Our Mission
International education at Murray State University involves all aspects of academic and campus life: teaching, residential living, special programs and events, relations with other institutions at home and abroad, student and scholar services, study abroad programs, and English as a Second Language study and activities.
As the University’s central focal point for international education, the Institute for International Studies directly provides support for international students and scholars, MSU students studying abroad, international visits, and community education.
Mandated by the university’s mission statement to promote international education, Murray State has historically been at the forefront of Kentucky’s effort to globalize higher education in the Commonwealth.
Specifically, the Institute for International Studies promotes these efforts through:
- Support of international studies activities across the campus and surrounding communities
- Study Abroad programs and assistance with volunteer programs and internships abroad for students
- International student recruitment and retention
- Faculty & Professional Staff international professional development experiences such as Europe in Transition Seminar in Regensburg, Germany; Discover Korea; Discover China; and other development programs abroad
- Student exchange programs abroad
- Assistance to visiting international scholars and faculty
- Logistical assistance for faculty teaching or research
- Assistance for faculty who have questions on working with international students in advisement and in the classroom
- Cooperation with the university’s graduate program in TESOL
- The English as a Second Language Program
- Special programs including short and long-term group study in English
- Other cooperative support for departmental initiatives
A Message from Our Director
Dear Visitor,
As the director of the Institute for International Studies here at Murray State University, I want to welcome you to our homepage.
I am truly impressed with the energy, diversity, and contributions of those students from over sixty countries who attend Murray State University.
This is a very special place where students, faculty, and staff come together to share their unique perspectives in the rural community of Murray, Kentucky - located in America's heartland.
Our university prides itself on the safe and hospitable environment it provides - where studies can be pursued in small classes with professors who have a keen interest in international issues. Many of our professors have taught and worked in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific rim.
The Institute for International Studies is organized to assist you in all aspects of your life at MSU, from settling into your living quarters to registration to socializing both on and off campus. I look forward to meeting you personally on your arrival at Murray State University.
Please take advantage of this homepage to learn more about international student life at the university. If there are questions I can answer for you individually, send me an E-mail message directly at michael.basile@murraystate.edu.
A History of International Studies at Murray State University
The Institute for International Studies has developed from the volunteerism, dedication, and energies of many individuals at Murray State University. Without full faculty oversight and involvement, the mission of international education at MSU could not be fulfilled.
Click HERE to learn how these individuals helped to make Murray State a truly international university.
