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Office of International Education (OIE)
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Winter 2022

Summer 2023

Summer 2023

Student Information and Resources

What types of study abroad programs does Millsaps offer?

Millsaps Study Abroad Programs (Faculty-Led)

Millsaps study abroad programs are developed and led by Millsaps faculty and staff and are offered in countries around the globe! One or more program leaders travel with a cohort of Millsaps students to learn and explore abroad during the winter or summer terms. The courses are open to any Millsaps student and are not specific to a particular major; the classes are tailor-made to fit into the Millsaps curriculum so that you will be able to apply 4-8 credits to your major, minor and/or Compass Curriculum requirements including the Major Experience. There are several Millsaps scholarships available to support students in gaining experience around the globe.

ISEP Exchange & Millsaps Direct Exchange

Millsaps is part of the ISEP Exchange network which provides Millsaps students access to over 50 universities around the world.  Millsaps also has direct exchange opportunities with Akita International University (Akita City, Japan) and Liechtenstein University (Vaduz, Liechtenstein) These opportunities are preferred Millsaps partner program partners and offer comprehensive advising, support, as well as tuition benefits. Placements for ISEP and direct exchange programs are competitive and based on strict deadlines, so early planning is advised. Set up an advising appointment.

Study Abroad Program Providers (Affiliate)

Affiliate study abroad program providers can be utilized if you have already taken part in a faculty-led program, or if you do not qualify for an ISEP/Exchange program. There are a number of high-quality programs arranged through these affiliate program providers. These programs are vetted to meet the standards for study abroad, and you can meet major and minor requirements, continuing progress towards your Millsaps degree. Approval for participation is required. You can explore opportunities available through the affiliate program providers by visiting the individual webpages. Application deadlines vary, so early planning is advised. Set up an advising appointment.

Explore Faculty-Led Study Abroad Opportunities

See a course you are interested in? Be sure to drop the professor an email for more details.

Winter 2022-2023 Faculty-Led Programs

Summer 2023 Faculty-Led Programs

Humans Shaping Nature in Yucatán: Forests, Seas, and Reefs
Yucatán, Mexico
PHIL 2750 or SOAN 2760 (4 credits)
May 15 – May 29, 2022
Dr. Kristen Brown Golden | kristen.golden@millsaps.edu

In this course we travel to some of Yucatán’s most beautiful colonial cities, eat delicious local foods and explore a rarely visited natural habitat. At Kaxil Kiuic located in the PUUC region, students learn about the Kaxil ruins and forest. How did the Maya live here? How is the forest so well? A course about human relationships to ecosystems in Yucatán would not be complete without visits to the second longest barrier reef on Earth and the nearby beaches of Isla Mujeres.

Spanish in Yucatán
Yucatán, Mexico
SPAN 1000-3000 (4 credits)
May 29 – July 3, 2023
Dr. Judith Caballero | cabalj@millsaps.edu

This program immerses students in the language, culture and history of the Yucatán peninsula. In collaboration with Marista University and the Yucatán Institute for Language and Culture, students may enroll in courses ranging from introductory Spanish to advanced literature courses. Students will attend classes at Casa Millsaps and practice their conversation skills with Marista University students. Culture classes and weekend excursions to local archaeological sites, historical places and other sites of cultural and historical interest are also part of the curriculum.

From Minds to Markets
Yucatán, Mexico
ADMIN: 4750 (4 credits)
May 15 – 28, 2023
Professor Harvey Fiser | fiserhl@millsaps.edu

This course is a practical immersion in a newer model of product design and development that harnesses the power of out-of-the-office analytical observation, creative problem-solving psychology, on-the-fly research, group assessment, and the principle of fail-fast-and-small. We can often make more objective observations when living in a different cultural context, i.e. Mexico, where existing practices can be different enough that students will have an easier time stepping outside the familiar background of their own commercial culture to ask “Why do they do it that way?” or “Why don’t we do that?” or “How could that be done better?” or “Why don’t we do that back home?” Students will generate ideas about new products and processes, run those ideas through the “incubator” of the class, research feasibility of the surviving ideas, and collaboratively decide on the most promising ones. By the end of the class, students will produce initial product proposals.

Cultural Politics and Identity in Maya Mexico
Yucatán, Mexico
HIST, ARTH, or GOVT 2750 (4 credits)
May 18 – June 1, 2023
Dr. Amy Forbes | forbeaw@millsaps.edu

This cultural history course introduces students to questions of identity in the Yucatán, a Mexican crossroads of Mayan, European, and Caribbean influences. Based at Casa Millsaps in Mérida, students will explore how history, ethnicity, geology, and geography have shaped the balance of regional and national identity in the Yucatán, an area whose culture is simultaneously Mexican, Caribbean, and unique to itself.

Archaeology in the Land of the Inkas
Cusco, Peru
SOAN 3410 (4 credits)
June 4 – July 10, 2023
Dr. Veronique Belisle | belisv@millsaps.edu

This course is an opportunity for students to (1) gain hands-on experience in archaeological lab work; (2) be exposed to the prehistory and history of the region; and (3) discover contemporary Peruvian culture. The course is designed for students who have never had archaeological lab experience and for those who have already done lab work but would like to gain additional experience. Students will participate in the Kaninkunka Archaeological Project in Cusco and will be involved in all steps of research. By the end of this class, students will be familiar with the methodology of archaeological lab work and will have gained a unique immersive experience living in Peru.

Summer Mini-Semester in Taiwan
Tunghai University, Taiwan
2 Courses (6 credits)
May 15 – June 30, 2023
Dr. Lynn Raley | raleyhl@millsaps.edu

As part of a five-week mini-semester at Tunghai University’s International College, students choose two courses from an array of topics: Mandarin language, art, music, culture, film, food, business, psychology, and more. Courses are taught Monday through Thursday, with weekend field trips, and trips around the island after classes end. Dr. Raley will offer a course on the history of popular music in Taiwan, investigating Mando-Pop, Taiyu, Hakka and aboriginal artists, as well as American-influenced rock and hiphop, placing the music in the island’s cultural and political contexts.

Field Study in International Management
Florence, Italy and Dublin, Ireland
MGMT 4750 or EMGT 600 (4 credits or 3 credits)
July 2 – July 19, 2023
Dr. Jesse Beeler | beelejd@millsaps.edu

In this course, students will travel throughout Europe exploring new cultures and gaining valuable career training. They will experience an in-depth study of International Business through travel, classroom training, and hands-on site visits to businesses. This course includes 6 hours of formal classroom instruction at Millsaps and 38 hours of classroom instruction once in the region. Field trips throughout their time abroad will expose students to the incredible history and culture of Europe.

Civil Wars: How They Start and How They End
Florence, Italy and Dublin, Ireland
HIST 4750 (4 credits)
July 2 – July 19, 2022
Dr. Bill Storey | storewk@millsaps.edu

The United States has become deeply polarized.  Some analysts believe that the nation may be on the brink of civil war.  What lessons do past civil wars have for us?  This course will first consider evidence from the U.S. Civil War (1861-65).  In Florence, we will study together about the origins and outcomes of civil wars in European history.  In Dublin, we will focus our attention on the Irish War of Independence (1916-21); the Irish Civil War (1922-23); and the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland (1968-98).  The course will integrate readings and discussions with visits to museums and historic sites.

Capitalism/Socialism/Communism – Choices
Florence, Italy and Dublin, Ireland
ADMN 4750 or GOVT 4750 (4 credits)
July 19 – August 3, 2023
Professor Harvey Fiser | fiserhl@millsaps.edu

International Lessons in Leadership
London, England
MGMT 4750 or EMGT 600 (4 credits or 3 credits)
July 19 – August 3, 2023
Dr. Jesse Beeler | beelejd@millsaps.edu

In this course, students will be exploring new cultures and gaining valuable career training in London.  They will meet and learn from well-respected industry leaders and build valuable cross-cultural skills acquired by living in an international setting.  This course includes 6 hours of formal classroom instruction at Millsaps and 38 hours of classroom instruction once in the region. Field trips throughout their time abroad will expose students to the incredible history and culture of London and the surrounding areas.

The Psychology of Fear and Terrorism
London, England
PSYC 4750 (4 credits)
July 19 – August 3, 2023
Dr. Kurt Thaw | thawak@millsaps.edu

The focus of this course is on the psychology of fear and terrorism… not necessarily terrorists, although we will be discussing a number of key players along the way. Drawing from insights and analytical tools offered by psychology, sociology, political science, history, and philosophy, students will explore such topics as Serial Killings, Nazi Germany, Cyber-Terrorism, Radicalization, the neural correlates of Fear, and the causes and consequences of recent terrorist acts (such as the London Bus Bombing, the World Trade Center attacks of 9/11, Vehicle attacks, etc.).

Field Study in International Marketing
London, England
MRKT 4750 (4 credits)
July 19 – August 3, 2023
Dr. Penelope Prenshaw | prenspj@millsaps.edu

Summer 2023 in Taiwan

Students have a unique opportunity to study in Taiwan at Tunghai University’s International College for a five-week mini-semester in May and June. Taught by faculty from universities and colleges in the US and Taiwan, the program offers thirty different course choices, from Mandarin Chinese language to business, STEM courses, arts & culture, psychology, and religious studies. Each student will select either one or two courses (3 credits per course, 3 credits = 54 hours), held Monday to Thursday. Fridays will be devoted to cultural activities and day trips. After successful completion, students will be awarded a Fulbright CSAT (Consortium for Study Abroad in Taiwan) certificate and an official transcript from Tunghai University. Courses taken at Tunghai can earn 3 to 6 credit hours, transferable to Millsaps. For more information, please contact Dr. Lynn Raley.

Dr. Raley will lead Millsaps students in Taiwan and will also teach a course in the Tunghai/CSAT mini-semester entitled “New Music, Old: The Kaleidoscope of Influences on Taiwan’s New Music.” This course will investigate music as a cultural marker, looking at two faces of Taiwanese music—popular (Mando-Pop, Taiyu, Hakka, and aboriginal artists), and modern classical composition—placing the music in both the cultural and political contexts of the island.

Living in Yucatán

Research and Learning at Millsaps Yucatán Reserve

About | Kaxil Kiuic: Education Through Preservation | Our Vision | Links

About

Millsaps College (and its non-profit organization Kaxil Kiuic) supports and operates a 4,500 acre tropical forest biocultural reserve in the heart of the Yucatán peninsula. The Millsaps College Biocultural Reserve with its incredible biological and archaeological resources serves as a center for our Living In Yucatán Program, which offers courses in the study of archaeology, business, ecology, education, geology, history, literature, and socio-cultural anthropology. Courses alternate by year so check the College Catalog for current year offerings. Students may return to Yucatán to take additional courses and may decide to participate in the ongoing archaeological and natural science research going on at the Reserve.

The Reserve consists of an off-the-grid Research and Learning Center, a laboratory and research facility in the nearby Maya town of Oxkutzcab and the new Center for Business and Culture, a dormitory-classroom facility in Merida developed by the Else School of Management. While at Millsaps College take advantage of our Study Abroad opportunities by taking a course in the Living in Yucatán Program and/or doing research or an internship in a wide variety of fields at one of our facilities. Contact George Bey if you have any questions.

Our Vision: A Reserve Without Boundaries

In developing countries scholars as well as economic, civic, and government leaders face two critical challenges. The first concerns how to explore the archaeological treasures of great civilizations without doing damage to current and future material culture and living communities. The second concerns how to promote archaeological research and educational tourism in a way that protects fragile ecosystems from unplanned urban and rural development. While internationally there is a growing consensus about these threats to both living communities and ecological treasures, to date few models have been developed or tested to meet this challenge. A new model is needed before these cultural assets are destroyed beyond the ability of countries to study, preserve, and restore them.

At Millsaps, we believe that in order to cultivate the intellectual and psychological stamina that today’s leadership demands, two conditions must be met: (1) students must become deeply engaged in a particular challenge that is relevant and meaningful to them (2) students must be placed in complex, demanding situations which they have not encountered before. In this environment, students can discover what they are made of, dig deeply into themselves, and reflect on their life experiences and studies in a larger context. Here too, while there is significant consensus that these competencies are needed, there is a remarkable shortage of experiences specifically designed to cultivate these skills in undergraduate students.

The Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve and the major archaeological site on the reserve will help address both challenges by providing an opportunity to preserve, manage, and conduct cutting-edge interdisciplinary research at an archaeological site of an endangered ecosystem. The reserve will provide unusual opportunities for interdisciplinary study in archaeological, environmental, and cultural inquiry as well as varied educational and community partnerships.

The reserve will address the challenge of pursuing archaeological research while protecting current ecosystems and living communities by removing the traditional boundaries of biological, geological, historical archaeological, and social science research and creating innovative community partnerships. While faculty and students will be deeply involved in this initiative, ultimately this program is designed to model a community of learners made up of local civic, cultural, and educational leadership who are committed to addressing complex cultural and ecological issues.

By integrating archaeology, cultural preservation, and ecology, the reserve will create a new concept of conservation, tourism, and economic development from which students, scholars and local communities will benefit.

Study Abroad Scholarships and Financial Aid

Millsaps is pleased to offer scholarships for students applying for Millsaps faculty-led study abroad programs thanks to generous donors.

Apply here for Summer 2023!

Robinson Scholarship

The Judy and E. B. Robinson, Jr., International Fellows Program is designed to provide grants to students who wish to participate in a Millsaps faculty-led study abroad program. The program is open to current undergraduate students after completing one full semester of studies. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.00 and show evidence of financial need (as confirmed by the Office of Financial Aid, using the student’s FAFSA).

Ogden Scholarship

The Julia and Paul Ogden International Fellows Endowment provides funding for travel stipends to enable Millsaps students to pursue educational experiences outside the continental United States. Preference is given to students who have completed their sophomore year of studies. Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and show evidence of financial need (as confirmed by the Office of Financial Aid, using the student’s FAFSA).

Application deadline for Summer 2023 is February 15.

Office of International Education Travel Policies

Please visit https://www.eiia.org/programs/student-insurance-programs/ to review information about our international travel insurance.

How do I know what study abroad opportunity is best for me?

Links

Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve
A Mexican conservation organization

The Maya Vase Database
Justin Kerr’s online database features thousands of examples of Maya ceramics as well as provenience and interpretive information.

The MesoAmerican Ballgame
Learn about this sport of life and death

Millsaps College Department of Sociology and Anthropology
Find out about courses, faculty, and current research at Millsaps.

Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
A myriad of programs and resources exist at UNAM (Spanish language).

Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc.
FAMSI provides grants, resources, and research forums for studies of Mesoamerican culture.

Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia
Mexico’s federal agency devoted to anthropology and history administers museums and archaeological sites.

Society for American Archaeology
A forum for archaeologists with resources for both students and professionals