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Concordia’s Global and Off-Campus Education

Concordia College is dedicated to enabling students to influence the affairs of the world. Future leaders need to develop an appreciation of other cultures, to become aware of the state of the planet, to understand how the world works, and to learn how to become effective and ethical agents of change in the world. The curriculum of the college is designed to help students open these windows on the world by bringing students from other lands to our campus, by “globalizing” our instruction and by providing our students a broad range of opportunities to study abroad.

Concordia College is nationally recognized as a leader in International Education. As the recipient of the 2006 Senator Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, and our consistent high rankings in number of students studying abroad, attests to the rich international program the college offers.

Exploration Seminars

Exploration Seminars take students to off-campus study locations (either overseas or domestic) during spring midsemester break. These travel experiences are “embedded” within a spring semester on-campus course.

Exploration Seminars are designed to enhance the learning of both those who participate in the off-campus travel experience and those who choose not to travel. Throughout the on-campus course, faculty leaders build a strong educational component into each seminar to give students the necessary academic background to understand, appreciate and integrate their study and travel experiences abroad.

The Office of International Education staff, who can be reached at 218.299.3927, announce the embedded courses and destinations for Exploration Seminars each year. Details about registration, passports, visas and other details are available through the office, while information about course content and specific itineraries is available from the participating academic departments.

Summer Global and Off-Campus Study Programs

May Seminars    

Concordia’s flagship international program is distinctive because of the faculty leaders who provide insights during travel and study while abroad. Approximately 200 students each May explore a variety of topics — language, literature, culture, art, theatre, economics, religion, politics and education — while visiting sites around the world. may    Seminars (labeled 300 — May Seminar in department course listings) carry a 1.0 course credit that usually can be applied to requirements for academic majors. World language departments, in particular, encourage students to plan a May Seminar as part of their academic program, but the seminars enrich any major.

Students develop expertise in the seminar’s topic area during a pre-seminar course (labeled 250 — Pre-may seminar in most department listings) taken during the spring semester. Occasionally other courses may serve the pre-seminar purpose. The pre-seminars carry varying amounts of course credit that often can be applied toward the requirements of a major. During the month of May, students enrolled in the seminars, along with faculty leaders, travel to study at historical sites and modern institutions and, depending on the topic, interact with government officials, business leaders, artists, academics and other experts.

Each spring, the May Seminars being offered the following year are announced by the International Education Office and by hosting academic departments. General logistical details are available from the International Education Office, while the faculty leaders of each seminar are a source for specific information about the study topic, course requirements and anticipated itineraries.

Mexico Summer Study Program

The Mexico Summer Study Program provides a month-long immersion experience in language and culture.  Students enroll in Spanish 211 or 212 — Intermediate Spanish, 321 — Composition and Conversation in Cultural Contexts, or 412 — Contemporary Spanish American Narrative, and in Spanish 363 — Mexican Culture. Courses are taught by Concordia faculty on the campus of the University of the Americas in Mexico City. Extended family stays form an integral part of the language learning process. In addition to their courses, students have afternoon and weekend excursions to historical sites in Mexico City, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, and the pyramids of Teotihuacan. The program concludes with a visit to the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza.

Spain Summer Study Program

The Spain Summer Study Program provides a month-long immersion experience in language and culture. Students enroll in Spanish 322 — Spanish Grammar in Cultural Contexts or Spanish 421 — Peninsular Spanish Literature for one course credit and have the option of enrolling in Spanish 341 — The Culture of Spain for an additional 0.5 course credit. Courses are taught by Concordia faculty at the Centro de Estudios Hispánicos in Segovia. Extended family stays form an integral part of the language learning process. In addition to their courses, students have afternoon and weekend excursions to historical sites in and around Segovia, Madrid and Toledo. The program concludes with a visit to southern Spain, including Córdoba, Sevilla and Granada.

World Languages Practica

See the relevant department descriptions for details about enrolling in the following programs that require a degree of language expertise:

Practicum in France: Students gain work experience while living with selected families in France following the French May Seminar.

Practicum in Russia: Students gain enhanced cultural understanding and language skills by living with Russian families for the remainder of the summer following a May Seminar.

Practicum in a Spanish-Speaking Country: Students gain work experience and live with selected families in Spain or Latin America following the Spanish department May Seminar or Summer Study Program.

Archaeological Expedition    

Students participate in an excavation on the Greek island of Andros in the Mediterranean Sea. Participants additionally travel to important sites in Greece, including Corinth, Mycenae, Epidauros, Delphi and Mykonos. Present archaeologic work is concentrated on two buildings in the ancient agora at Palaiopolis, a Christian basilica (destroyed in the 7th century A.D.) and a Hellenistic stoa. Due to strict Greek law, students are not allowed to do physical labor, but will record what is found each day, wash pottery finds and record artifacts while working alongside Greek students and professional archaeologists. Students will stay at a modern hotel in Batsi, a nearby resort town that features good restaurants and local markets. The
dig season runs from mid-July to mid-August. Contact Dr. Barbara McCauley, classical studies, for details.

Semester or Academic-Year Programs

Students may select from a variety of off-campus study programs that are from a semester to a year in length, at host universities or in experiential education programs in other countries or in the United States. Unless otherwise stated, contact the International Education Office for details about the global and off-campus study opportunities listed here.

Credo Abroad: Students admitted to this academic honors capstone program travel to important sites in Europe to supplement classroom studies that explore events and places that have significantly changed our world. Contact the International Education Office for details.

Federation of German-American Clubs Scholarship for University Study in Germany: This is a full-tuition scholarship awarded each year to an outstanding student majoring in German for study at a German university of his or her choice. Contact the German department for details.

Hedmark College in Hamar, Norway: This is an opportunity to study Norwegian language, culture and society for one or two semesters at Concordia’s sister school in the Olympic city of Hamar. Students who have completed two years of Norwegian or the equivalent are eligible to participate. Contact the chair of Scandinavian Studies for details.

International Business Programs: Students pursuing a major in business, accounting and economics can merge business and language training through study for a semester at a university and while interning for a business in France, Germany, Norway, Mexico, or the United States. The program in Germany, for example, provides a three-month internship with a German firm and a semester of study at the Johannes-Gutenberg- Universitaet in Mainz. Students participating in the program in Spanish study at the University of the Americas and work for international corporations in Mexico City. Contact the business, accounting and economics department for information about the international business major, and consult the French, German, Spanish or Scandinavian Studies departments for details on language requirements.

Jena Study Abroad Program, Germany: Selected students study for one year at the Friedrich-Schiller Universitaet in Jena, Germany. This program is not restricted to German majors or minors. Contact the German department for details.

Malta and the Mediterranean: Students study the history, culture and religions of Malta and the Mediterranean at the University of Malta during the spring semester. The time abroad includes group travel throughout the Mediterranean. Contact the International Education Office for details.

Social Justice, Peace and Development: Students spend fall semester traveling throughout India while studying environment, modern development, cultures, religions, the impact of globalization, and the ethics of development, identity, resistance and liberation. Contact the International Education Office for details.

St. Petersburg State University, Russia: Study in St. Petersburg provides an opportunity to learn the Russian language and observe culture and society for one or two semesters. Students who have completed two years of Russian are eligible to participate. Contact the International Education Office for details.

Scandinavia and the Baltic: Students will gain a perspective of Northern Europe from Lillehammer, Norway, site of the 1994 Winter Olympics, including group travel throughout Scandinavia and the Baltic. Contact the International Education Office for details.

Segovia, Spain, Semester: Students are immersed in the language, culture and lifestyle of Segovia, a historical city one hour from Madrid. Students interact with local students and families through homestays and travel to regional areas of interest during the semester. Instruction is in Spanish but takes into consideration the proficiency of the students. This fall semester program is open to any student who has completed Spanish 212. Contact the Spanish department for details.

Student Teaching Opportunities Overseas: Students can fulfill their student teaching requirements at various sites in Europe and around the world. Contact the education department for details.

Tanzanian Exchange Program: Learn introductory Swahili followed by enrollment at the University of Dar-es-Salaam in East Africa during the fall semester. Contact the Office of International Education for details.

Universidad de Navarra Program: Students study Spanish language, arts, history, culture and society for spring semester or a full year at the Instituto de Lengua y Cultura Españolas in Pamplona. Contact the Spanish department for details.

Universidad Latina de Costa Rica: This program offers students the opportunity to learn about culture, human development and environmental issues in Central America. This semester-long interdisciplinary program is taught in English. Contact the International Education Office for details.

Université   de Rennes in France: Qualified international business majors with sufficient French language skills spend the second semester of their junior or senior year at the Management Institute of the Université de of Rennes in France, followed by an internship with a French company.

University of Oslo: This is an opportunity to study Norwegian language, culture and society for one or two semesters or for six weeks at the Oslo International Summer School in Norway’s capital. This is a selective program in an inviting academic setting. Contact the chair of Scandinavian Studies for details.

University of the Sunshine Coast: This is a new program for a semester of study at the university located in the most beautiful and environmentally diverse part of Australia. Contact the International Education Office for details.

Urban Studies Program, Chicago: This program teaches students how a large metropolitan city works — and doesn’t work — from a social justice perspective. The Urban Studies Program is about learning the reality of urban life and developing the confidence and competence to work for social justice and change. The core course provides an overview of Chicago. Seminar topics change from term to term, but always represent a range of academic disciplines and arenas of public action. Urban Studies internships place students into some of Chicago’s most influential governmental and nonprofit organizations. Students live in a furnished apartment grouped into a precept — a cluster of three or four apartments within a few blocks of each other. Within the precept, students engage in and complete an independent project in partnership with a community-based organization or explore a community issue. Faculty have diverse backgrounds and bring a broad range of perspectives to the issues being studied. Consult the sociology department for details.

Washington Semester Program: Selected students may spend one semester at The American University in Washington, D.C., studying governmental affairs while interning at a government agency or Congressional office. Participation in the Washington Semester does not increase the time needed to earn a degree from Concordia. To be eligible, a student must have completed P SC 211 — U.S. Political Systems, or have equivalent background preparation, and must have overall honor grades. For information, contact the chair of the political science department.

Wittenberg Summer Study Program: This program provides a complete language immersion experience in the historic city of Wittenberg, Germany. The program includes content-based language instruction, homestays and weekend excursions to different areas in Germany.