Are British Columbians Ready for the World? Enhancing Study Abroad Opportunities for BC Undergraduate Students

The focus of this capstone is on study abroad participation among undergraduate students at public universities in British Columbia (BC). In this capstone, I explore the economic and developmental benefits of international learning for students, estimate the current rate of study abroad in BC and discuss the policy tools available to the BC Government to encourage more students to study abroad. The current rate of international learning among BC university students suggests that there is ample room for growth in study abroad participation. Provincial policies available to the BC Government include: biennial study abroad data collection, enlisting the private sector, improving professional development, enhancing the BC Study Abroad Consortium, and establishing an international mobility program.