Study Abroad Programs

Summer Travel and Study in Russia

St. Scholastica students have an opportunity to travel and study in Russia by taking part in the summer language camps the College sponsors in cooperation with the Karelian State Pedagogical University in Petrozavodsk, Duluth’s sister city in Russia.

Russian language camps are held in June and July. Language classes are taught at the beginning level through advanced-intermediate level by the faculty of the Karelian Pedagogical University. The camps include cultural and recreational activities as well as extended visits to St. Petersburg and Moscow.

The language camps are an integral part of St. Scholastica’s Russian language program, but they are open to all students, including those with no previous Russian language experience. Students earn four credits that may be applied to the Cultural Diversity portion of the area distribution requirements.

In alternate summers, St. Scholastica faculty offer English language camps for students from Petrozavodsk. St. Scholastica students also are encouraged to participate in these camps as hosts to the College’s guests from Russia.

The next Russian camp will be held in summer 2010.

Ireland in the Spring

Each spring semester, two faculty and up to 24 students travel to Louisburgh, County Mayo, where the faculty and students learn in a unique setting of cottages, peat fires and town folk in a very small village on the west coast of Ireland. Classes are held four days a week, allowing time for weekend travel through most of Ireland.

Sophomore students through seniors are eligible for this program. The courses have no prerequisites but require an open mind and an adventuresome spirit, as well as the willingness to plan ahead to see which year will best fit a major. The usual financial aid is available as well as additional loans and some grants. Check the bulletin board next to Tower 2150 for additional information and application forms. You can also access information and forms via the Web at: www.css.edu/ireland.xml

Semester in Mexico

Each fall a group of up to 20 students travels with faculty to Cuernavaca, Mexico. The group stays at a study center dedicated to teaching social justice from the point of view of the poor in Mexico. The full-time program consists of Spanish language and the history of Mexico, two classes on Latin American topics taught by the faculty, and a one month service-learning project in the community. This program is designed to improve your Spanish, challenge your world view, immerse you in another culture, and open you to compassion for others. You must be at least a sophomore and have completed one semester of college Spanish, or its equivalent to be eligible. Financial aid is available for this program. See Jay Newcomb in the Center for Just Living for applications and information (T2144 or call x6552) or David Schuettler, Assistant Professor, Spanish, (T2124 or call x6720).

Leipzig Exchange Program

This unique two week exchange matches St. Scholastica Health Science students with their student counterparts at the Medical Training Institute of the University of Leipzig. Students shadow the German students as they attend classes and participate in clinicals, offering a chance to network with Germans in matching professional fields.

All St. Scholastica students who have a German language background (either the completion of GMN 1104 or 3 years of high school study) are eligible to apply. The exchange takes place immediately after the St. Scholastica school year ends (mid-May) as the culmination of a preparatory Spring semester course, GMN 3300, Leipzig Seminar. This exchange is subsidized both by St. Scholastica sources and the University of Leipzig, and thus costs the students only the round trip airfare to Europe.

HECUA

The College of St. Scholastica is a member of HECUA, the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs. HECUA is a group of approximately twenty member colleges that offer off-campus educational experiences focused on social justice issues. With programs in the US and abroad, HECUA examines the systems that create inequality and the ways that social change is made. HECUA gives students the chance to bridge their academic learning with direct experience of the urgent social challenges facing society. Students test academic theories in the real world of urban communities and develop critical analysis and hands-on skills for creating social change. HECUA has study centers in the U.S. and in Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Credits earned in HECUA programs count directly as ST. SCHOLASTICA credits. Please consult their Web site at www.hecua.org or David Schuettler (T2124 or call x6720).

Regent’s College London

The British American College London (BACL) shares the Regent’s College campus with two British business schools. Some 2,000 students from over 100 countries are enrolled at this international, multi-ethnic college set amidst trees and ornamental gardens in the heart of London. The curricula offered enable students to earn credits toward general education requirements. The college has a special affiliation that enables The College of St. Scholastica to award academic credits directly for BACL courses. All students reside on campus. BACL also offers summer classes including “Shakespeare in the Park.” Many courses focus on the history and civilization of Britain as well as the fine and performing arts. Special courses take students to the theater and inside museums and historic buildings as a part of their coursework. Continental Europe is a train ride away. BACL follows the American semester calendar and learning approach. Its faculty is predominantly British. Please consult their Web site at www.bacl.ac.uk 

Argentina

The College of St. Scholastica has a special affiliation with Lincoln University College (LUC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. LUC is fully accredited by the government of Argentina as an institute of higher education. It is an American institution with an international faculty, housed in a grandiose villa in the heart of the city. LUC provides a range of general education courses along with a strong business program. Argentina offers many opportunities for travel, both within the country and to nearby Latin American destinations. All courses are taught in English and students take intensive Spanish to enrich their learning experience. Tango lessons are also available! Their Web site is www.lincoln.edu.ar

For complete information about these and other study abroad opportunities, contact the director of international education in Tower 2106, where there is also a display of program brochures.