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Study Abroad Newsletter - November 2006
In this issue:
- Upcoming Events
- Application Deadlines and Scholarships
- Preparing to Study Abroad
- NSEP Scholarships
- Study Abroad Contact List
- Semester or Summer?
- Study Abroad Photo Contest
- Survey Help Requested
- Getting Credit for Studying/Volunteering Abroad
- Opportunities for Returned Students
- Featured Study Abroad Program of the Month
1) Upcoming Events
(Contact the MU Office of International Education for details on visits' locations/times)
2) Application Deadlines and Scholarships
- CIEE is no longer accepting applications for the Spring 2007 Arts and Sciences program at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Applications beginning with the Fall 2007 program will no longer be on a rolling admissions basis – all applications received will be considered after the application deadline of March 15. See http://ciee.org/study/study_africa.aspx. Many of CIEE's other deadlines have been extended. See http://ciee.org/alerts_news/application_deadlines.aspx
- IES has extended many of its Spring 2007 deadlines to November 15 or even December 1. These include programs in Adelaide, Auckland, Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Christchurch, European Union, Freiburg, London, Nantes, Paris, Quito, Santiago and Vienna. Remember that Miami students automatically receive a $1,500 grant toward IES programs. See https://www.iesabroad.org/IES/Programs/applicationDeadlines.jsp and https://www.iesabroad.org/IES/Students/Scholarships_and_Aid/Minority_Scholarships/publicScholarship.html
- Studio Art Centers International (SACI) has extended its Spring 2007 application deadline to November 15. See http://www.saci-florence.org/
- The Alliance for Global Education has extended its deadlines for programs in Beijing and Shanghai to November 15. See http://www.allianceglobaled.org/
- AustraLearn has extended its deadline for programs in New Zealand to November 15. See http://www.australearn.org/
- If the program you’re interested in is not listed here, please consult their website for the latest changes to their application deadlines.
3) Preparing to Study Abroad
Are you studying abroad in Spring 2007? Have you turned in your Transfer Credit Approval Form and your Study Abroad Declaration Form? Do you need to complete a Consortium Agreement for the Office of Student Financial Assistance? For more information on the procedures to study abroad, please set up an appointment with a study abroad advisor and consult http://www.muohio.edu/international/applying.php to find out if you're missing anything. We can only invite you to our Orientation Session in December if we've received a Study Abroad Declaration Form, so please get those in as early as you can!
4) NSEP Scholarships
The U.S. Government's National Security Education Program (NSEP) provides study abroad scholarships for Miami students of all majors ranging up to $8,000 for summer study, $10,000 for semester study, and $20,000 for academic year study abroad. NSEP competitively awards scholarships to students for study in world regions critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Middle East (the countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are excluded). The Miami campus deadline for applying for NSEP scholarships is December 15, 2006. Find additional information at http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep. To preview the many Miami-recognized study abroad programs eligible for NSEP support, please visit http://muohio.edu/international/programs.php. You are also welcome to contact Marcia Waller at the Office of International Education in 216 MacMillan or at wallermb@muohio.edu for NSEP information.
5) Study Abroad Contact List
The Office of International Education keeps a list of returned students who have volunteered to be representatives of their study abroad program or location. If you're trying to make study abroad decisions and you'd like to talk to someone else about their experiences, please visit the Office of International Education in 216 MacMillan to view the list or to talk to one of our student workers.
6) Semester or Summer?
Many Miami students study abroad in the summer, but Miami is encouraging more and more students to consider studying abroad for a semester or a year. Why is this?
- Cultural immersion. Spending a semester or a year studying abroad gives you more time and experience to move beyond the "tourist" experience and to get involved in local culture. The longer you study abroad, the more time you have to see the highs and lows of living in another country and to integrate yourself into society.
- Lower total cost. Semester study abroad programs may cost more, the same, or even less than a semester at Miami. It's important to consider, however, that you're replacing a semester of Miami's semester cost with your program's fee, rather than adding an extra summer program fee onto your regular Miami semesters. With proper planning, a semester spent abroad should fit easily into your academic plan and should not delay your graduation!
- Scholarships are available. There are many more scholarships available (from Miami or from outside sources) for semester or year-long study than there are for summer programs. The new airfare grants offered by the Office of Student Financial Assistance also apply only to semester or year-long study abroad programs.
- Wider selection. Most universities in the northern hemisphere run on calendars that are close to our own, and may not offer their own courses in the summer. Many of our study abroad affiliates organize their own summer programs, but these are not as numerous or as varied as the semester offerings.
Summer study abroad can be a good starting-off point or addition to your semester study. For some students it may be the only option that will work. However, we encourage you to talk to your academic advisor about how a semester or year-long program can fit into your course of study, and talk to returned students about how a semester or year-long study abroad program has changed their life!
7) Study Abroad Photo Contest
Congratulations to the top finishers of our 2006 Study Abroad Photo Contest: Danielle Bacon, Pamela Bottles, David Curry, Katie Fleming, Kyle Lochridge, Caitlin McElligot, Erin Munsie, Julia Nayfeld, Trisikh Sanguanbun, Matthew Sperzel and Peyton Williams-Young. Their photos can also be seen here: http://www.muohio.edu/international/photocontest2006.php. These and the other top 12 pictures in each category are on display in MacMillan Hall until Thanksgiving. Be sure to stop by and check them out!
8) Survey Help Requested
Do you ever wonder if what you're studying as your undergraduate major will actually play a part in your future career? Or exactly how much of your studies will be relevant in the career path you end up taking? A group of students in MGT 291 would appreciate your help on a short, seven-question survey for a project they're doing. If you would like to participate in this anonymous survey, you can do so here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/Users/90200515/Surveys/861522766017/45D7E9D9-631E-4F1E-9C8E-83111AD6DBCA.asp?U=861522766017&DO_NOT_COPY_THIS_LINK
9) Getting Credit for Studying/Volunteering Abroad
Please remember: There are some questionable programs out there in the world of study abroad, and there are limits to the transfer credit that Miami can accept. Some programs may claim to provide credit, when in fact they do not, or they provide credit that Miami cannot accept. For example, Miami cannot accept credit from the "International Student Volunteers" program. We strongly urge you to check with the Office of International Education before committing to a study or volunteer program or before paying a down payment, to be sure that you can receive transfer credit for that program. If you see a program listed on our website or brochures from our office, that means that we have looked into the program and its accreditation. It is fine to use a program that is not listed among our literature, but please check first to be sure that it's appropriate!
10) Opportunities for Returned Students
- Check your email for information on our information session for returned students at the Office of Career Services! Email Sarah McNitt (mcnittsa@muohio.edu) if you have questions.
- Glimpse Magazine's Fall 2006 Writing Contest, "Points of View," asks current and returned study abroad students to think back to a specific disagreement or debate they had with a local in their host country. The deadline is November 6. See http://www.glimpseabroad.org/contests.php
11) Featured Study Abroad Program of the Month
IES Quito offers students an opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse culture and geography of Ecuador for a semester or a year. Two tracks of study are available: Area Studies and Language (for students who are looking to improve their Spanish with intensive language study) or Direct Enrollment (for students who have already studied Spanish for a minimum of six semesters and are ready to take all of their classes at local universities). Internship and service-learning options are also available.
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