International Students
In keeping with our mission and commitment to diversity, Occidental College enthusiastically welcomes international students into our community each year. Such students become an essential component of both the intellectual and social life on campus. There are no separate or isolated classes or dormitories for international students; rather, we find that the cultural and global perspective that they offer greatly benefits the entire student population, so they are fully integrated in the Oxy community.
In the 2010-2011 academic year, we were excited to welcome 19 new international students from Botswana, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. In addition to those 19 degree-seeking students, the campus also welcomed 15 exchange students who come to us from England, France, Hong Kong, Spain, and the Dominican Republic. These students were with us for one year before returning to their home institutions.
In addition to the above mentioned countries, within the past few years, Occidental College has welcomed degree-seeking students from Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, England, France, Japan, Jordan, Nepal, the People's Republic of China, the Philippines, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and Thailand.
Throughout their career at Occidental, students rely on the International Programs Office whose staff, each of whom has experience living and working overseas, provide information, advising, and advocacy on immigration and cultural adjustment matters.
International students also draw on the resources of Occidental's Career Development Center to obtain internships, career advice, and interviews with prospective employers. Many international Occidental alumni have gone on to distinguished careers, including Academy Award-winning French film director Marcel Ophuls '50; Aggrey Mbere '69, South African ambassador to Rwanda; Wahid Hamid '83 of Hong Kong, president of Twinwood Technologies Ltd.; and investment banker Soroosh Shambayati '86 of London.
