By Elizabeth Oakes
Staff Writer
Each year more than 150 students who have completed their freshman year participate in external study trips that vary in type, cost and location.
External studies offers something for every major, said Victoria Malone, external study adviser.
The options begin within the classroom through faculty-led course excursions.
This year, Dr. Mark Dubis, professor of biblical studies, will travel with students to Turkey to visit select biblical sites, especially sites associated with the apostle John and the apostle Paul.
Other trips include study tours that range from 11 days to two weeks and short-term trips for one month to other areas of the United States or overseas.
Some semester-long trips combine a missional and academic focus by including volunteer or unpaid internship possibilities. Union is creating more external study options as well, Malone said.
The first step in planning any external study trip is to talk with Malone about the timeline, course options and cost.
Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to participate. Numerous scholarships are available.
It is possible to design a trip that is not already part of Union’s programs, as long as it is done through another Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited university. This model allows for a variety of course options and pricing options.
Programs can take up to a year to be approved, so it is critical to plan ahead.
“It has to be something you really want and believe will benefit your college career as well as your post-graduate ventures,” Malone said. “I do surveys before students go and after they come back. The success of the student’s endeavor has a lot to do with if they have identified goals before they leave.”
“If it is supposed to happen, you can find a way to make it happen,” said Tricia Taylor, sophomore business and Spanish major.
Taylor traveled in July in a group with University of Tennessee and Lambuth University students to study Spanish in Toledo, Spain.
A typical day for Taylor began with a walk to class past a cathedral, followed by “la siesta,” when the town shuts down for a time of rest. Afterward, the students had opportunities to tour surrounding cities and enjoy the culture, she said.
In a recent survey of alumnae, Malone found that external studies became a pivotal point for students because of career options that result from the trips. According to the surveys, whether the trips include a life changing event or not, they are a step toward career decisions.
“Going into [the trip] I was thinking, ‘I want to learn Spanish and work with businesses,’ but now that I have made friends from all over the world I want to learn as many languages as possible and maybe be a translator,” Taylor said.
Next summer, Taylor plans to travel to Costa Rica for a month on a missions trip. She also plans to visit the friends she met during her external study in their hometown in Brazil.
For a list of external study options, visit www.uu.edu/institutes/international.
