Several compelling rationales have driven dramatic increases in the number of students that U.S. American postsecondary institutions send abroad each year. The rationales are political, academic, cultural/social, and economic in nature and undeniably integral to developing graduates who are prepared to compete in the global arena. This study was conducted at a large research university in the western U.S.A that shares many postsecondary educational institutions' goal of increasing the number of students engaged in international experiences. To achieve this goal, this institution has implemented an international experience requirement (IER) for approximately 30 disciplines. The aim of this research was to: (1) determine if there exists a difference in desired program duration between students who are subject to the IER and those are not; (2) establish whether degree of interest in study abroad differs by year in school; and (3) examine differences in degree of interest in study abroad by the existence or absence of the IER, preferred program duration, and the interaction of these factors. The author's intent was to augment the cumulative understanding of the field of international education by exploring the area of required international experience, which to date has not been adequately studied. As institutions take measures to send larger proportions of their student body abroad this topic will become increasingly relevant. Existing studies in this area are discussed.