Study Abroad Program Offers New Learning Experiences in Multiple Destinations
Victoria Heishman
Ever want to experience a foreign culture or adventure through a city not so familiar?
Manchester may be able to fulfill that dream because it offers a variety of places for student to study abroad. The locations offered are Austria (Vienna), Belgium (Brussels), China (Dalian), Ecuador (Quito), England (Cheltenham), France (Strasbourg), Germany (Marburg), Greece (Athens), India (Chennai), Ireland (Maynooth), Japan (Sapporo), Mexico (Xalapa), New Zealand (Dunedin) and Spain (Barcelona). Many of these countries are restricted to only the fall semester for the academic year, while others, such as France, Greece, Japan and Spain allow for the spring semester as well.
Some countries, such as Germany and Spain, may also have a language requirement of reaching a specific fluency or attended so many years of language classes. Others, such as Japan, may not have a language requirement other than taking classes to study the language while there. Along with the language requirements in order to study abroad, students must have an application filled out and submitted before the deadlines, which vary, and are posted on the Manchester website. [1] This application form is subject for approval by the MU Business Office, Student Financial Services and other members of MU Success Net, and can take about one week for processing.
During this process, students will also be required to write an application essay and provide one to two references from academic advisors or other professors. Just like a reference on a resume, the student may not use a family member as a reference for the study abroad application. Recommendation letters will always be reviewed by the MU Office for Study Abroad.
Many students throw out the idea of studying abroad due to the costs, but there are many scholarships available for students, like the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship, Freeman-ASIA Award, MU Kauffman Award and the MU Study Abroad Award. Students are able to check out bcastudyabroad.org for BCA scholarships as well.
Other activities for students who are interested in studying abroad is attending the “Celebrating Diversity Workshop,” which requires registration in advance, as well as “Pre-departure Study Abroad Workshops” which are required for students prior to departure. These events are typically on the evenings in April and November.
All students are required to pay for their plane tickets and passports. The visa required for any country are distributed upon acceptance to that program. Some universities require that the students pay an acceptance fee, though LCCF and HGU do not currently have fees. There is a medical evaluation that is required, otherwise known as “Certification of Health.”
Contact Thelma Rohrer for more information on study abroad experiences.