SNL Study Abroad and Domestic Excursion Courses

Interested in SNL’s study abroad or domestic excursion options?

First Step
- Review your learning plan and discuss study abroad course competences with your Academic Committee.
- See  http://studyabroad.depaul.edu and SNL Study Abroad FAQ
- Ensure you have a FASFA on file with Financial Aid.  You may then qualify for a travel grant.

Once you have decided on a course:

6 Months Prior to the Start of your Study Abroad Course
- Contact the listed Faculty for more information about your desired course.
- Create a Studio Abroad application  with DePaul University’s Study Abroad office.
- Gather Application materials for Studio Abroad, including letters of recommendation.
- Apply for a passport, if necessary.
- Prepare for admissions interview.

5 Months Prior to Travel
- Investigate financing options. Apply for the John P. McGury International Study Scholarship and The Adult Student Association Travel Fund.
- Visit the World Health Organization website to check health precautions to take before your trip.
- See your doctor to check your overall fitness and to ensure immunizations are up to date.
- Register for the course. Discuss registration options with faculty  Email completed form to snlinternational@depaul.edu
  
 2 Months Prior to Travel
- Access D2L Course Site to begin academic preparation for  your program

SNL Study Abroad Courses    

 
Questions? Email snlinternational@depaul.edu


AI 157 In the Path of the Pilgram: A Learning Journey to Sacred Sites - Register: Winter 2013 / Travel Spring 2013    
Historical pilgrimages reflect many aspects of human civilization. Today we relate to it mostly in its religion and spirituality aspect, perhaps because the human desire for reflection and atonement is still very much with us. This program often appeals to students who seek a modern pilgrimage experience in their own lives. However, it is not a course about religion and spirituality alone because the footprint pilgrims made went even deeper and broader. More powerfully than books and photographs , an experiential examination of the pilgrimage sites selected for this program will illuminate the broad impact of the waves of pilgrims. As we add our footprints to those left by the countless pilgrims who walked before us, we will consider the provocative question: Did Medieval pilgrimage lay the foundation for many of the organizing social structures of our modern world?  Students interested in major global issues of today may gain insight about our own times as they see how the link between pilgrimages and the Crusades linked organized religion to international politics and religious conflict in the early Middle Ages. Those interested in art will learn that pilgrims chose to go to the best shrines, so the growing towns on the roads leading to the Holy Land had more than religious motivations to beautify their shrines and churches with the works of art and architecture we see today. Students interested in business will see that the phenomenon of pilgrimage to centers of religious worship created bustling centers of culture and commerce. Was Medieval pilgrimage one of the first waves of globalization not solely caused by military expansion? These are just some of the many important topics that will be explored on this unique learning experience. Please join in this pilgrimage to profoundly significant centers of the human search for meaning. If you would like to learn more about this study abroad/pilgrimage experience, contact snlinternational@depaul.edu


AI 229 Conflict, Colonialism and Commerce: Encountering Thailand and its Neighbors - Register: Fall 2012 - Travel: Dec. 2012    
Southeast Asia experienced enormous changes in the last century. Thailand is justifiably proud of its beautiful beaches and its status as the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia. It is also proud of being the only country in the region never colonized by foreign powers. This did not happen because of luck but due to a series of complex political negotiations a century ago, at a time when all of Southeast Asia was in turmoil. This course asks students to consider these and other questions as they encounter communities in Thailand which have remained virtually untouched by the developed world. Drawing on local resources, students will gain valuable understanding of some of the minority cultures in the region and their tenuous relationship to the dominant “host” culture. By engaging with present- day Thailand, participants will also gain insight into its rich and complex past.

Through visits to cultural centers and interactions with local people, participants will experience life among ethnic groups in the Chiang Mai province such as the “Long-Necked “ sub-group of the Karen people, as well as in the border regions of Cambodia and Burma (Myanmar). These travels will be followed by a visit to Bangkok hosted by DePaul’s partner institution, Assumption University. In Bangkok, we will experience its modern and ancient faces culminating in cultural activities with DePaul alumni living in Thailand. Competences: A1X, A3X, H1X, H2X, H5, E1, E2, L10, L11 Contact Dr. Susan McGury at smcgury@depaul.edu or 312-362-6736 for more information.


HC 298 Connecting with Africa: Cultural and Social Issues in East Africa - Register: Fall 2013 / Travel: December Term 2013 (Syllabus)    Come with us to Eastern Africa to develop a fresh understanding of local peoples, the environment, and cultural practices in Kenya and Tanzania! The travel experience prepares students for life in an increasingly globalized world by engaging issues and questions of the East African experience, including foreign pressures and influences on indigenous values, social justice dilemmas like class marginalization and the impacts of globalization on lifestyles and economies. One goal of this social and cultural exploration is personal reflection.

Students process and absorb their experiences in Kenya and Tanzania and compare them to their lives in the United States. Simple observation serves as a powerful tool for uncovering deeper meanings in everyday events in the lives of Kenyans and Tanzanians. Participants’ ongoing dialogue with local cultures and peoples raises consciousness on global issues of justice, peace, politics and traditions. In addition, students have the chance to explore the African landscape and the major natural monuments of both countries, including a visit to Mount Kilimanjaro. The class can be completed for 8 credits, or 3 to 4 competences. Suggested competences are: H5; A1H; H3B; A3E; FX; A1D, H1H, E1 & E2 L10 & L11. The course will be co-directed by Ray Mosha and Steffanie Triller Fry. Please contact Steffanie Triller Fry at striller@depaul.edu or 312-362-7361 for more information.


Jamaica and Cuba: Who Talks to Whom in Schools and Cafes? - Register: Fall 2013 / Travel: December Term 2013   
Through onsite visits to schools and public places in Jamaica and Cuba, participants in this 10 day course will study cross-cultural communication by observing verbal and non-verbal interactions in various contexts in both countries. Participants will examine communication dynamics in informal settings, such as cafes, plazas and town centers, and in the formal setting of schools and universities. Using concepts from assigned readings, participants will analyze how different socio-cultural factors interact to shape individuals and interaction patterns in both societies, as well as in the United States. A primary focus will be Jamaican and Cuban schools and universities, where participants will compare these organizational structures to those in the US and analyze the implications for cross-cultural communications among and between teachers and students. Prior to departure, participants will work collaboratively to develop culturally sensitive observation criteria for evaluating and comparing communication and interactions. On-site they will dialogue about the observations and interpretations with University partners from the host countries. This course, though ideal for educators wishing to understand the role of language and culture in different settings among multicultural groups, also provides a background for those interested in sociolinguistics, cross-cultural dynamics and multiculturalism abroad and at home. Jamaica and Cuba are substantially different culturally, and offer rich opportunities for comparison and analysis. We have an invitation from a Jamaican university president with expertise in cross cultural communications and interactions. We have DePaul study abroad contacts for Cuban universities. Suggested competences are H1A, H2X, H2A, H2E, H5, FX, L10&L11, E1 & E2.  Please contact course directors Gretchen Wilbur, gwilbur@depaul.edu or Nancy Morgan at nmorgan4@depaul.edu for more information.



West Africa: Ghana - Register: Fall 2012 / Travel: Dec. 2012   
This course has been designed to be dynamic and lively, purposefully engaging with learners in direct experience and focused reflection in order to increase knowledge, develop skills and clarify values.  The rich cultures of Ghana provide much of the “text” of this travel course.  From visiting Ghana’s National Museum, to observing kente cloth being woven or women pounding fufu, or meeting with spiritual and educational leaders, course participants will be exposed to multiple layers and multiple levels of West African culture.  Everyday experiences, such as shopping in the open air markets, become lessons on human interaction that are rooted in a particular worldview.  Learners will be challenged to consider the footprint left by the simple decision of paying a particular price or buying from a particular vendor.  They will come to understand that culture goes beyond the surface expressions, such as clothing, food, dance, to the deeper levels, such as the cosmology of the people.  Their beginning examination of Ghanaian cultures can lead to further examination of their own personal, family, community and national cultures.

Spirituality is one of the central themes in this course because it is central in the lives of West Africans, and forms a backdrop from which to understand cultural values and practices.  It also informs many of the traditional healing practices that we will learn about during the course.  Again, as participants learn about Ghana, and its rich spiritual traditions, they will also learn more about themselves and the role of spirituality in their own lives. Suggested competences are: H1F, H3B, A3B, S3B, S3X, L10, L11 and FX for focus areas related to cultural studies, multiculturalism, diversity, etc. Please contact Faculty director, Derise Tolliver at dtollive@depaul.edu for more information.


SNL Domestic Excursion Courses    

LL 302 Externship: Mindfulness Meditation Retreat at Starved Rock State Park (Syllabus)   
This Externship course is normally offered every Fall and Spring quarter.  Check the syllabus for dates for the Starved Rock retreat portion of the course for upcoming quarters.  Mindfulness meditation practices are simple yet powerful ways of developing your mind so that you can to be more fully and freely engaged in your daily experiences. The approaches to mindfulness meditation that you will learn in this course are related to Buddhist traditions, but also draw from Christian spiritual traditions and from contemporary insights in neuroscience and psychology. No prior experience with meditation is necessary for this course.  All the face-to-face class meetings for this course will take place during a four day retreat at the beautiful Starved Rock Lodge and Conference Center in Utica, IL (1.5 hours drive from Chicago).  Starved Rock Lodge sits high atop a wooded bluff overlooking the Illinois River in the magnificent Starved Rock State Park.  There will be a fee of approximately $700 for the retreat (check the syllabus), in addition to the 4 credit hours of tuition for the L-10 and L-11 competencies.  Required pre- and post-retreat learning activities will all take place online for the whole quarter. Therefore, this course is available to SNL Online students.  This class is limited to just 20 students and it is necessary to pre-register with the instructor far in advance.  For more information, review the syllabus for this course on the SNL website and/or contact the instructor, Michael Skelley, Ph.D. at mskelley@depaul.edu  

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