Models
In recent decades, study abroad participation has grown in the area of shorter programs with discipline-specific content. Semester and junior year abroad programs continue to offer high value to students. However, most of the program and enrollment growth at MSU as well as nationally, has come from faculty-led programs. At the same time, the field has progressed in thinking about how different programming choices can impact student learning. Programs of shorter duration require more intentionality in program design in order to maximize the learning potential. A number of recent major studies with external funding and large sample sizes have sought to address this question as well. An influential article by John and Lilli Engle, Study Abroad Levels: Toward a Classification of Program Types (PDF)*, establishes a typology for considering the impact of program options on student learning. The table on pages 9-10 of the article offers a quick summary of how choices of program design can influence learning objectives.
Faculty-led
The summer faculty-led program is the model that is most widely known at MSU.
Below are two other faculty-led program types that you may consider.
Faculty-led programs embedded in regular academic semester
- MSU courses taught by MSU faculty
- Degree-specific or inter-disciplinary course work
- Eligibility can be as restrictive or open as desired
Landscape Architecture
- Faculty-led MSU program
- Spring semester
- Sponsored by CNR through Landscape Architecture Program and School of Planning, Design and Construction
- All instruction of MSU courses provided by MSU leaders
- Open to MSU LA students only. In some cases, students from other disciplines may be able to join the program with approval of the program leaders.
- Course work offered
- LA 390, Landscape Architecture Field Studies
- LA 420, Advanced Graphic Design II
- LA 444, Community Project Design II
The first half of the semester is spent at MSU, where students study the history and culture of the countries to be visited and complete design projects and graphic problems that satisfy normal curriculum requirements. This prepares them for the experience abroad. The second half of the semester is spent in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Germany.
Agriculture, Development, Environment and Gender: NGO Internships in Ghana
- Faculty-led MSU program
- Spring semester
- Sponsored by ANR and CSS in conjunction with the African Studies Center, the Center for Gender in Global Context and the Institute of International Agriculture
- Starts with six weeks accelerated courses on campus: ANP 200 and ISS 330A. Internship credits through CANR and CSS while in Ghana.
- All instruction of MSU courses provided by MSU leaders
- Open to all students with 2.5 GPA
- Course work offered
- ANP 200, Navigating Another Culture (Online)
- ISS 330A, Social Science Perspectives on Africa
- SSC 493, Social Science Internship
- SSC 496, Field Study Abroad
- ANR 493, Professional Internship in Ag and Nat Resources
Comparative Law and Legal Systems in the Caribbean Basin
- Faculty-led MSU program
- Spring semester
- Sponsored by School of Criminal Justice in the College of Social Science
- Starts in January with on-line instruction for all four courses. This lasts for three weeks.
- In-country portion runs for 8 weeks from February to April.
- Instruction of MSU courses provided by MSU leader.
- Open to all students junior or higher with 2.75 GPA
- Course work offered
- CJ 422, Comparative and Historical Criminal Justice
- CJ 473, Comparative Constitutional Law
- CJ 491, Special Topics: Colonial, Post-colonial and Global Law
- ISS 308, Social Science Approaches to Law
Faculty-led programs as stand-alones during regular academic semester
- MSU courses taught by MSU faculty or on-site professors
- Can be open to all majors for students interested in the location
- Can range in length from 6 weeks to full semester
- Can allow students to earn full semester credit (12-15)
Australia’s People, Government and Justice System
- Faculty-led MSU program
- Six weeks during spring semester
- Open to all majors
- Designed thematically for students of many majors interested in Australia
- Course work offered
- CJ 4xx
- PLS 3xx and 4xx
- SOC 4xx
- SSC 496 (Field Study)
- IAH, ISS (one course each)
Combined Arts and Humanities and Social Science in London
- Faculty-led MSU program
- Spring semester
- Cooperative venture between CAL and CSS
- Some instruction of MSU courses provided by British professors
- Open to all majors
- Juniors and seniors have the option of earning credit while participating in a limited number of unpaid internships
- Designed to permit students to carry a full semester course load while completing their Integrative Studies requirements.
- Course work offered
- ANP 4xx
- HST 3xx
- IAH, ISS (one course each)
- SSC 493 (Social Science Internship)
- SSC 496 (Field Study)
Collaborative
- Courses specially designed for the program and taught by host institution professors
- Host university courses (regular) may be available
- Allows for cultural exposure and interaction; immersion through host institution instructors and home stays
Multidisciplinary Studies at the Autonomous University of the Yucatán (former MSU program)
- Organized in collaboration with UADY
- Spring semester
- Instruction provided by the host university in Spanish
- Courses specially designed for students on this program
- Designed to foster cultural exposure and interaction; immersion through host institution instructors and home stays
- Course work offered
- IAH, ISS
- ANP 4xx
- SOC 1xx and 3xx
- SPN 2xx and 3xx
- Regular UADY courses available in various fields of studying
Provider
- Allows MSU students to participate in programs through provider organizations that have full academic, organizational and administrative set-up on-site
- Provides wide range of course work from provider-arranged courses through to courses at the partner institution
Music in Vienna
- Provider program
- IES Abroad Vienna Center (with classrooms, computer lab, and administrative offices)
- Designed around degree requirements for music majors
- Course work offered
- IES Abroad Courses (taught in English and German – limited fields of study: music history, music theory, performance studies, area studies and language
- IES Abroad German Course
- Courses at partner unis in Vienna (in German)
- IES Abroad internships
- Music performance workshop
Consortium
- Allows for sharing of costs and resources across multiple US institutions
- Offers a core set of courses from year-to-year with course work also provided by the Resident Academic Director (rotational basis) and the partner university
Academic Year in Freiburg
- Consortium model
- Central AYF office in Freiburg
- Rotating “Resident Academic Director” (every four years)
- Open to all majors, though centered around German language and culture
- Course work offered
- AYF program courses (taught in English)
- Course(s) taught by the resident academic director
- Courses taught by locally hired program instructors
- Regular Freiburg Uni courses (for those with FL proficiency)
- Freiburg Uni language and literature courses for international students
Dual Degree
- Encourages co-design of curriculum with partner institution.
- Engages departments fully in curriculum review.
- Offers additional motivation to students through additional qualification.
- External funding opportunities greatly enhanced (i.e. Erasmus Mundus, British Council, etc.)
As you discuss the goals for partnering with another institution or developing a new faculty-led program, please consider the broad variety of approaches and program features that are available to help you meet your objectives.
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