Investing in Study Abroad and Cultural Engagement: A Win-Win for Career Development

This study both supports and expands the growing body of evidence that there are positive career outcomes associated study abroad and cultural engagement.  Consistent with previous studies, study abroad alumni report that their interest in study abroad influenced their choice of college. This intention to study abroad before starting at university is positively related to the career benefit that alumni report deriving from their time abroad.  Dependent measures include work ethic, skills development, and career choices.  The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of our findings for both program development and student engagement in and preparation for study abroad.  Abstract in French Cette etude soutient et elargit le corpus croissant de preuves selon lesquelles des resultats de carriere positifs sont associes aux etudes a l'etranger et a l'engagement culturel. Conformement aux etudes precedentes, les anciens etudiants qui etudient a l'etranger indiquent que leur interet pour les etudes a l'etranger a influence leur choix d'universite. Cette intention d'etudier a l'etranger avant de commencer a l'universite est positivement liee aux avantages de carriere que les diplomes declarent tirer de leur sejour a l'etranger. Les variables dependantes comprennent l'ethique de travail, le developpement des competences et les choix de carriere. Le document se termine par une discussion des implications de nos resultats pour le developpement de programmes, l'engagement des etudiants et la preparation aux etudes a l'etranger.