Fend off winter’s chill by planning for hot MTSU summer study-abroad courses

If you’re planning the summer experience of a lifetime, MTSU recommends you spend your winter preparing for it.

Friday, Feb. 7, is the deadline to apply for a scholarship from the Office of Education Abroad to pay for one of the many signature study-abroad programs that will be taught by MTSU faculty in summer 2020. Another important deadline is Friday, March 6. By that date, students who aspire to study abroad must pre-register with the office.

“That basically lets the student get into our system,” said Melissa Miller, Office of Education Abroad director. “It tells us who they are, where they’re trying to go, and it lets us connect them with the faculty member who’s leading that program.”

Signature programs are designed and taught by MTSU personnel, and 13 of the 32 programs available this summer are either completely new or are subjects being taught in different countries.

Melissa Miller, right, director of the Office of Education Abroad, explains study abroad courses to master's degree candidate Jeanette Stevens of the Career Development Center at the Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technology Center in October 2019. (MTSU photo by James Cessna)

Melissa Miller, right, director of MTSU’s Office of Education Abroad, explains study abroad courses to master’s degree candidate Jeanette Stevens of the Career Development Center at the Learning, Teaching and Innovative Technology Center in October 2019. (MTSU file photo by James Cessna)

The summer classes range from “Religious Diversity in Canada” to “Peace Studies in Japan: Past, Present and Future.” Three courses will take students to Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France. They cover chemistry and cooking, international fermented foods and studio art.

Other signature program destinations include Belize, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, England, Finland, Estonia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, Italy, Israel, New Zealand, Senegal and Taiwan.

Students must take at least six credit hours required for their degree plans to obtain financial aid for the summer semester. Miller said, however, that multiple sources of financial aid are available.

“Typically, we’ve seen students tap into their loans, their institutional aid, the HOPE Lottery (scholarship), the Pell Grant,” Miller said, “and outside scholarships are available.”

The MTSU Office of Education Abroad is located in Room 207 of Peck Hall, and its website is https://mtsu.studioabroad.com. For more information, contact Miller at 615-898-5179 or melissa.miller@mtsu.edu.

— Gina Logue (gina.logue@mtsu.edu)