Date Approved

2019

Degree Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department or School

Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology

Committee Member

Grigoris Argeros, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Kristine Ajrouch, Ph.D.

Abstract

International students who move to the United States to study can experience both positive and negative challenges during the process of achieving their educational goals at the higher educational institutions they are enrolled in. This study explored how academic experiences of international students from different racial/or ethnic groups may or may not differ from each other. For this qualitative study, fourteen international graduate students of diverse backgrounds enrolled in the Winter and/or Summer 2018 semesters at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) were interviewed. The results of this study show that there are differences as well as similarities in the academic experiences of international graduate students that can be found in first arrival experiences, cultural challenges, social networks, communication challenges, academic challenges, behaviors, and attitudes. The results of this research provide an overview of the academic experiences of international graduate students of diverse backgrounds and can be used for future research and for greater awareness at institutions and organizations.

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