Importance of an International Education

Northwestern encourages students in its six undergraduate schools to incorporate study abroad into their academic career.  Other important figures agree:

  • "International education prepares our citizens to live, work, and compete in the global economy, and promotes tolerance and the
    reduction of conflict. [. . .] [I]t is important for American students to learn other languages, experience foreign cultures, and develop a broad understanding of global issues."
    - Colin Powell, first African American Secretary of State and a retired four-star general in the United States Army.

  • "We are all being influenced by the same tides of political, social and technological change. We are connected by travel, sport, communications and commerce. Your actions here in Evanston can influence life in Eritrea; and what happens in India has implications for Illinois. [. . .] And in such a world, we need each and every individual to act as a global citizen."
    - Kofi Annan, 7th Secretary-General of the United Nations and a 2001 co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, speaking at Northwestern University's commencement, 2002.

But why should your son or daughter spend time studying in a foreign country when they worked so hard to get in to Northwestern in the first place? Great question! Following are some of the most important reasons why Northwestern views study abroad as a crucial part of a well-rounded undergraduate education:

  • To become a "Global Citizen" in today's interconnected world
  • To develop new perspectives on academic subjects and real-world issues
  • To improve proficiency in a foreign language
  • To experience personal growth
  • To develop valuable career skills such as problem solving, independence, multicultural perspectives, flexibility, communication, and the ability to learn effectively in unfamiliar settings.
  • To take part in a life-changing experience

Take it from Northwestern returnees:

  • "Study abroad was great in that it changed the way I view my home and my country. It brought a new sense of self, a new awareness of my American place in the world. I now know how to travel anywhere and be alone overseas. And in terms of my [Classics] major, it allowed me to see who the Greeks and Italians really were and how they are now."
     - Elizabeth Gabel, Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, Study Abroad in Greece

  • "I loved [my] program. It was probably the best experience of my life and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I learned so much about myself, others, and the world around me. I can truly say that my experience there has changed me and my life goals in a way that staying at school would have never been able to do."
     - Jessica Tai, School of Education and Social Policy, Study Abroad in South Africa

To read a Northwestern University parent's perspective on study abroad, see this NU Parent Letter.

For more information about why your student should study abroad, click here.

To see what study abroad is all about at Northwestern, read the NU Study Abroad Office Mission Statement.