Other Languages; Other Cultures; Other Disciplines" portion of the College General Education program. Student can meet this requirement through completing three courses in a modern language, completing a three course cultural diversity track (African, East Asian, or Latin American studies), or participating in a variety of programs that require travel abroad. Approximately, 89% of the engineering students at Union opt for actual international travel. The authors believe that Union is unique in having such a large percentage of its engineering students experiencing first hand the culture of another country. This paper describes each of the international travel options in some detail, then presents a benefit/cost type analysis of the various international program options. Both direct (tuition, housing, etc.) and indirect (administrative overhead, faculty time, etc.) costs are estimated, and types of programs ranked by cost/student participating. Benefits, although much harder to quantify can nonetheless be identified and ranked according to their probable impact on the professional development of the student engineer. For example, longer programs give student engineers a longer exposure to the culture of the host country, and thus generally a better understanding of how to interact with people from different cultures in the global marketplace. Once developed, the two lists can be used to recommend where universities should best invest scarce resources.