1. SAN JOSE, Calif. – Imagine spending the summer exploring a foreign country fully
immersed in a new culture hoping to return with an updated resume that includes global
experience.
Since the fall 2015 semester, all incoming freshmen and transfer students in the School of
Journalism and Mass Communications are required to study abroad before graduation, but the
biggest worry students have is the cost.
Arielle Siegel, who studied abroad in Paris last summer said, “It was hard to pay for the
trip. You don't think about how much money you're spending especially with all the
conversions,” said Siegel, a senior at SJSU. “ I was completely broke when I got back to
America, but I believe that spending money on experience instead of material things is way more
rewarding.”
According to the JMC website, in order to accommodate student interests, time
commitments and budget constraints, a variety of international experiences will be approved for
this program.
Transfer students who are now required to study abroad and fulfill an internship
requirement are finding it difficult to complete both mandatory tasks before they graduate.
These students are also concerned about the costs, but instructors are able to see the big
picture on how these international experiences will ultimately benefit future career decisions.
PR professor Matt Cabot, said that there is a lot of flexibility when it comes to fulfilling
the requirement of the international experience.
“We are big believers in international programs because students become far more
competitive in marketable jobs,” said Cabot.

2. In order to satisfy the requirement for an international experience, students must travel
outside the U.S., the program must be a minimum of nine days and students must receive
academic credit.
Miranda Honnoll said, “Being able to discover a new culture and travel to all of the
different cities was overwhelming to the point where you would have to take a step back to
cherish the small moments,” said Honnoll, a PR major at SJSU. “Also, the architecture is
amazing so studying abroad is something everyone should experience.”
According to the journal New Directions for Student Services by Cindy Miller-Perrin and
Don Thompson, study abroad programs have continually increased in the last 20 years.
SJSU knows that offering study abroad programs to students is important because it gives
the students a chance to “develop knowledge, skills, attitudes, and experiences necessary either
to compete successfully in the global marketplace or to work toward finding and implementing
solutions to problems of global significance,” said Miller-Perrin and Thompson.
According to the SJSU website, “Students who are approved for a travel alternative are
required to complete a 1-unit online seminar in conjunction with 20 hours of service in a local
service organization. Students must select an organization that serves individuals or communities
representing a cultural heritage or background that is different than their own.”
“Studying abroad would be beneficial for students because it would open up new
opportunities and experience, but the only unfortunate part is the cost,” said PR major, Gabriel
Munoz.
The main concern with this new requirement is the price because trips can range from a
week abroad to a yearlong program.

3. Most programs range from $3,000 to $5,000 and that doesn’t include the flights, food, or
spending while abroad.
“The cost of traveling is extremely high. I spent about $3,000 while I was there. I wish I
had saved more money honestly,” said Honnoll.
However, there are several programs that satisfy the requirement such as the Semester
Exchange Program, Faculty Led Program or an Independent Study Abroad Program.
For students who take at least a six unit course for a program are able to qualify for
financial aid that would help decrease the initial expenses.
Although for the students who don’t qualify for financial aid, there are a few scholarships
offered to help lower the expenses of the program.
The College of Applied Sciences and Arts offers the Dean's International Scholarship to
24 qualified students each semester in the amount of up to $800 for each scholarship.
The scholarship is a start to funding these trips, but since this program only recently
became mandatory, “we are still in the development of more funding because we know it is the
main issue,” said Cabot.
The international experience will need to be fulfilled prior to graduation, however the
only options to defer from the program completely will be due to extreme hardships with health
and or family, or if a student has already participated in a significant study abroad program
according to the JMC website.
“Studying abroad will help anyone grow and learn, however to make it mandatory can be
tricky regarding funding,” Madison Daily said, “so if there are a lot of funding options, then it’s
a great idea,” said Daily, a journalism major at SJSU.

4. Rene Siegel, a SJSU alumna of the PR program, agrees with Cabot’s view on studying
abroad.
“We live in a global economy so making students study abroad will be highly beneficial
when they start looking for a job,” said Siegel.
Siegel and Cabot also agree that this is a great opportunity for personal change because
students will get a broader perspective of career goals from another country and their aspirations
will become bigger.
Students will ultimately appreciate what they have and will be able to gain more
knowledge about new cultures by studying abroad.
Financial difficulties shouldn’t discourage students from going on a trip that will benefit
them in the long run said Siegel.
“The trip gave me a better sense of the world around me and gave me a stronger passion
for traveling. It also gave me a reality I did not have before from finances to working abroad,”
said Honnoll. “I would now be open to working in a foreign company, which is something I was
skeptical about in the past.”
Last summer, PR Professor Christine Di Salvo took a group of students, including
Honnoll and Siegel, on a faculty led program to Paris.
Di Salvo said she had an amazing experience and received wonderful feedback from the
students that attended the program with her.
“The trip enlarged the horizons for PR students, but honestly everyone can benefit from
studying abroad,” said Di Salvo.

5. Freshmen and transfer students in the JMC department will be the first students to
experience the mandatory program, but hopefully in the future other funding options will become
available so more students can study abroad easily before they graduate.
“We as a department are super excited about the program because the return on
investment is stunning,” said Cabot.
According to the “Counselor Education and Supervision” journal written by Jayne E.
Smith, Garrett McAuliffe and Kelly S. Rippard, “students experience personal growth,
awareness of cultural diversity and knowledge, changes in worldviews and understanding of
social structures.”
Although these trips will be expensive to say the least, the benefits outweigh the cost
because in the end the experiences students will receive are priceless.
“Every single person should study abroad at least once. Some advice I would give
students would be to save up money, do more research on the culture, and overall just have an
open mind and you will have the best experience possible,” said Arielle Siegel.