International Study

Based on the belief that international experience is vital to successful leadership in all academic and professional fields, the Center for International Initiatives (CII) is dedicated to the promotion and development of international co-curricular opportunities for all members of the Millsaps community. International study typically takes place between the completion of a student's first and third year of study at Millsaps College. A student may arrange to study abroad for a semester, year, or summer. The timing of study is determined, in part, by a student's academic program and progress toward completion of their degree requirements.

Students interested in international study should contact the CII as much as a year in advance of their intended term of departure for assistance in planning and program selection. Programs are located in every corner of the world, cover virtually all interest areas, and typically have one or more of the following foci: academic, fine arts, service, internship, language and teaching. The Study Abroad office provides information on programs sponsored by Millsaps College, in addition to those sponsored by other organizations.

Among Millsaps students, the most popular program choices are those designed, directed, and taught by Millsaps faculty each summer. Millsaps programs are located in France, Costa Rica, Mexico/Yucatan, China, Greece/Italy, and Europe (Business or Liberal Arts). In addition, a winter break course for business students is offered in the Yucatan. Participants receive full academic credit for select core and major requirements without having to worry about  transfer credit issues. In addition, diect exchange options are offered in Japan, Ireland, and Scotland.

Financial Aid for Study Abroad
Students who receive or are eligible to receive federal financial aid may apply these funds toward the cost of study in an approved program. Unsubsidized federal loans for the purpose of study abroad are available for students who do not qualify for need-based aid. The Millsaps Alternative Loan Program enables most students to cover the full cost of any off-campus study program. Eligibility for the loan is based on the total cost of off-campus study, less any other financial aid received. Student must be credit-worthy or have a credit-worthy co-signer. Interest accrual begins immediately. The payback period begins 6 months after graduation with no penalty for early payment.

Millsaps academic scholarships may not be applied toward off-campus study. Students planning international study during the fall or spring semester must complete the Application for Office Campus Study (see below) in order to maintain eligibility to retain academic scholarships. However, it will be necessary to reapply for need-based aid.

A number of scholarship programs are available to assist students in affording study abroad. Several key award programs are listed below. A complete listing can be found on the Millsaps web site at www.millsaps.edu/stuafr/career/scholarships.shtml

The Freeman Awards for Study In Asia offers qualified undergraduate U.S. citizens or permanent residents the financial support to travel and learn in countries in East and Southeast Asia for up to one academic year. Grants range between $3,000 to $7,000 depending on the length of stay. Priority is given to students with no previous experience in Asia.

Benjamin Gilman Scholarship for Study Abroad. Need-based scholarship offering grants of up to $5,000 to assist with study abroad related expenses. Applications only considered from students who are receiving a Pell grant at the time of application.

Rotary Scholarships provide funding for up to one academic year of study in another country. This award is intended to help cover round-trip transportation, tuition, fees, room and board expenses, and some educational supplies. Application must be made through a local Rotary club in the applicant's legal or permanent residence or place of full-time study or employment. Deadlines vary by district.

Academic Credit for Study Abroad
To receive Millsaps academic credit in a non-Millsaps sponsored program, all students must complete an Application for Off-Campus Study, which can be found in the Study Abroad Office (3rd Floor, Student Center). Program choice and courses for Millsaps credit must be pre-approved. Students seeking such credit should not make a final commitment to a program until such approval is received.

Winter Term Global Business in Latin America
Students will learn to assess and understand geographic, environmental, economic, social-cultural, political, and legal factors that impact the business environment of Latin America. The course includes 6 hours of formal classroom instruction at Millsaps College before departure for the region and an additional 38 hours of classroom instruction once there. In addition to the classroom instruction, students will participate in field trips that expose them to the history and culture of the region as well as to various leaders of business, industry, and government. Study begins in the region at the Helen Moyers Reserve at Kiuic, where students will gain an understanding of the most basic forms of economic activity (subsistence farming, hunting, and logging) and in part to see the remnants of the colonial hacienda economic model. From there the program will move to the modern city of Merida for the study of the industrial development of that city. The program concludes in Cancun area where study will focus on the evolution of the tourist business and its impact on the country. An integral part of course instruction will include a 1 hour per day session in which students will be required to study and practice conversational Spanish. This course is structured to allow business students and faculty members from the University of the Yucatan to participate in classroom discussions and lectures, thus offering a unique learning opportunity for students and faculty from both institutions.

Spring Break in Italy (alternates years with study in Greece)
Brings ancient history to life by introducing students to the art, archaeology and culture of Rome. The trip begins in Sorrento on the breathtaking Amalfi coast; then to the isle of Capri to see remains of Tiberius' Villa, and to Pompeii, the historic city covered in volcanic ash in 79 CE. In Rome, students will explore the Palatine and Capitoline hills, the Colosseum, the Imperial Fora and Hadrian's Villa at Tivoli and visit some of Italy's finest museums in Rome including the Vatican Museum and tour the necropolis (city of the dead) underneath St. Peter's Basilica while experiencing the richness of contemporary Italian culture. More information: www.millsaps.edu/classics/classics_travelrome.shtml

Spring Break in Greece (alternates years with study in Italy)
Introduces students to the art, archeology and culture of Greece. The trip begins in Athens, with exploration of the majestic Athenian Acropolis, the mazes of the Old Town Plaka, and the riches of the great museums in Athens. Travel continues to Cape Sounion with its magnificent temple ruins perched on a mountain top, then to Corinth, the city of Medea and the site of Paul's Letters to the Corinthians; the charming city of Nauphlion, the thrilling remains of the Bronze Age culture of Mycenae, the elegant and extensive ruins of Asclepius' healing sanctuary and its magnificent theater, and finally to Olympia, the temple sanctuary of Zeus and Hera and the Olympic Games. By ferry, the group travels to the sanctuary of the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi, then onto the Santorini, where stark white towns hang atop black volcanic cliffs, to visit the remains of a bronze age city destroyed by an eruption of a volcano in 1500 B.C. More information: www.millsaps.edu/classics/classics_travelgreece.shtml

Summer Program in London, Munich and Florence - Business and Liberal Arts
Millsaps College offers a summer European program based in London, Munich, and Florence, with opportunities for other European travel and cultural experiences built into the program. Students may choose courses offered by the Else School of Management, the Division of Arts and Letters, and  the Division of Sciences. Millsaps faculty design and teach the courses, integrating experiences, field trips, and guest speakers that highlight the world-wide classroom. The program is open to graduate and undergraduate students. Course listings vary each year.

Recent listings by the Else School of Management include History of Economic Thought; Issues in International Economic Policy; International Legal Environment; International Lessons in Leadership; History and Development of International Banking and Commerce; Marketing in a Global Environment and Emerging Issues in International Finance.

Recent listings by the Division of Arts and Letters and Division of Sciences include The Evolution of Evolutionary Thought; Power Struggle in the American Colonies: Bourbons versus British; The Eye/I of Discovery: American Travel Writing in Context; Expatriate Writers in London and Paris; The Roman Conquest of the Etruscans and the Germans: Archaeology on the Edge of the Empire; and Medieval Art and Architecture.

Millsaps Summer in Nice and Paris
Open to any student who has at least a year of French, the program is designed for students wishing to perfect their language skills and learn the Gallic way of life. The first three weeks of the program are based in Nice; the last week in Paris. Classes are taught by Millsaps faculty and the staff of France Langue. They include Intermediate French; Contemporary French Culture; Provencal Literature & Civilization; and Advanced Grammar. The school iscentrally located in the heart Nice, very close to shopping avenues and just a 15-minute walk from the famous avenue Promenade des Anglais that runs alongside the beach, and the school in Paris is close to the Arc de Triomphe. Students live with middle-class families carefully selected for their friendliness, patience, and support of foreign students.

Living In Yucatan
An environmental citizenship field experience exploring cultural and resource issues from the height of the classic Maya civilization through current trends in tourism and commercial development. The course comprises three research and study modules: Maya culture and archaeology; tropical deciduous forest ecology; and the impact of development on the Great Maya Coral Reef. The Maya culture module explores current archaeological excavations and evaluates several major reconstructed sites. Additionally, students experience modern rural and urban culture from the Maya perspective.

Tropical deciduous ecology is studied on the grounds of the historic Rancho Kiuic, home to one of the oldest forests in the Puuc Region of Yucatan and an excellently preserved, as yet unstudied, major Maya city. Students collect data for a baseline species audit and collaborate with graduate students and faculty from Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY).

The final module examines the impact of tourism on the shallow marine environment and sea turtle habitat from Cozumel and Cancun to the coast of Belize. Students collect field data on the reefs and retrieve sediments for chemical analysis. Participants live in a variety of cultural and ecological zones, including the capital city of Merida, major archaeological sites, the Caribbean, and a week at the reconstructed colonial hacienda Tabi, once the largest hacienda in the Yucatan.

Field Biology in Yucatan
Study of community ecology emphasizing field techniques. Fulfills the Ecology and Evolution requirement for the Biology major or minor. May be repeated as topics vary. Exploration of tropical dry forest community structure at the Moyers Biocultural Reserve in Yucatan, Mexico. Prerequisites: Biology 1000, 1010 and 1020; recommended: Biology 2210.

Millsaps Summer Program in Costa Rica
Designed for students interested in Spanish, this program features courses taught by Millsaps professors and includes an excellent balance of cultural activities, educational tours, and recreational travel. Classes are held at the Instituto Centroamericano de Asuntos Internacionales (ICAI), an outstanding private academic institution located in San Jose', the capital of the most stable, progressive country in Latin America. Because participating students live with carefully selected middle-class families, they have an exceptional opportunity to experience Hispanic culture first-hand, as well as learn through on-site classes and field trips. The program is open to all students who have had at least a year of college Spanish or the equivalent.

Chinese Culture and Society
An intensive study of China which introduces students to both traditional and contemporary Chinese culture and society. Course includes readings in archaeology, arts, history, sociology, and education. Site visits to the Tomb of the First Emperor of Qin and his terra cotta army, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, and Tiananmen Square will help students link present-day China with its past and better understand today's China, particularly its political system, through the investigation of China's feudal and imperial roots. By observing traditional Chinese architecture, arts, and village life, our visits to Suzhou (a world heritage site famous for its private gentry homes with traditional gardens) and Zhou-zhuang (a 900-old village in southern China famous for its intellectuals and entrepreneurs during the imperial era), will help students understand the characteristics of Chinese culture and national character, and see how these characteristics have influenced the economic development in China today.

The interaction between cultural tradition and the demands of a modern economy will be further examined by our visits to various schools in Wuhan. These visits, which will include a kindergarten, a foreign language school with grades one to twelve, and two universities, will introduce students to China's education system, and enable them to observe the impact of government policies, particularly the one-child-per-family policy, and the significant role the family plays in children's academic achievement. In Wuhan, we will also meet Millsaps's graduates who are teaching English at Wuhan Institute of Technology to discuss the issues of higher education in China and the experience of working and studying in China after Millsaps. Finally we will explore the issues related to economic reform in China, to see its results in improving living standards, as well as its impact on the environment and its implications for the rest of the world by visiting economic development zones in Wuhan and the Three Gorges where China is building the world's largest dam. The purpose of these visits is for students to see and to think about the complex relationship between economic development, the material well-being of the people, population size, and the preservation of the environment.

Queens University and the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland
Freshmen and sophomore students with a GPA of 3.2 or better at the end of the fall term will be invited to apply to be selected to participate in Millsaps' direct exchange program in Northern Ireland. Students may apply for study for one semester (fall or spring) or for the full academic year. Because this is an exchange program, participants in this program are able to retain up to 75% of their Millsaps merit based awards.

Two nominees are chosen by Millsaps College and submitted for final consideration to the Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Final selections are made by the Board. Positions are offered at Queens University (www.qub.ac.uk ) and the University of Ulster (www.ulst.ac.uk). With few exceptions, students may choose to pursue any course of study offered by the universities. These are outstanding schools and competition for these spaces is keen. Application forms are distributed in late November and are due back by the middle of January each year..

Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka Japan
Located near Kyoto and Nara (ancient capitals) and Osaka (Japan's second largest metropolis), Kansai Gaidai offers a wide variety of courses focusing specifically on Japan and Asia. Courses are taught in English by experienced scholars. All students study Japanese and participation in a homestay with a Japanese family is encouraged.

Course offerings cover the spectrum of Asian studies and include the following (this represents only a partial listing): Japanese Style Management, Communicating Across Cultures, Religion in Japan, Zen Buddhism, Marketing Foreign Products in Japan, Modern Japan in Literature and Art, The Economies of East Asia, Gender and Culture in Japan, Japan - US Relations, Survey of Japanese Art, Anthropological Perspectives on Culture and Society in Japan. Students who participate in the Kansai Gaidai exchange program continue to pay tuition, room, board and fees to Millsaps College while retaining all Millsaps scholarships and aid. In addition, students may apply for the Millsaps ALP loan program to get the extra funds needed to cover the cost of airfare, personal expenses, and supplemental travel while abroad. Participation in this program is during the regular academic year - fall, spring, or full year. At this time, only two students from Millsaps can be selected to participate each year. To learn more about Kansai Gaidai, visit their web site at www.kansai-gaidai-u.ac.jp.

Millsaps Institute of Central American Studies (MICAS)
MICAS administers a program of research and educational opportunity in Central America specifically focused on the undergraduate research experience. The Center's research projects and other educational opportunities are designed to help undergraduate students experience, through hands-on, research-based inquiry, the anthropology and archaeology, culture, environment, geology and marine science of Central America.

MICAS also provides opportunities for scholarly and cultural advancement to academic research groups and the cultures and societies of Central America. Field studies and research in various disciplines are supported by the laboratory, analytical and data processing facilities on the Millsaps campus.

Washington and Lee Cooperative Program for Pre-Medical Students
In collaboration with St. Andrews College, Scotland, students spend a fall term at one of Britain's most ancient universities while completing organic chemistry and other required studies in a manner acceptable to the American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS). The organic chemistry course is currently approved by Millsaps faculty. Students may also participate in a non-credit observational internship at Nine Wells, a major teaching hospital nearby. Open to any sophomore or junior with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better and a grade of 'B' in the first year general chemistry course. Applications are due by February 1. Contact Dr. William Klingelhoffer, wklingel@wlu.edu

Global Partners Project
The Global Partners Project is a collaboration of forty-one liberal arts colleges from three consortia: the Associated Colleges of the South, Associated Colleges of the Midwest and the Great Lakes Colleges Association. The goal of Global Partners is to reconceive existing study-abroad programs through collaboration among the 41 member institutions, increasing international opportunities for students and faculty. The project currently recognizes over 250 study abroad programs in 57 countries.

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