By BRIAN BIGELOW
Guest Writer
Studying abroad is not just for students majoring in foreign languages. For instance, APSU offers a 12-day study abroad program in Russia where students can earn upper division credit in Biology, and a London summer program that can apply to classes in art, English, geography, psychology or theatre, to name a few.
There is an information session for the Quebec study abroad trip scheduled for Thursday Feb. 18, at 4 p.m. in the UC, room 305.
The Quebec trip, from July 4 to Aug. 7, is a French language immersion program.
“On the first day of the [Quebec] program, students sign an agreement to only speak in French for the duration of the five-week program,” said Karen Sorenson, professor of languages and literature.
“For some students, it jump-starts their speaking skills, transitioning them from the classroom to real life communication situations. For other students, studying abroad can be truly life-changing.”
The application deadline for the trip is April 1.
APSU offers annual summer study-abroad trips to Austria, Mexico, Quebec, Russia, Spain and a joint trip to multiple cities in Germany and France.
APSU also offers exchange programs during the spring and fall semesters in Austria, France, Korea, Sweden and Taiwan.
Trips to Greece and Japan are not being offered this year, said Brie Vogt, assistant coordinator of International Education. The Japan exchange program is offered every other year.
An information session is also scheduled for the Sweden exchange program, at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 17 in MUC room 305, as well as 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18 in MUC room 312. The deadline for applications is April 15.
In addition, APSU is a member of the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (CCSA).
CCSA is a consortium of 24 American colleges and universities, headquartered at Belmont University in Nashville, which “offers study-abroad programs and internships in English-speaking regions,” according to the CCSA Web site, www.ccsa.cc
CCSA summer study-abroad destinations this year include Australia, Belize, Canada, Ghana, Jamaica, London and two separate trips each to Ireland and Scotland. CCSA also offers winter semester programs including Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 semesters in London.
“Each program offers a unique set of courses and experiences particular to the sites visited, all involve focused course activities, field trips, and cultural enrichment activities under the guidance of faculty from
CCSA member institutions,” according to the CCSA Web site.
“They’re wonderful educational opportunities,” said Mickey Wadia, campus coordinator for CCSA. “You get opportunities that you wouldn’t get in the United States.”
The program helps to “foster global understanding” and “cooperation among cultures,” said Wadia, adding that the study-abroad experience helps to highlight both the similarities and differences of world cultures.
“I learned that Tennessee is just one tiny corner of a very large planet that I will never even see half of,” said Jackie Mosley, senior English major, about her trip to London with CCSA. “It was an experience I would never trade for anything.”
The application deadline for all 2010 CCSA summer study-abroad programs is Friday, Feb. 26.
Applications can be found on the CCSA Web site. For more information contact Wadia at wadiam@apsu.edu.
The cost of the CCSA summer study-abroad trips and the APSU-sponsored trips varies based on destination. Some CCSA destination give the option to arrange for one’s own airfare and costs can range from $2,095 at the cheapest, to $5,695 at the most expensive.
APSU-sponsored trips are divided into five price levels, level 1, the cheapest, is $2,000 to $3,000, and increases in $1,000 increments until level 5, the most expensive at $6,000 to $7,000.
Prices are arranged in levels to account for potential fluctuation in airfare, tuition, fee rates and exchange rates.
Any of a student’s scholarships or financial aid, such as grants and loans that not already dedicated to school expenses can be applied to pay for the cost of the trips.
There are also local and national grants and scholarships available for study abroad programs.
These include, but are not limited to: the Clarksville Sunrise Rotary Club International Scholarship, Global Learning Merit Scholarships and Travel Grants and Study-Abroad Ambassador Scholarships.
The application deadline for the scholarships listed above is March 4.
In addition, there are scholarships specific to certain study-abroad destinations including Spain, France and Korea.
Other upcoming application deadlines include the Korea fall semester exchange program (May 25), Russia study abroad (Saturday, Feb. 27), and the Taiwan fall semester exchange program (April 15).
Additional information about the study abroad programs, CCSA, and applicable financial aid is available at the APSU International Education Web site.
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