Below are some highlights of popular international options to which ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ students can apply Passport Point credits. Faculty-led programs may change from year to year. 

Faculty-led, aka "Module"

• Australia – ‘Journey Down Under’ – G'day Mate! How would you like to find Nemo at the Great Barrier Reef? Or feed a mother kangaroo with a Joey in her pouch at Steve Erwin's Australia Zoo? Australia is an incredibly unique country with every kind of diversity: people, animal, vegetable and mineral. We spend time studying the First Australians – Aboriginal Australians – who have lived on the continent for over 50,000 years.
• England & Scotland – ‘Theatre and Culture in the UK’ – In As You Like It Shakespeare has Jaques say, “All the world’s a stage, and the men and women merely players.” Shakespeare also said theatre, as an art form, is meant “to hold, as ‘twere, the mirror up to nature.” In this course we will explore the idea that theatre is all around us, from social constructs, dialogue, ritual, costumes/clothing, spectacle, government, psychology, art and architecture, all of these helping to shape a cultural identity.
• Finland – ‘The Finnish Miracle’ – What is the Finnish Miracle? In the 1950s, Finland was a poor, agrarian nation, battered by wars to expel both the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany from their country during WWII. In less than 50 years, Finland became one of the wealthiest and most advanced countries in the world. We will study the role of the storied Finnish education system as we explore the history, business, culture, sights and people of the country Newsweek magazine named “Best in the World” based on education, health, political environment, economic competitiveness, and quality of life.
• France – ‘Americans in Paris: The Quest for the Good Life’ - What is the Good Life? This module is designed to help students answer this question for themselves. It is designed for students to concentrate on personal Parisian preferences and experiences that make up THEIR Good Life.
• Greece – ‘Art, Healing, and Medicine from Ancient Greece to Shreveport’ – American conceptions about wellness are tied to Greece, from the Hippocratic Oath to hype about the “Mediterranean diet.” Ancient Greek ideas about health and healing stimulated the development of modern medicine, influencing our medical terminology and even our surgical instruments! A key difference: Greek medicine depended on the arts, seen in their sculpture, architecture, and dramatic festivals. This course will examine the role of the arts in healing in Greece & Shreveport, from ancient Greek temples to the “Arts in Medicine” program at Ochsner LSU Health.
• India – ‘Religions of Northern India’ – Faculty-led immersion course allowing students to fulfil both Culture and Community credits during a period of study focusing on traditions and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism.
• Italy – ‘Personal Renaissance: Studio Art in Florence’ – Faculty-led immersion into the historical, social, and artistic history of Florence and including a special excursion to the Venice Biennale to experience the best of global contemporary art.
• Northern Ireland – ‘Conflict Resolution in Northern Ireland’ – This study abroad course takes students to Northern Ireland to learn about the history of the Troubles, the three decades of political violence that ended with the Belfast or Good Friday Agreement in 1998, and the ongoing peacebuilding and conflict resolution activities and challenges underway since. The Troubles are often described as an identity conflict between Catholics and Protestants but these titles do nothing to contribute to our understanding.

 

Partnership Programs

• Denmark – – Semester or academic year exchange program for students across the humanities, social sciences, and business.
• France
  
  • – Exchange program for students to spend a semester, year, or (based on annual space available) 4-week or 8-week
    • Application deadlines: 25 April (Fall semester study) or 15 October (Spring semester study)
  • – Exchange opportunities across a consortium of top Parisian universities for students to spend a semester, year, or (in exceptional circumstances) 4-week or 8-week summer school programs in humanities, sciences, social sciences, and business.

    • Application deadlines: 1 May (Fall semester study) or 1 November (Spring semester study)

• Germany – – Semester or academic year exchange program for students across the social sciences and business.

  • Application deadlines: 15 June (Fall semester study)or 15 November (Spring/Summer semester study)

• Northern Ireland – British Council: (various universities) – Semester or academic year exchange program for students across the sciences, humanities, social sciences, and business.

  • Application deadline : 10 February (all)

• Various – MISEN : Through the Methodist International Student Exchange Network consortium, ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ students have access to global exchange programs at partner universities in Argentina, South Africa, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Mexico, the Phillipines, Zimbabwe, and Brazil.
• Various – Up with People : This intercultural leadership, volunteer, and performance program allows students to spend one or two 5-month periods with a traveling cast of over 100. Each cohort travels to approximately 20 communities across 2-3 continents per semester, spending about a week in each location.

Independent Programs

Students may choose to create their own independent culture exploration course, or propose an external program. All proposals are reviewed by the Trek Committee. These are examples of successful proposals:

• Taiwan – Perspectives on Feminism and Gender Dynamics in Taipei : Student-developed syllabus allowed immersion into Taiwanese culture for a two-week period, enhancement of Chinese language learning, and observations of cultural differences in feminism and gender dynamics.
• Hungary – Eternal Vagabonds: The Roma of Hungary and Central Europe : Student-developed syllabus for home-stay immersion with the Roma community, particularly with high school students and study of Roma music, visual art, mythology, and history.
• Germany –: This 21-day musical theatre training course immersed the student in a European performance environment as well as providing individual coaching in dance, voice, acting, and repertoire.
• Italy – : This competitive 5-week shadowing and academic credit program in Rome allows for cultural and career immersion alongside practical skills development.
• France - @ Festival de Cannes : Students complete a placement at The American Pavilion, the de facto headquarters for the American film community, or at a company doing business at the Marché du Film. Partner companies include talent agencies, production/distribution companies (both domestic and international), trade publications, and PR firms.

 

International Choir Tour

The ¶¶Òõ¶ÌÊÓƵ College Choir tours internationally in alternate years; recent tours have included: the United Kingdom, Canada, Brazil/Argentina, Italy, and Spain.