Australia. Spain. The United Kingdom. These are only a few destinations that Sonoma State University’s study abroad program offers its participants.

Studying abroad as a college student is a once-in-a-lifetime, life-changing opportunity—one Sonoma State has recently gained acclaim for providing.

The Institute of International Education, a leading nonprofit educational and cultural exchange group, has ranked Sonoma State as one of the nation’s top five universities for studying abroad, giving it the number five spot among colleges that provide master’s degrees. 

The number of Sonoma State students studying abroad each year keeps rising, with 89 students studying around the world for a full academic year.

This is an increase from the 2015 – 2016 school year, when 63 students studied abroad for the full academic year, according to Sonoma State’s website. 

Since the 2013 – 2014 school year, 101 Sonoma State students have taken part in the National Student Exchange to study in the United States and its territories, according to the website.

A major driving force behind Sonoma State’s study abroad program is International and Exchange Programs Advisor Hope Ortiz. She is proud of the university’s high ranking, and said the CSU International Programs’ year-long arrangements are beneficial and affordable for multiple college campuses.

“You’ll notice that many of the other [nationally] ranked campuses are CSU campuses, and I think that is because we all use the CSU International [Programs],” Ortiz said. “The majority of SSU students studying abroad participate in CSU IP, and [the] chancellor’s office has made it a real priority of the program to only be a year long because of the developmental and experiential benefits of staying for a full academic year.”

Ortiz said students who study abroad through this program can take advantage of financial aid. She emphasized faculty advising on appropriate courses to take that will benefit a student’s degree while studying abroad.

“I think the reason we have a strong year-long study abroad program is in part thanks to the support of faculty and academic departments,” Ortiz said. “For students to study abroad for a full year, we need to make sure the classes are all going to be beneficial to their degree, so it’s critical for the departments to accept these courses and advise students on appropriate courses. The time faculty take for this advising process is immensely important.”

While Ortiz was an undergraduate at Sonoma State, she studied abroad for a year in Mexico. She said this experience helped her to grow as a person, make new friends, and speak fluent Spanish after “struggling to learn the language for five years.”

“Oftentimes students are afraid to study abroad for the year,” Ortiz said, “thinking they won’t feel comfortable or that they will miss out on stuff back here at home, but what you get out of the experience is more impactful than anything I experienced at SSU or throughout my life so far.”

For more information on SSU’s Study Abroad Program visit web.sonoma.edu/cie/.