Studying abroad can teach engineering students about the differences in engineering in different contexts and the importance of incorporating diverse perspectives in their work. When institutions are designing study abroad programs, there is value in gaining an understanding of how students are making their decisions of whether and where to study abroad so that program leaders know what to prioritize and emphasize. This study uses the theoretical framework of the push-pull model of international exchange choices to analyze students’ answers of how they chose a study abroad program for an undergraduate chemical engineering unit operations lab Students could choose to enroll in a summer lab course at their home institution or one of two destinations in Europe. Pull factors draw interested students toward a specific choice, which is the focus of this study. The results indicate that program-specific aspects are valued by students, along with cultural connections and personal connections. Costs, which can be financial, personal, or duration based, also are significantly weighted by students. Institutions can use these discoveries to know what information to present to students and which program design considerations seem to matter to students as they seek to build interest in a specific study abroad program.
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