Trent Small-Towns, a previous Study Abroad student, enjoys a relaxing moment during his summer study abroad experience in China. Submitted photo
OXFORD, Miss. – The deadline for University of Mississippi students to apply for summer and fall study abroad programs is Wednesday (March 7).
Students of all majors can choose from hundreds of semester exchange opportunities or two-, four- or eight-week courses during the summer.
“The Study Abroad Office is pleased to offer a variety of faculty-directed and affiliate programs this summer,” said Blair McElroy, director of study abroad. “Study abroad programs engage students in high-impact practices such as internships, research and experiential learning opportunities all over the world.
“Our fall semester deadline is also March 7, and students can study at one of over 80 exchange partners and pay the same tuition that they would for a semester at UM.”
Students who have participated in study abroad have noted life-changing experiences. Maddy Friedman, a freshman art history major from Madison, Wisconsin, studied dance for two weeks in December in Cuba.
“Ole Miss study abroad is one of the most amazing things offered on this campus and if you have the chance to go anywhere, I would 100 percent suggest it,” she said.
Space remains available for several short-term summer courses.
Laura Johnson, associate professor of psychology, will lead students through Tanzania to study the ecology, culture and youth psychology of the country. Throughout the monthlong course, students will bike, hike and drive through Taranagire, Lake Manyara and the Ngoro Ngoro crater to see elephants, lions and zebras and explore Maasai culture. Participants also will partner with the local community to learn about Mount Kilimanjaro and visit the island of Zanzibar. Excursions include swimming in waterfalls, visiting an Indian Ocean beach and learning about Swahili culture.
Ellen Foster, associate professor of curriculum and instruction at the School of Education, will take students out of the classroom to Iceland for two weeks to learn about the locations, lore and lights of Iceland. Students will learn about the geography, geology, history and literature of the country while understanding the necessity of K-12 students to be geographically literate.
Literary buffs can study the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S Lewis and J.K. Rowling in the United Kingdom for two weeks this summer. Beth Spencer, English lecturer, will lead students through Edinburgh, Scotland, and London and Oxford, England, to pen their own creative works while visiting famed sites related to these authors. Students will call Alnwick Castle, the filming location for the first two “Harry Potter” films, their home for the duration of the class.
Anne Cafer, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology, will teach students about food security, health and nutrition in Zambia over the course of a month this summer. The goal of the course is for students to understand bio-cultural adaptation, the impact of poor nutrition on overall health and other challenges faced by people within the country. Students will visit health and education programs and markets, map natural resources and collect data.
Several more faculty-led programs this summer are available and students can view all courses under “Featured Programs” on the study abroad website.
Individual semester exchange programs are available as well in dozens of countries for the fall semester. Exchange semester programs are the same tuition cost as a semester on the Ole Miss campus.
On Monday and Tuesday, March 5-6, peer advisers will host preliminary advising sessions at noon and 4 p.m. in Martindale to answer general questions about study abroad programs. Students can apply for study abroad programs by visiting http://studyabroad.olemiss.edu/.