DEFINING AND DEFENDING SHORT-TERM STUDY ABROAD
While nearly all institutions define short-term study abroad as programs that last less than a semester or quarter, there is a great deal of variation within the short-term category. Short-term programs can range from week long programs conducted during spring break in conjunction with a single course, to three- or four-week programs conducted during January term or in the summer, to longer programs of up to eight weeks that can involve homestays, travel to multiple sites, and service or research experiences. Many shortterm programs include several or many of these elements. There is no "average" short-term study abroad program; the variations are as numerous as the institutions that host them.