Opportunities in International Education

Why Study Abroad?

Berea College encourages students to become citizens of the world by offering many education-abroad opportunities that enhance and expand the education a student receives at Berea. Education abroad promotes growth by developing students’ cultural awareness and their perspectives about the world and their place in it.

Students who wish to include education abroad in their curricula should start planning early, in consultation with the Education Abroad Adviser (Soren Peterson) and the Academic Adviser. Students should develop a Curriculum Plan that shows how they will fulfill their degree requirements both with and without the international component, in case they are not able to participate in the desired international experience. Students also should visit the Francis and Louise Hutchins Center for International Education (CIE), 205-207 Woods-Penniman, early in the process to explore the programs that would be most suitable for their major in the areas of the world that are most interesting to them.

Various Opportunities for International Experiences

Short Term (BIST)—Students may participate in a Berea International Short Term (BIST) course, a class taught abroad by Berea faculty members. Faculty propose these courses in the same way they propose other Short Term classes. Early in Spring Term, information about potential BIST courses for the following Short Term will be posted to the CIE website. It is important to alert advisees to the BIST offerings as early as possible, because these classes have limited enrollments and applications are due during Spring Term (i.e., well before the Short Term Catalog is printed in mid to late October). However, because some students may withdraw, or the number of students enrolled in the course may be lower than anticipated, encourage your advisees to pursue any BIST courses that interest them. Please note that first-year students are required to spend their first Short Term on campus, except for students who entered in Spring Term and have achieved sophomore standing by the beginning of the next Fall Term. There is no minimum GPA requirement, but faculty directors do consider this criterion when selecting participants in situations where there are more applicants than available space. Grants and College loans are offered to meet all or most of the financial need of selected participants. [Also see International Independent Study, Team Initiated Study, and Internship to follow, for which eligibility rules differ.]

Summer Term—Students can apply to participate in Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) summer programs in 18 different countries. Most programs do not require proficiency in a foreign language, but offer language study and/or courses in other fields. Students fund participation in these programs with scholarships and Stafford (federal) loans. Students can use KIIS credit toward their major with approval from the department. KIIS courses also can be used to satisfy one of the General Education perspectives. [Summer Education Abroad also might satisfy a Short Term Requirement. See 2008-2009 Berea College Catalog.]

International Independent Study, Team Initiated Study, and Internship (All Terms)—By following Berea College procedures for Independent Study, Team Initiated Study, or Internship, students can receive credit for research, study, or work abroad. Students may apply for financial support from the Center for International Education; however, funding for faculty-led Berea International Short Term courses is given priority. [See above and Independent Study, Team Initiated Study, and Internship; also see #Academics public folder on Outlook for forms, deadlines, and guidelines.]

Term Abroad (for Fall and Spring Terms)—Berea students can spend a Fall or Spring Term studying in a college or university abroad, earning credit toward graduation while experiencing the life and culture of another part of the world. The Berea Term Abroad Scholarship covers half the cost of a term abroad (up to $8,000) for up to 30 students each year.

Qualified foreign-language majors are eligible for similar scholarships from the Department of Foreign Languages). A myriad of education-abroad programs worldwide offer course work applicable to most majors. Students can fulfill major, minor, and General Education requirements through education abroad. However, the international experience must fit in with the student’s Curriculum Plan; an extension of terms will not be granted to permit a term abroad. It also is important that students complete the prerequisites for the courses they choose.

Once a program has been selected, students submit an application to the Berea Term Abroad Committee. The Berea Term Abroad application is available only from the CIE website; applications are reviewed twice each year (deadlines are September 15 for Spring Term and February 15 for Fall Term of the following academic year). Students should contact the Education Abroad Adviser with any questions about the application procedures.

The remaining expenses are paid for by need-based financial aid and additional scholarships or loans. Students must have completed at least one academic year of study at Berea before beginning a regular term abroad. Sophomores who will study abroad as juniors will be given preference in the selection process, but those who apply as juniors and seniors also will be considered. Students must return to Berea for at least one full term following their term abroad.

A cumulative minimum GPA of 2.8 is required during the term of application for Term Abroad. A student may petition the Berea Term Abroad Committee for an exception to this requirement, but they should be aware that this program is highly competitive. The student cannot be on probation of any kind during the term in which application is made for education abroad.

International Students and Study Abroad

International students are not able to participate in most education-abroad opportunities, in part because federal loans and Berea Term Abroad funds are not available to them, and because their time at Berea is considered to be their education-abroad experience. However, the Department of Foreign Languages may award scholarships to international students majoring in a foreign language, provided they do not seek to study in their nation of origin.

International students may receive institutional funding for one faculty-led Berea International Short Term (BIST) course (i.e., outside of the United States) during their terms of enrollment at Berea College.

The Adviser’s Role in International Education

Students need to consult with their Academic Adviser as early as possible to discuss how their education-abroad plans fit into their Curriculum Plans. Discuss the Curriculum Plan with the student and detail how the student’s proposed education-abroad experience will contribute to his or her Satisfactory Academic Progress. It also is helpful, and in the case of Independent Majors and some other instances required, that students submit a Curriculum Plan that shows how their requirements will be met if the education-abroad experience is not approved. Academic credit earned abroad may contribute to a student’s major or minor program(s), satisfy General Education requirements (including International Perspective and Active Learning Experience requirements), or serve as elective credit. All Curriculum Plans that require a ninth or tenth term of attendance must be submitted to the Director of Academic Services for review and approval for the extension of terms. However, please note that an education-abroad experience is not a valid reason for an extension of terms.

Along with the student, the Adviser should identify courses offered in the program that are appropriate for the student’s interests and that will contribute to academic progress. Advisers should encourage the student to bring as much information as is available about the desired program abroad. The Adviser can help select courses in the student’s education-abroad program that are compatible with the Berea College academic program and suggest equivalencies for which the Adviser will later request course substitutions, if necessary. Acceptable alternatives should be listed in case some courses are not available once the student arrives abroad.

To determine if a course meets a General Education requirement, the student should consult with the Director of General Education. (Many KIIS summer courses have General Education equivalencies pre-approved; this list may be obtained from the Education Abroad Adviser.) Berea College accepts the amount of credit awarded by the institution abroad, translating it into comparable course credits or fractions of such credits. [For more on transfer equivalencies, see "Transfer Advising" section.] If students are concerned about receiving enough credits, it is recommended that they take an extra course while abroad. Students must maintain a full-time course load while abroad. If a student does not take the appropriate number of courses, she or he will not be considered a full-time student at Berea and will be in violation of the student visa. Detailed information varies from country to country. Consult with the Education Abroad Adviser for more information.

Once the student is admitted to an education-abroad program, s/he will work with the Adviser to complete appropriate forms to ensure the transfer of credit and smooth transition back to Berea College. In the Application for Transfer of Credit form (available in the Self-Serve Room, 101 Lincoln Hall, and from the Center for International Education), the student should list the courses s/he plans to take while abroad. Also, it is important that students plan ahead for their return to campus. Advisers should help students choose available courses to take once they return to campus. The courses that the Adviser recommends for the term that the student returns to campus will be listed on the Education Abroad Campus Procedures form.

Finally, encourage the student to maintain contact with you while overseas. Not only is it fun to receive his or her e-mails, but the student may have questions regarding course equivalencies, credits, or registration that you can assist with.

Funding For International Opportunities

Berea Term Abroad Scholarships: Awarded to enable students to study abroad for a regular term.
Bolin Blaine Memorial Scholarship: Awarded to assist one junior per year to study outside the United States for a minimum period of one month.
English-Speaking Union: Scholarships to enable juniors majoring in Art, History, Political Science, Economics, English, or Theatre to attend summer school at Oxford, Cambridge, or the London School of Economics.
Freeman-ASIA: Need-based national scholarships awarded to students who wish to study in Fall or Spring term or full academic-year programs anywhere in East or Southeast Asia.
Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship: National study abroad scholarships offered through the U.S. Department of State awarded to students receiving a federal Pell Grant.
Carlisle Keller Macdonald Scholarship: Need-based scholarships for outstanding students studying abroad for the first time during Summer or Short Term.
New Horizons Grant: Awarded to students to enhance their Berea education through Berea International Short Term (BIST) courses, KIIS summer programs, international internships, independent studies, team initiated studies, and service-learning opportunities.
Rhodes and Marshall Scholarships, Fulbright Grants, and Watson Fellowships: Seniors can apply for a number of prestigious national scholarships for international study or research in the year following graduation. The Rhodes Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, Fulbright Grant, and Watson Fellowship all have early fall application deadlines. Interested students contact the Education Abroad Adviser no later than the Spring Term of their junior year to learn more about these awards and the application procedures.
John D. Scruggs Music International Study Scholarship: Awarded (by the Department of Music) to provide funds to support international summer study for students involved in music.
Emilie Strong Smith Travel Fund: Encourages students enrolled in education abroad programs during the Fall or Spring terms to enrich their experience through travel to cultural centers not included in their formal programs (cannot be used for program-related travel).

John B. Stephenson Non-Western Scholarship: Awarded to students studying or engaged in service learning in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East.