STUDY AWAY AT SU
Students and faculty from Stevenson’s School of the
Sciences spent their 2016 Winterim traveling throughout
Costa Rica in an effort to observe and analyze the unique
ecosystems the Central American nation has to offer.
helps in job interviews. It gives you something to talk about,
to show tangible proof of how you acquired critical soft
skills through this distinctive experience.”
For these reasons, the Office of International and OffCampus Study provides students with all the information
needed to plan an international or domestic program
experience. For example, Pisano says, “A lot of students
think that if they don’t speak another language well enough
they can’t go to the place where it’s predominantly spoken,
but we tell them about program options that are specifically
set up for international students, so it’s actually not a
hurdle nor an expectation.”
The concept of a study away program encompasses any
organized credit-bearing experience that’s course-based and
takes place off campus and includes overnight travel. “It’s
usually a structured experience for multiple students that
has a travel component lasting from several days to several
weeks (or even months),” Pisano explains. “The Washington
Center Internship Program is one domestic example.” This
independent nonprofit gives students opportunities to work
and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit.
Stevenson offers two study away formats: faculty-led
travel courses and affiliate programs in 50 countries around
the world in a variety of academic disciplines during the
semester, Winterim, Spring Break, and Summer terms.
Faculty-led travel courses are both domestic and
international, and they tend to be short-term (defined as
being from one to eight weeks in duration). These programs
have a specific academic focus and locations can vary each
year. For example, SU faculty-led travel courses during
the 2017 Winterim will include forensic studies in Malta,
human services in Jamaica, and environmental science in
Hawaii.
Affiliate programs can be short-term or long-term, from
a few weeks up to an academic year. Stevenson’s current
six affiliate partners—with which the University has
collaboration agreements—include opportunities offered
by the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), the
Lorenzo de ’Medici Institute in Italy (called “SU in Italy”),
and Academic Programs International (API).
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