Study Abroad
Mark Twain once wrote that “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness – all foes to real understanding.” Recognizing the validity of that statement, Maryville College believes a period of travel and study outside the United States should be a part of one’s education whenever possible.
Confronting other cultures and viewpoints, learning about the customs and practices in other societies, coping with unfamiliar surroundings in a language not fully one’s own can do much to deepen insights and broaden perspectives. Such experience can also foster remarkable personal growth.
January term travel study
Short-term possibilities come through experiential travel with a small group of students and faculty. In recent years, groups of students and faculty have used the three-week class terms for study travel to locales in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Central and South America. Students may apply for financial assistance through two scholarship funds designated for experiential travel: the TRAAVEL (Travel and Readings in Asia and Africa/Ventures in Experiential Learning) Award and the Carter Fund. Deadlines for each award are in the spring of each academic year for Maryville College sponsored trips scheduled for the following year.
For more extended periods, it is advantageous for the College to associate with other institutions. Through such associations Maryville students can experience life and study in many areas of the globe.
A period of study is possible at any time after the first year, but most students find the third year, or the preceding summer, the most convenient time. Planning needs to start well in advance and is best done in close consultation with one’s advisor, the Director of International Education, and the Maryville College faculty liaison for the particular exchange. Approval for study abroad is required. Students apply to the International Programming Committee, must meet minimum G.P.A. standards, and must follow the application procedures set by the Committee. The programs listed here all carry full academic credit and, for all exchange programs, grades are figured into student G.P.A.s. A number of other exchange opportunities are available through the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP), with which Maryville College is associated (see www.isep.org). Students also may choose to study at foreign institutions with which Maryville College does not have a relationship. In those cases, financial aid is not available and credits earned are treated as transfer credit. Further, the College will scrutinize carefully, and may reject, credits earned at institutions overseas. The programs at institutions described in this catalog have been screened for academic quality and attention to the needs of students studying abroad.
MARYVILLE COLLEGE Bilateral and ISEP EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
Study abroad programs are administered by the International Programming Committee in conjunction with the International Programming Office. Detailed information on study abroad is found under “Study Abroad” on the College website or by talking with the Director of International Programming.
Maryville College maintains bilateral and ISEP exchange programs in 40 countries to over 130 overseas institutions. In addition to a student’s regular financial aid package, Maryville students may apply for additional scholarship support through Ragsdale International Scholarship Program. Ragsdale applications are due to the Director of International Education on October 1 for travel in spring and March 1 for summer or fall travel. Program stipulations vary, but in most cases regular tuition and fees, and usually room and board are paid to Maryville College. Under these reciprocal agreements, when a Maryville student studies at a related institution, a student from that institution may study at Maryville for an equal time period. The majority of programs offer instruction in English, however many programs also offer language study.
ISEP-Direct Semester and Summer Programs
Through ISEP, students also have access to ISEP-Direct semester or summer programs. These are affordable fee-paid programs in a number of countries that do not offer the option to do an exchange. For these programs institutional aid is not available, however federal aid may apply in many cases. Students on ANY Maryville College study abroad program (including ISEP-Direct) may apply for additional scholarship support through the Ragsdale International Scholarship Program.
More information on programs can be found on the Maryville College study abroad website through the International Education Office, and at www.isep.org.
