CADC Students Gain Global Perspectives through Study Abroad Experiences

In the mid-1970s, architecture professor Steffan Doerstling led students on informal trips to Mexico and Guatemala, and then the School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture (APLA) launched its first official European study abroad program to Italy in 1979. The McWhorter School of Building Science (BSCI) took its first trip in 2000, quickly growing to one of the most robust portfolios of construction management-focused study abroad programs in the U.S, embedding international experience into the School’s curriculum by visiting 16 countries in the first six years. The School of Industrial and Graphic Design (SIGD) has been taking students abroad since the late 1990s, with trips to Ireland and Taiwan dating back to 1996 and 2002, respectively.

Alumni like Michael Malone ’81 have said that studying abroad changed their lives and careers.

“Study abroad broadens how students see their profession by revealing how culture, context and values shape design and construction worldwide,” said Ben Farrow, CADC Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and International Programs.

For the last several years, CADC has been consistently at the top of the university’s study abroad participation rankings, going neck-and-neck with the College of Human Sciences, which hosts Auburn’s Global Studies program, to provide international education to as many students as possible. Over half of CADC graduates study abroad at some point during their time at Auburn, making international education one of the signature experiences of CADC programs.

Over the last 15 years, CADC has offered an average of 11 different study abroad programs annually, traveling throughout fall, spring and summer terms.

That’s how many cities CADC students and faculty have visited on official program itineraries—not to mention the adventures they had on their own.

Since 2010, CADC has sent 136 students abroad annually—an average of 58 APLA students, 26 BSCI students, 35 SIGD students and 17 MRED students.

In the last 15 years, nearly 1,800 CADC students have studied abroad, exploring historic landmarks and world-class manufacturing companies.

During 2020 and 2021, study abroad programs were interrupted and cancelled across multiple semesters, bringing over 70 students back to Auburn. However, in the last few years, the programs have made a comeback, jumping up to 17 different programs offered across the College. In the 2025–2026 academic year, students explored 36 cities across 21 countries.

APLA students journeyed from Europe to Asia with architecture students seeking out Bernt Nyberg chapels in Scandinavia and Kengo Kuma museums in Japan. Landscape Architecture students studied plant life and garden designs across France and Switzerland and Japan, while Environmental Design students explored large- and small-scale projects throughout Catalonia, which boasts a strong sense of cultural identity.

This year, SIGD students dove into long-established design hubs like Germany, as well as emerging centers for technology and manufacturing like Japan and Taiwan. Meanwhile, MRED students headed to both Taiwan and Singapore to see how to leverage development in rapidly industrializing coastal climates.

“Seeing how others practice the disciplines within the CADC and where value is realized helps students understand that professional practice is not universal,” Farrow said. “Immersion in place challenges students to reconsider how problems are defined and addressed, strengthening their judgment and adaptability.”