International Education: Off-Campus Studies
Students interested in the following programs may inquire at the International Programs office in the Walker Student Center as well as check the International Programs web site for further information regarding summer and fall opportunities.
JBU Semester in Ireland
John Brown University directs a semester-long program in Belfast, Northern Ireland every fall term. Students live at JBU’s own Lakeside Manor in Belfast, take 15 hours of Core Curriculum course work with Irish professors, and travel throughout Ireland as they connect classroom and experiential learning. This program welcomes students from all majors and at all stages of their academic career at JBU.
JBU Summer Irish Studies
Since 1998, JBU has operated a six-week summer program in Belfast, Northern Ireland, whereby students can earn nine hours of Core Curriculum credit. Ireland itself-the location, the people, and the culture-is the focus of the program. Students live at Lakeside Manor, which is located in Belfast, with the curriculum making use of field trips to numerous locations in Ireland. This program welcomes students from all majors and at all stages of their academic career at JBU.
Approved Semester Off-Campus Educational Programs
Best Semester Study Abroad Programs
The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) is a higher education association of 180 Christian institutions around the world. The 120 member campuses in North America are all fully accredited, comprehensive colleges and universities with curricula rooted in the arts and sciences. In addition, 63 affiliate campuses from 20 countries are part of the CCCU. BestSemester offers semester and summer programs for students of the Council’s member institutions to make the world their classroom.
Travel Disclaimer: All travel plans are subject to change if the situation for any of the destinations is thought to compromise the students’ safety.
American Studies Program (ASP)
Since 1976, the American Studies Program has served as an experiential learning laboratory for students committed to connecting their faith to public affairs. Nearly 500 of ASP’s 3,000+ alumni have returned to work in the DC metro area in a variety of professional fields-private and public, for-profit and non-profit. In addition to an internship and a Professional Development Practicum course, students apply to either the Public Policy track or the Strategic Communication track. The Public Policy track equips and supports students in their analysis of a pressing public policy issue; each student produces original research by engaging area experts and practitioners off-site and in the classroom as they investigate the local, national and global factors that influence policy-making in Washington, D.C. The Strategic Communication track engages Washington, D.C.-based organizations and communication professionals to explore the role of strategic communication in achieving organizational goals; field-work activities explore current best practices in communicating critical organizational messages to key internal and external constituents and stakeholders. ASP students earn 16 semester hours of credit.
Australia Studies Centre (ASC)
The Australia Studies Centre is offered in partnership with Christian Heritage College (CHC), a CCCU affiliate member in Brisbane, Queensland. The ASC is designed to integrate the firsthand observation and study of Australian culture, history, religion, politics and Indigenous cultures together with experiential service learning and formal instruction in Christian Studies, Business, Ministries, Liberal Arts, Social Sciences, and Education and Humanities. Students live with Australian families and volunteer with local community service providers. Trips vary by semester but may include excursions to the Australian Outback, Aboriginal Communities and New Zealand. ASC students earn 16 semester hours of credit.
Contemporary Music Center (CMC)
The Contemporary Music Center provides students with the opportunity to live and work in Christian community while being equipped to integrate music, faith and business. The CMC offers three tracks: Artist, Business and Technical. The Artist Track is tailored to students considering careers as vocalists, musicians, songwriters, recording artists, performers and producers. The Business Track is designed for business, arts management, marketing, communications and related majors interested in possible careers as artist managers, agents, record company executives, music publishers, concert promoters and entertainment industry entrepreneurs. The Technical Track prepares students for careers in live sound, concert lighting and studio recording. Students within each of the tracks receive instruction, experience, and a uniquely Christ-centered perspective on the music industry while working together to plan and execute a week-long tour at the end of the semester. Each track includes coursework, labs, directed study, and a practicum. CMC students earn up to 16 hours of credit.
Latin American Studies Program (LASP)
Based in San José, Costa Rica, the Latin American Studies Program introduces students to a wide range of experiences through the study of the language, literature, culture, politics, history, economics, ecology and religion of the region. Through living with local families, students become a part of the day-today lives of Latin Americans. Students also take part in a field experience/practicum and travel to another nearby Central American nation. Students participate in one of three concentrations: Latin American Studies, Advanced Spanish Language and Literature, or Business for Sustainability. LASP students earn 16-18 semester credits.
Los Angeles Film Studies Center (LAFSC)
Founded in 1991, the Los Angeles Film Studies Center equips students to serve in various aspects of the film industry with professional skill and Christian integrity. Each semester, students live, learn and work in one of the primary film and television production centers in Los Angeles. LAFSC seeks to prepare students for placement in the mainstream Hollywood film industry, ideally in decision-making positions, with a Christ-centered vision to dynamically influence film content, production processes, and interpersonal relationships. In addition, LAFSC aims to develop advocates to advance an informed and discerning approach to understanding the media and an appreciation and support for the work of peers in Hollywood. LAFSC students earn up to 16 hours of credit.
Middle East Studies Program (MESP)
Based in Amman, Jordan, MESP offers students the unique opportunity to become immersed in the complex, modern Middle East. Under the guidance of a staff with over 30 years of experience living in the region, students live together in a close-knit community and explore the diverse religious, social, cultural and political traditions of Middle Eastern peoples through interdisciplinary seminars. Students also earn up to six credits of Arabic language and serve at local organizations with the opportunity to earn intercultural internship/practicum credit throughout the semester. At a time of change in the Middle East, MESP empowers and equips students to relate to Muslim, Eastern Christian, and Jewish peoples in a guided and Christ-centered approach. MESP students earn 15-18 semester hours of credit.
Northern Ireland Semester (NIS)
The Northern Ireland Semester is a spring-only program based in Belfast, Northern Ireland that exposes students to the rich history and culture of the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is rich in natural beauty, history, culture, and Christian heritage. But the beauty of the landscape and richness of its culture belies a tragic history of religious and political conflict. As such, it affords an opportunity for students to experience in deep ways both the beauty of God’s creation and human cultural achievements as well as the brokenness of the world. The program begins with a three-week intensive course called Peacemaking, Reconciliation, and Conflict Transformation in Northern Ireland, which is taken by all students. Student then choose additional courses in history, theology, literature, art, and communication. Providing a variety of general studies credits, NIS is open to students in any major from their sophomore year and beyond. NIS students earn 15-16 hours of credit.
Scholars’ Semester in Oxford (SSO)
The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford is specifically designed for Honors Program students seeking a rigorous and robust academic experience. As official Registered Visiting Students of Oxford University, students study within Oxford’s acclaimed tutorial system to receive weekly, one-on-one instruction. Students choose from hundreds of subjects within the disciplines of Classics, English Language and Literature, History, History of Art, Modern Languages (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian), Musicology, Philosophy, Psychology, or Theology, and earn access to Oxford’s 119 libraries featuring 11 million books and outstanding electronic resources. Applicants must be a member of JBU Honors Program and have at minimum a 3.7 GPA to be considered for the program. SSO students earn 17 semester hours of credit for a semester.
Uganda Studies Program
The Uganda Studies Program immerses students in local communities, Ugandan campus life, and a broad range of cultures and places within Uganda and Rwanda. Students choose to live either with a host family for the semester or on campus at Uganda Christian University (UCU), an international affiliate member of the CCCU located 15 miles east of the capital city of Kampala. Students forge meaningful relationships with their Ugandan peers, faculty members, and host families while exploring issues such as poverty, cultural expressions of Christianity and missions, and the reconciliation between the realities of East Africa and their Christian faith. Students enroll in one of three tracks: Social Work Emphases (SWE), Global Health Emphasis (GHE), or General Studies Emphasis (GSE). Students in the Social Work Emphasis participate in an MSW-guided Junior-level or Senior-level Social Work Practicum (up to 400 practicum hours) and Seminar. A wide variety of practicum sites are offered, including Compassion International Child Development Centers and locally founded service organizations, all with seasoned, Ugandan social work supervisors and within the framework of CSWE accreditation standards. Global Health Emphasis students take advanced global health courses and participate in the Cross Cultural Practicum at a health-related organization to engage broader issues of international aid, development, and public health. General Studies Emphasis students select from a variety of UCU electives including languages, health, religions, literature, and politics, and may also choose to receive practicum credit through service at Cross-Cultural Practicum sites in a variety of fields. USP students earn 13-21 hours of credit.
Other Approved Semester Studies Programs
Creation Care Study Program (CCSP)
The mission of CCSP is “to educate students to be a part of, and agents for, God’s shalom, particularly through understanding and caring for creation.”
The CCSP is a study abroad program with locations in Belize and New Zealand. JBU students attending the CCSP program would receive upper-division biology credits and may also choose internship and / or elective hours.
LCC International University
LCC International University (formerly Lithuania Christian College) liberal arts institution in the city of Klaipéda, Lithuania. Established in 1991 by a joint venture of Lithuanian, Canadian, and American foundations, LCC has distinguished itself in the region by offering a unique, future-oriented style of education and an interactive academic environment within the context of a Christian academic community.
Living and Learning in Quito
Living and Learning International is located in Quito, Ecuador, is a 13-week semester study abroad program. Living and Learning functions under the supervision of Youth World International. The program combines classroom learning and practical internships in a unique and challenging cross-cultural setting. Students will be enrolled in a Spanish language institute during their time in Quito.
Semester in Spain (Seville)
Semester in Spain is a Spanish language immersion study abroad program of Trinity Christian College. With native professors, you will excel academically while living in the bustling and historic city of Seville. The program is available to JBU students who are Spanish majors.
Handong Global University
Handong Global University, located in Pohang, South Korea, is a leading Christian university committed to following Jesus Christ and training global leaders to change the world. Founded in 1995, HGU enrolls over 4,000 undergraduate students from 35 countries. The Korean Ministry of Education has ranked HGU first among all colleges and universities in Korea for student services and in the top tier for its academic programs.
Off-Campus Policies
- For JBU credit to be awarded, the program or experience must be approved in advance by the International Programs Committee.
- Credit earned in non-JBU led off-campus programs is posted as “CR” on the student’s JBU transcript.
- Students in such programs are designated as enrolled at JBU.
Financial Aid Policy for Off-Campus Programs
This information applies only to aid directly from John Brown University. It does not affect any federal or state aid that a student may have. It also does not apply to the JBU Semester in Ireland Program.
Off-campus study is a valuable part of a student’s education. Therefore, JBU allows a certain number of students per year to apply a portion of their institutional financial aid to semester abroad programs. In allocating financial aid funds to semester abroad programs and selecting students to receive such a benefit, the university’s policy is driven by two guiding principles:
- Study abroad programs that immerse students in a foreign culture are some of the most valuable, life-changing educational experiences that a student can have.
- Cross-cultural study that occurs in a Christian context and is motivated from a Christian worldview is the most meaningful kind of semester abroad experience.
Therefore, John Brown University seeks to give priority in financial aid support and student selection to cross-cultural programs that share its Christian mission and educational perspective.
Study Abroad Financial Aid
- Up to 100% of institutional financial aid, depending on available funds: Semester Irish Studies Program, and for Spanish majors only, Semester in Spain Program (Seville) and Latin American Studies Program (Costa Rica).
- Up to 75% of institutional financial aid, depending on available funds: all other JBU-approved international programs.
- Up to 50% of institutional financial aid, depending on available funds: all JBU-approved domestic programs.
Awarding Study Abroad Financial Aid
- By February 15 of the spring semester, any student planning to apply JBU financial aid to a study abroad program for the fall semester must notify the International Education Office in writing. The International Programs Committee will allocate financial aid funds to eligible students studying abroad in the fall semester.
- By October 15 of the preceding fall semester, any student planning to apply JBU financial aid to a study abroad program for the spring semester must notify the International Education Office in writing. The International Programs Committee will allocate the remaining available financial aid funds to eligible students studying abroad in the spring semester.
- Award amounts for each individual student will vary based on the overall number of students applying for study abroad, the particular program attended, and the amount of aid for which the student is eligible. In addition, the following factors will affect award amounts: prior participation in semester abroad programs, financial need, hours earned at John Brown University, and Cumulative GPA.
Other Stipulations
- Students receiving scholarships or stipends that require on-campus service (such as resident assistants, Student Government Association officers, student publications editors, CAUSE officers, work-study employees and athletes) may not apply their institutional scholarships to study abroad programs.
- Students attending JBU under a tuition exchange program from another college cannot carry that exchange to an off-campus program. Students receiving JBU tuition remission may apply up to 50% of their tuition remission to an off-campus program.
- Students receiving JBU aid while attending off-campus programs must return to JBU for further study, or must graduate from JBU at the conclusion of the program. If this is not done, the student must repay the amount received from JBU as financial aid for the program.
- Students may participate in only one semester study abroad opportunity while earning an undergraduate degree. Students may participate in multiple summer study abroad opportunities.
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