For students at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School, securing a top-choice destination for studying abroad is competitive. Only three in five Goizeuta students will study abroad in their top-ranked choice this upcoming Spring.
Each year, the business school sends students around the world through its network of 48 partner exchange programs across more than 30 countries. For Goizueta students planning to study abroad this upcoming year, the business school assigned locations to students in late September through an application process. According to Associate Director of University Communications Rachel Smith, this year, the business school assigned 60% of students their first choice location, 10% their second and 11% their third, meaning that 19% of students did not get one of their top choices. She added that the University did not have statistics for previous years.
Despite the selectivity, studying abroad is a popular academic pathway for Emory’s business students. According to Goizueta’s study abroad website, 30% of business students choose to further their business education abroad. Additionally, students who study abroad can build their network, learn about other cultures and connect with international students. Goizueta students directly enroll in partner universities abroad, taking classes alongside local and exchange students.
Only students enrolled in the Business School may participate in the school’s 48 partner exchange programs, meaning that students exclusively pursuing a Bachelor of Business Administration are not able to study abroad through the Emory College of Arts and Sciences (ECAS) programs. Instead, ECAS students access study abroad offerings administered by the Office of International and Summer Programs, rather than Goizueta’s exchange track.
Goizueta’s exchange programs require specific prerequisites and follow a “body-to-body” model with partner business schools, meaning the business school must match business students going abroad with incoming international students. The exchange structure means students compete for a limited number of spots.
