Study abroad represents a powerful tool for internationalizing students' higher education experience; however, current participation numbers indicate that male students go on study abroad programs at half the rate of female students. This rate reflects broader engagement trends for male college students, who have fallen behind female participation rates in terms of college entry and college completion. If higher education institutions want to prepare global scholars, citizens, and workers ready for the 21st-Century, all students must engage in and benefit from study abroad opportunities. To address this problem, this study employed a mixed methods inquiry at a large, public, Midwestern research university to analyze an institutional survey and conduct personal interviews with male graduating seniors based on a participation model that suggests that institutional, situational, informational, and dispositional factors influence the decision to participation. Based on the themes from the interviews and the qualitative analysis, male students have four motivations related to study abroad, which included (1) fun, (2) cultural learning, (3) resume-building, and (4) major and/or career benefits. Although all four motivations were common amongst the study's volunteers, benefits to the individual's major or career were strongest. From the analysis of these motivations, this study suggests that in relationship to study abroad, male dispositions--specifically their adherence to traditional notions of masculinity--play a vital role in their decision-making process and how they weight these motivations. Other factors related to participation influenced this decision positively or negatively depending on the individual, but the idea that a male should further his career and achieve success was a strong and universal consideration amongst all the volunteers. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]