More Choices Spark Rising Student and Faculty Interest in St. John’s Dynamic Study Abroad Programs

October 23, 2009

With demand for St. John's dynamic global studies programs at an all-time high, students are urged to apply as soon as possible for the exciting study abroad opportunities available during the summer and fall of 2010.

So many students have enrolled that St. John's has closed all semester-long study abroad programs for spring 2010 due to full capacity at its Rome and Paris campuses. Students still may apply for spring Freshman Passport classes, featuring two weeks at Rome. Winter intersession options also remain available. 

Record applications for global studies reflect a growing awareness of the impact studying abroad has on students' success in an increasingly international workplace, said Matthew G. Pucciarelli, Executive Director of Global Studies at St. John's. "The interest in global studies this semester has been incredible," he said.

Studying abroad is part of a St. John’s education. Catholic and Vincentian, St. John’s prepares students to make a positive impact as ethical leaders in today’s global society. With campuses in Rome, Italy and Paris, France, the University enables all students to live, learn and serve others in Europe, Asia and Latin America.

Students enjoy superb accommodations at St. John’s campuses in Rome and Paris, as well as partner sites around the world. Costs are comparable to living at the Queens, Staten Island or Manhattan campus for a semester. Special study abroad grants are available for qualified students.

Winter Options Remain Despite Demand
Applying and depositing immediately is the best way students can secure the study abroad course of their choice, said Karl Rutter, Director of Recruitment in the Office of Global Studies. 

For winter intersession, students need to apply online through UIS by November 1. Those who have applied should submit their deposits as soon as possible to ensure their spots.

Applications have soared for this winter’s global studies opportunities. For example, seats are filled for St. John’s popular winter course in the Galapagos Islands, where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution.

Despite the high demand, students still can enjoy amazing study abroad programs during the winter intersession — if they deposit now.

For example, though fifteen spots are available for a mass communications course in India — taught by Basilio Monteiro, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Communications — 10 students already have applied. Of 12 original seats, two remain for “Language and Culture: Egypt,” with Prof. Wafa Daoud, Languages and Literature.

Two new winter courses explore history and film in Europe. One course, “Rhetoric of the Cold War,” is a special topics seminar in vibrant Berlin, which was divided between East and West Germany until 1990. The instructor will be Michael Hostetler, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Rhetoric, Communications and Theater.

The other course, a special cinema studies offering entitled “Paris: Food for Thought,” will bring students to St. John’s Paris campus in Paris to explore culinary traditions in film. Prof. Jane Paley, Mass Communications, will teach the course.

More Choices This Summer
Now is the time to apply for summer global studies opportunities, said Mr. Rutter. “With all the interest study abroad has been generating,” he said, “there’s no such thing as applying too early.”

This summer, students can choose study abroad courses blending new options with existing favorites. They reflect skyrocketing faculty interest in adding an international component to their teaching.

“More professors than ever are asking how to include an international component in their courses,” said Marisa Barone, Coordinator of Academics in the Office of Global Studies. “This semester, we’ve had approximately 40 faculty inquiries about teaching a global studies course. Last year at this time, we only had 17 inquiries.”

One new offering is an international component of Psychology 1000, in which Jeffrey Nevid, Ph.D., will bring his class to Paris for a portion of the semester. Andrea Bergman, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology, will take her undergraduate students to Italy to study child and adolescent psychopathology.

Undergraduate majors in sport management have two choices for studying in Rome: one class, on strategic thinking in the management of sport, with Glen Gerstner, Associate Professor of Sport Management; the other, on the emergence of modern sport, with Anthony Missere, Associate Professor of Sport Management.

The rise of mass media in Russia — and its role in a newly democratic society — is the focus of another new study abroad course.  This summer, students can live and learn in the magnificent cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In addition this summer, St. John’s continues to offer popular study abroad destinations, including Pre-session courses in Bermuda, China, Korea and Vietnam; and Summer Session courses in Argentina, France, Italy and Spain.

Graduate students also have wide-ranging opportunities to study abroad this spring and summer. Courses in criminology, library science and communications are scheduled to take graduate students to Brussels, Paris, Rome, Strasbourg and Vienna.

Welcoming You to a Big World
St. John’s prepares students to make a positive difference in the world. Experiencing different nations and cultures is a vital first step — one that students take through the University’s wide-ranging global studies programs.

This winter, spring and summer, all St. John’s student can find and apply for a study abroad course that is right for them. To learn more, visit our Office of Global Studies online. You also may call or stop by in person:

Office of Global Studies
Queens Campus
Lourdes Hall
Phone (718) 990-6105

Staten Island Campus
Rosati Hall, Room 106
(718) 390-4035