Study Abroad

British Isles, Latin America Nursing, European Studies, German, Normandy, Salamanca, South Africa, and Tropical Marine Biology

These programs are registered at Seattle Pacific University and taken with SPU faculty.

British Isles Program
Luke Reinsma, Coordinator, English Department
The British Isles Quarter (BIQ) is a biennial study-abroad program that offers students an opportunity to take regular English courses from an SPU professor while residing and traveling in Great Britain. Professors, courses, and locations vary. For details about upcoming BIQs, visit the English Department Web site at www.spu.edu/ depts/eng/.

Latin America Nursing Program
The nursing program offers transcultural experiences for students, both on campus and abroad. Students can apply to take Family and Community Practicum in Costa Rica or Honduras, the Isle of Helena during their senior year. The Costa Rica experience requires proficiency in Spanish; however, a course in medical Spanish is offered on site. English language is used in Honduras, although Spanish is a secondary language on the island.

European Studies
Michael Macdonald, Coordinator, Foreign Language Department
European Quarter is a SPU sponsored study-abroad program held Autumn or Spring Quarter. Sites vary, depending on faculty leadership, but participants meet the expectations of a quarter’s study in Europe both academically, earning a minimum of 12 credits, and culturally, through in-depth contact with the language/culture connection. For details about upcoming European Quarters, visit the Foreign Language Department Web site at www.spu.edu/depts/fll/.

German Studies Program
Michael Ziemann, Coordinator, Foreign Language Department
The German Studies Program is a seven-week summer program that offers students on-site study of the German language, culture, history, and literature for a minimum of 10 credits. Sites are chosen for their cultural and historical significance and have included Berlin, Bad Homburg, and Heppenheim. Excursions to nearby locations are also part of the program. [Back to Top.]

Normandy Studies Program (France)
Reed Davis, Coordinator, Political Science Department The Normandy Studies Program is a one-month summer program that offers students the opportunity to study French and early modern French political thought for 10 credits. There are approximately eight major excursions offered, as well.

Salamanca Program (Spain)
Alberto Ferreiro, Coordinator, History Department
Seattle Pacific University and the University of Salamanca is a 10-credit program in history and language. The language program allows students to study Spanish at their own level at the University of Salamanca. It also offers a rich opportunity for travel on weekends to Toledo, Segovia, and other cities, and visits to concerts, art exhibits, and numerous monuments.

Summer Program in South Africa
Kimberly Segall, Coordinator, English Department
This four-week summer program tours several locations in South Africa, including Capetown (once the prison site of Nelson Mandela), Addo Elephant Park, the Garden Route, and the National Arts Festival at Grahamstown. Students will visit museums, attend theatre performances, and participate in a service project. For details see the English Department Web site at www.spu.edu/ depts/eng/.

Tropical Marine Biology (Various Locations)
Tim Nelson, Coordinator, Biology Department
This 10-day to two-week study takes place annually between the end of Autumn Quarter and Christmas Eve. Destinations vary either the Caribbean or a site in the Pacific. (For example, the December 2003 tour was in Belize and the 2002 tour was to the Galapagos Islands). The tour typically emphasizes fish, corals, and seaweeds typical of coral reef ecosystems or terrestrial natural history. This study is open to all students; General Education or Exploratory Curriculum credit may be earned in BIO 1100. Students with biology experience may take BIO 4950 for credit. Snorkeling and scuba diving are optional. The course includes a cultural component. In Belize, for example, the Mayan ruins were part of the tour. [Back to Top.]

Study Programs

American Studies (Washington, D.C.), China Studies, Contemporary Christian Music, Latin American Studies, Film Studies (Los Angeles), Middle East Studies, The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford, Russian Studies, Oxford Summer School, Summer Institute of Journalism

Seattle Pacific University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the Christian College Consortium (CCC). The purpose of the CCCU and CCC is to promote Christian higher education, and to provide programs for students and professional development opportunities for faculty and administration. All programs are available on the CCCU Web site at www.bestsemester.com. These 12 study programs are semester-based, and students register for them at Seattle Pacific University through the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities program. Applications and information are available at www.bestsemester.com. Registration and course information is available on SPU’s Special Programs Web site. [Back to Top.]

American Studies (Washington, D.C.)
Reed Davis, Coordinator, Political Science Department
Founded in 1976, the American Studies Program (ASP) has served hundreds of students from council-member institutions as a “Washington, D.C., campus.” The ASP uses Washington, D.C., as a stimulating educational laboratory where collegians gain hands-on experience with an internship in their chosen field and explore pressing national and international issues in public policy seminars that are issue-oriented, interdisciplinary, and led by ASP faculty and Washington professionals. Internships are tailored to fit the student’s talents and aspirations and are available in a wide range of fields. The ASP bridges classroom and marketplace, combining biblical reflection, policy analysis, and real-world experience. Students are exposed to on-the-job learning that helps them build for their future and gain perspective on the calling of God for their lives. They are challenged in a rigorous course of study to discover for themselves the meaning of Christ’s lordship in putting their beliefs into practice. The aim of the program is to help Council schools prepare their students to live faithfully in contemporary society as followers of Christ. Students earn 24 quarter hours of credit.

Australia Studies Center (Sydney)
Don Yanik, Coordinator, Theatre Department
The Australia Studies Centre (ASC) seeks to prepare students to live the Christian life in a world that is religiously and culturally pluralistic, whether in Australia, North America, or other parts of the world. Students are encouraged to think through their role as kingdom builders in a Western world that is increasingly secular both intellectually and culturally. Students are further challenged to grapple with the meaning of being “salt” and “light” in the cultureshaping arena of the professional performing artist. Students earn 24 credits quarter hours of credit. [Back to Top.]

Contemporary Music (Martha’s Vineyard)
Ramona Holmes, Coordinator, Music Department
The Contemporary Music Center offers students the opportunity to spend a semester studying, living, and working with faculty, music industry experts, and other students who share their interest in making and marketing contemporary music. It is a chance to devote serious time to discovering how God would have a student integrate his or her faith, love of music, and the music marketplace.

In addition to core courses investigating the music industry and the intersection of faith and culture, students can choose between the “artist track” or the music “executive track.” They will get many hours of hands-on experience, plus lectures, seminars, directed study, and an intensive field experience in Nashville, Tennessee. When not in class, students will be in the studio or in music-business offices. Together with classmates, students will make and market a CD of original music. A complete list of courses can be found in the School of Music section of this Catalog. The Center is located on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, five miles off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. [Back to Top.]

China Studies Program (Xiamen)
Darrell Allen, Coordinator, History Department
The China Studies Program (CSP), which began in the spring of 1999, allows students to engage this large and intriguing country from the inside. While living and experiencing Chinese civilization firsthand, students participate in seminar courses on the historical, cultural, religious, geographical, and economic realities of this strategic and populous nation. In addition to the study of standard Chinese, students will assist Chinese students learning English, allowing for one-on-one interaction. The China Studies program is hosted by Xiamen University located on the beautiful garden island of Xiamen in southeastern China. The program introduces students to the diversity of China with trips to Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Xi’an. This interdisciplinary, cross-cultural program of study enables Christian students to deal with this increasingly important part of the world in an informed, Christ-centered way. Students earn 24 quarter hours of credit.

Film Studies Program (Los Angeles)
Kim Gilnett, Coordinator, Fine Arts Department
The Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC), a program of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, offers a semesterlong liberal arts exposure to the workings of the film industry, exploring the ethical considerations and cultural influences that arise from the industry’s operations and product. Enrollment in the program is competitive and limited to upper-division undergraduates. For those accepted into the program, a block of 24 SPU credits may be earned. Consult the film-studies coordinator for details. The Los Angeles Film Studies Center, located in Burbank, California, provides students a unique opportunity to study the film industry in an “on location” intensified experience. Participants have opportunity to meet working professionals from all aspects of the film industry, to visit facilities found only in Southern California, and to utilize film research libraries unique to the area. The curriculum is intended to appeal to students from a variety of academic disciplines with the intent of providing an interdisciplinary study of film and the film industry, and with a secondary goal of providing opportunity to investigate future academic and/or vocational opportunities. [Back to Top.]

Latin American Studies Program (San Jose)
Robert Baah, Coordinator, Foreign Language Department
Students of Council member colleges have the opportunity to live and learn in Latin America through the Latin American Studies Program (LASP), based in San Jose, Costa Rica. The program seeks to introduce students to as wide a range of Latin American experiences as possible through the study of language, literature, culture, politics, history, economics, ecology, and religion of the region. Living with a Costa Rican family, students experience and become a part of the day-to-day lives of typical Latin Americans. Students also participate in a service opportunity and travel for three weeks to nearby Latin American nations. In addition to the regular program of interdisciplinary offerings, three specialized academic tracks are available to qualified students: Advance Language and Literature Studies (limited to Spanish majors and offered both Autumn and Spring Quarters), International Business and Management (offered in only Autumn Quarter), and Tropical Sciences (offered only in Spring Quarter). Students in all tracks earn 24 quarter hours of credit.

Middle East Studies Program (Cairo)
Donald Holsinger, Coordinator, History Department
The Middle East Studies Program (MESP) based in Cairo, Egypt, allows Council students to explore and interact with the complex and strategic world of the modern Middle East. The interdisciplinary seminars give student the opportunity to explore the diverse religious, social, cultural, and literary traditions of Middle Eastern people. In addition to seminars, students study the Arabic language and work as volunteers with various organizations in Cairo. Through travel to Israel, Palestine, Jordan, and Turkey, students are exposed to the diversity and dynamism of the region. The MESP encourages and equips students to relate to the Muslim world in an informed, constructive, and Christ-centered manner in a time of tension and change. Students earn 24 quarter hours of credit. [Back to Top.]

The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford (Oxford)
Susan VanZanten Gallagher, Coordinator, English Department
Honors students from the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities have the opportunity to study in England in an interdisciplinary semester at Oxford University in England. The rigorous academic program, aimed at increasing critical-thinking skills and scholarship from a Christian perspective, allows participants to choose from a wide variety of tutorial study programs in numerous disciplines, including the arts, religion, history, literature, and philosophy. In addition to two Oxford tutorials, students participate in a seminar and an integrative course through which they produce a scholarly project or term paper. Fieldtrips provide opportunities for experiential learning in England’s rich historical setting. Students earn 24 quarter hours of credit as a member of Wycliffe Hall and visiting student of Oxford University.

Oxford Summer School (Oxford)
Susan VanZanten Gallagher, Coordinator, English Department
Students spend a summer term studying at the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies (CMRS) of Keble College at Oxford University in England. The program includes multi-disciplinary study of the Renaissance and Reformation through examination of philosophy, art, literature, science, music, politics, and religion of early modern Europe in a choice of lectures, seminars, and fieldtrips. Students earn 9–13.5 quarter credits, which are administered directly to member institutions by CMRS credits. [Back to Top.]

Russian Studies Program (Moscow)
Katya Nemtchinova, Coordinator, Foreign Language Department
Russian Studies Program (RSP) students are exposed to the depth and diversity of Russian culture during a semester spent in Russia’s three largest cities: Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Nizhni Novgorod. In addition to three seminar courses entitled History and Sociology of Religion in Russia, Russian Peoples, Cultures and Literature, and Russia in Transition, students receive instruction in the Russian language, choosing either four or six semester hours of language coursework. For those opting for four hours of Russian, a seminar course entitled International Relations and Business in Russia is available. The RSP strives to give students as wide an experience as possible in this complex nation, beginning with time in Moscow, the heart of both medieval and modern Russia. Students then spend 12 weeks in Nizhni Novgorod, a strategic city on the Volga River. After six weeks of language instruction, students live with a Russian family for the remainder of their stay in this city. Students also participate in a service opportunity in Nizhni Novgorod. The program concludes with a week spent in the complex and intriguing city of St. Petersburg, the Russian “window to the West.” Students generally earn 24 quarter hours of credit. [Back to Top.]

Summer Institute of Journalism (Washington, D.C.)
Rick Jackson, Coordinator, Communication Department
Council campuses are invited to choose two student-journalists to apply for this four-week, all-expenses-paid experience in Washington, D.C. Fifteen students are selected to participate in the institute, which lasts from mid-May to mid-June. The institute blends classroom experience with hands-on work and is an excellent opportunity to learn through lectures and panels with leading journalists who share a strong Christian commitment. Participants also participate in seminars taught by communications professors from Council member institutions, take part in fieldtrips, and complete workshop projects for local newspapers. The course provides valuable insight and training in gathering and writing news, editing copy, and designing layout. The institute seeks to develop students as Christian journalists – exhibiting both professionalism and legal/ ethical integrity. Students generally earn 6 quarter hours of credit.

Uganda Studies Program (Mukono)
Kerry Dearborn, Coordinator, School of Theology
The Uganda Studies Program (USP) seeks to prepare students to live the Christian life in a world that is religiously and culturally pluralistic, whether in Africa, North America, or other parts of the world. The USP seeks to introduce student to the dynamic world of the global south, focused in the vibrant East African nation of Uganda. Christianity there is joyful and growing rapidly, even as it engages Islam and secularization. USP students will move through this society first in the classes and dormitories of Uganda Christian University and then as learners observing places and people of interest around the country. Students earn 24 quarter hours of credit. [Back to Top.]

Visit/Transfer Programs

Clark Atlanta, Consortium Visitor Program, Daystar, FIT, FIDM, Soongsil University Students can register for the following programs through SPU agreements.

Students interested in one of these programs will meet with the designated contact at SPU, but will register for classes through the institution they visit.

Clark Atlanta College (Atlanta)
Seattle Pacific University and Clark Atlanta College are sister schools. Students are able to study at each institution with the permission of the vice president for academic affairs. Information is available from the Office of Student Life. [Back to Top.]

Consortium Visitor Program (Various Locations)
Students may elect to attend one of the other 12 Christian College Consortium schools on a visitor basis for one or two quarters on the Student Visitor Program. In addition to SPU, Consortium schools include Asbury College, Bethel College (St. Paul), George Fox University, Gordon College, Greenville College, Houghton College, Malone College, Messiah College, Taylor University, Trinity International University, Westmont College and Wheaton College. Applications should be filed through Student Academic Services. The deadline for Autumn Quarter is March 1; for Winter and Spring Quarters, the deadline is October 1. Information is available in Student Academic Services on campus, and online at www.ccconsortium.org.

Daystar Program (Nairobi)
The Christian College Consortium also sponsors a study program at Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya. Programs of study include communications, business administration and management, education, community development, and Bible and Christian ministries. All instruction is in the English language, offered by a faculty composed primarily of African nationals. Admission to Daystar is limited to Consortium students in their junior or senior years. [Back to Top.]

Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) Program (Los Angeles)
Students have an option of pursuing a concentrated year of training in interior design by participating in the liaison program with the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles. Students electing to participate in the FIDM liaison should apply in their junior year and attend during their senior year. Students considering this option should seek advisement early in their academic careers in order to meet the requirements of both FIDM and SPU.

Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) Program (New York)
Students in the textiles and clothing program who have major status and have maintained a satisfactory grade point average may select from nine additional specializations if they are accepted into the liaison program with the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City. Those students who choose the FIT option must be accepted into the major and work closely with their advisor in selecting courses that best prepare them for their chosen major. Specializations offered through the liaison program with FIT include accessories design, advertising, and communication, advertising design, manufacturing management, fashion design, fashion buying and merchandising, jewelry design, textile/surface design, or textile development, and marketing.

Soongsil University (Seoul)
Seattle Pacific University and Soongsil University are sister schools. Students are able to study at each institution. Information is available from the Office of Student Life.

[Back to Top.]    Print this Page