Be Known at Oregon's Christian University

2012-2013 Academic Catalog and Handbook

Semesters Off Campus

Introduction
Students enrolled at George Fox University may enrich their learning experience and in some cases fulfill important requirements for their major or minor by participating in one of the approved programs listed below. For those approved to participate, the cost is similar to staying on campus. Complete information about the programs and the application processes is available in the Center for Global Studies and on the George Fox University website.

Eligibility
  • Student must have sophomore standing, including 31 semester hours completed, at the time of application for a semester off campus. Exceptions may be made if necessary for completion of a student's major requirements.
  • Student must be enrolled at GFU for a full academic year prior to participation in a semester off campus. Exceptions may be made if necessary for completion of a student's major requirements.
  • Student must be in good standing with Student Life.
  • Student must be current with student financial accounts.
  • Student must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 to apply for a semester off campus. Exceptions will be granted to students in good academic standing if a semester off campus is required for completion of the student's major or minor requirements. Students applying to the Scholars' Semester in Oxford must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5.
  • GPA will be one of the factors considered by the committee that selects GFU students to participate in the Semesters Off Campus programs.
Application Process
  • Meet with your academic advisor to determine the impact on completing the major and other graduation requirements.
  • Obtain the application form from the Center for Global Studies or the GFU website.
  • Submit the form and its required attachments (faculty recommendation, transcript request, essay on your interest in the program) as well as the required signatures from various offices on campus to the registrar's office. The materials are due at the end of the first week of classes in the spring semester.

Selection Process
After the deadline, the Off Campus Selection Committee meets to review the applications and accepts or rejects them, based on the requirements listed above. The director of global studies then notifies the applicants of their acceptance or rejection.

Approved Programs
The following programs have been approved by the GFU faculty for their academic quality, their Christian focus, and their affordability. Detailed literature about the programs can be obtained at the Center for Global Studies.

  • AMBEX Christian Exchange Program (Germany) - Situated in Regensburg, Germany, in the Bavarian region, the program emphasizes Reformation history, theology, and the German language. It is called the AMBEX program, short for American/Bavarian Exchange.
  • American Studies Program -In conjunction with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), George Fox students can spend a semester in Washington D.C., a city filled with internship opportunities at national and international organizations. For over 30 years, ASP students have been securing high-intensity, high-impact placements with Congressional offices and committees, federal agencies, international businesses, law firms, think tanks, and global relief-and-development organizations. Students choose one of two project tracks during the semester, Public Policy or Global Development Enterprise. The Public Policy track investigates a pressing public policy issues being debated on Capitol Hill. Focus is placed on the political difficulties policymakers face when economic, humanitarian, and national security priorities come into conflict with one another. Students directly engage policy advocates and 
    political actors on all sides of the issue during their field work. ASP's newest track, Global Development Enterprise, helps students make the move from merely dreaming about eradicating extreme poverty to actually doing something. GDE places students at the center of the partnership between non-profit organizations, government aid agencies, and commercial enterprises. In either track, students join a leadership community bound by a shared commitment to learn how to translate campus convictions into real-world application. Through ASP, students catch a vision for what it takes to lead institutions against the injustices facing our nation and our world.
  • Australia Studies Centre - In conjunction with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, George Fox students can participate in the Australia Studies Centre (ASC). Students study at the Wesley Institute for Ministry and the Arts, located in Sydney, Australia. The program is designed primarily for those interested in the study of theology, music, drama or art.
  • Belize Creation Care Study Program - In this pocket of Central America, toucans, howler monkeys, jaguars and tapirs populate the rainforest neighborhood - along with adventuresome undergraduates studying Christian creation care. Students explore Belize's unparalleled rainforest and reef.
  • China Studies Program - In conjunction with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, George Fox students can participate in the China Studies Program (CSP). Based on the island of Xiamen, at the Overseas Education College of Xian University, the China Studies Program allows students to experience cross-cultural living on a Chinese university campus. Students will explore the complex past of one of the world's oldest cultures; experience the economic political and social realities of contemporary China; and look ahead, studying China's challenges as a rapidly emerging world power.
  • Contemporary Music Center - The Contemporary Music Center is sponsored by the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities and is designed for students who feel called to a career in the music industry as performers, executives, or promoters. The principal goal is to help Christians impact the "secular" music industry, although the program would benefit those who are interested in Christian music as well. The program is located in Nashville, Tennessee. Courses include: Faith, Music, and Culture; Inside the Music Industry; and specialized courses in two tracks for performers and music managers.
  • Go ED. Africa Program - The Go ED. Africa Semester Study Abroad Program offers students a unique blend of academic work and hands-on experience. While it is based in Kigali, Rwanda, students also will have the opportunity to study and engage in field experience in Rwanda, Ethiopia or Uganda.
  • Go ED. Mekong Program - Situated in the northern Thailand city of Chiang Mai, the Go ED. Mekong Semester Study Abroad Program emphasizes transformational development from a Christian perspective.
  • India Studies Program - The India Studies Program is designed for students who are passionate about the issues of poverty and social justice. In conjunction with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU), ISP teaches best practices on helping the disenfranchised and also exposes students to life as a Christian in a multi-religious society and culture. Whether studying social work, theology, missions, art & design, communications, business, cultural studies, or social sciences, students will find a niche in this program. ISP is offered in partnership with Bishop Appasamy College of Arts and Sciences in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, one of India's major states. While attending this program, students encounter one of today's most fascinating and diverse cultures through studying while being immersed in a local Indian community, traveling throughout the country, with an additional option of gaining field experience through an internship.
  • Latin American Studies Program - In conjunction with the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, George Fox students can participate in the Latin American Studies Program (LASP). Based in San Jose, Costa Rica, the Latin American Studies Program allows students to experience cross-cultural living, to deepen their understanding of the Lordship of Christ in an international context, and to explore the economic, political, social and cultural realities of North America's relationship with its Latin neighbors.
  • L.A. Film Studies Center - Under the direction of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Los Angeles Film Studies Center makes a "Hollywood Semester" available to upper-division students. Its purpose is to enable college students to serve in various aspects of the film industry with professional skill and Christian integrity. Located in Burbank near major production studios, the semester-long program combines seminar courses with internships in various segments of the film industry, providing the opportunity to explore the industry within a Christian context and from a liberal arts perspective. The Los Angeles Film Center program may be of particular interest to students majoring in cinema and media communication with a concentration in film studies.
  • Middle East Studies Program - In conjunction with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, George Fox students can participate in the Middle East Studies Program (MESP), based at Tantur Ecumenical Institutein Jerusalem. seeks to prepare students to live the Christian life in a world that is religiously and culturally pluralistic.  The program allows CCCU students to explore the complex and strategic world of the modern Middle East. The interdisciplinary seminars give students the opportunity to explore the diverse religious, social, cultural and political traditions of Middle Eastern peoples. Students also study the Arabic language and work as volunteers with various organizations.
  • National Theatre Institute - Connecticut - George Fox University's Theatre students may apply to study at the O'Neill Center in Waterford, Connecticut for one semester through a cooperative agreement with the National Theatre Institute. This fourteen-week study away program is offered twice a year, in the fall and spring. Classes are held seven days a week from 9am to 10pm with a 7:30am warm-up six days a week. This rigorous, conservatory-based approach to theater training exposes students to a broad range of theater styles and techniques. Coursework is rooted in five primary disciplines: Acting, Directing, Playwriting, Design and Movement & Voice.
  • National Theatre Institute - Moscow, Russia (fall semester only) - George Fox University's Theatre students may apply to study at the Moscow Art Theatre School in Moscow, Russia for one semester through a cooperative agreement with the National Theatre Institute. In this highly competitive, 13-week study abroad program, you live and study in the vibrant city of Moscow, visit cultural sites, see theater and train with master teachers of the Moscow Art Theater School. Classes are held six days a week, from 9am to 5:30 pm. Daily acting classes in the Stanislavsky System, the Michael Chekhov Technique, and movement classes (including Biomechanics and ballet) are complemented with voice, design, Russian language and Russian theater history. This is the ONLY program through which undergraduates from all over America can study at MATS for an entire semester.
  • New York Center for Art and Media Studies - This program (NYCAMS) is for art majors and others with serious interests in the visual arts. Situated in New York City, the program is sponsored by Bethel University in Minnesota and has been approved by the Visual Arts Department of George Fox for studies toward a major or minor in art. The courses in the program consist of the following: Art, Faith, and Culture; Contemporary Art History; Directed Open Studio; and Internship in the Arts. The internships are arranged with galleries, design firms, and art organizations in New York City. Lectures, poetry readings, thematic group exhibitions, and guest critiques of student work are among the features of the program.
  • Scholars' Semester in Oxford - In conjunction with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, George Fox students can participate in the Scholars' Semester in Oxford (SSO). Students enrolled in the SSO are granted Visiting Student status and as such are members of Oxford University. This gives them full access to the Bodleian Library and relevant faculty libraries, university lectures, as well as athletic teams and social organizations. Transcripts will be issued by Wycliffe Hall, one of more than 45 colleges and halls that comprise Oxford University.
  • Semester in Costa Rica Program (Universidad Veritas) - George Fox University students may apply to study in Costa Rica for one semester through a cooperative agreement with Universidad Veritas, San José, Costa Rica. The Semester in Costa Rica Program is designed primarily for students majoring or minoring in Spanish. Students study in San José, Costa Rica at Universidad Veritas de Arte, Diseño y Arquitectura, and live in local homes.
  • Semester in Ecuador Program - George Fox students can apply for a semester of Spanish immersion in Quito, the capitol of Ecuador. The Nazarene International Language Institute (NILI) is a study abroad program that offers culture, language, travel, and ministry as they challenge students to live out a Christian lifestyle. Ecuador is packed with new adventures from the Amazon, to the Andes Mountains, to the Galapagos Islands, and culture that is both rural and urban, and very diverse.
  • Semester in France Program - George Fox University students may apply to study in France for one semester through a cooperative agreement with Grace College of Winona Lake, Ind. The semester in France program is designed for students minoring in French or Romance languages. Students study in Dijon, France, and live in local family homes while attending French language and civilization classes with students from 60 countries. There is also a similar program offered through Grace College and CCFS located in Paris.
  • Semester in Senegal Program - This program emphasizes the strengthening of skills in the French language through immersion in the Francophone culture of Senegal, in West Africa. Senegal was first under the control of the Portuguese and the Dutch and then became a French colony in the 17th century. The program is located at the Suffolk University-Dakar campus and is operated by the Council for International Educational Exchange. Dakar is a city of about 2.5 million and is a city of great beauty and cultural depth.
  • Semester in Spain Program - George Fox University students may apply to study in Spain for one semester through a cooperative agreement with Trinity Christian College of Palos Heights, Ill. The Semester in Spain Program is designed primarily for students majoring or minoring in Spanish. Students study in Seville, Spain, and live in local homes while attending classes with students from Trinity and other colleges.
  • South African Studies Program - This is a semester-long program based at Cornerstone Institute in Cape Town. Cape Town is a city of three million people of a variety of ethnicities. It was established in 1652 as a harbor for Dutch ships and is often described as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are courses which focus on the South African experiences of moving from apartheid to reconciliation and re-building. South Africa continues to experience the rewards and challenges of those dramatic political and social changes.
  • South Pacific Creation Care Study Program - Through the Creation Care Study Program, students have the opportunity to delve into the valuable ecosystems and geography of New Zealand. While exploring coral reefs, lava beds, forests and mountain peeks, students will learn about sustainable development, creation care and critical issues of social change. Students will also become integrated with the culture by living on CCSP's campus and also  via a dedicated educational immersion experience in a Maori and Polynesian community in New Zealand.
  • Study Abroad Lithuania Program - George Fox University students may apply to study in Lithuania for one semester through a cooperative agreement with LCC International University in Klaipėda, Lithuania. Study Abroad Lithuania is designed for students in almost any major with course offerings in various disciplines. LCC is an international university with 600 students from over 20 countries, all courses are taught in English. Throughout the semester, students will have the opportunity to engage in the local community through internships and volunteerism as well as travel throughout the Baltics and Russia. Students live alongside other Eastern - European students in LCC student residences.
  • Uganda Studies Program - In conjunction with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, George Fox students can participate in the Uganda Studies Program (USP). Students will study with African students at Uganda Christian University in Kampala.
  • Washington Journalism Center - The Washington Journalism Center is sponsored by the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities and is an advanced, experiential semester to cultivate professional news skills. It is designed to help students think through the implications of being a Christian working in the news media in a city that is home to the powerful and powerless, Washington, DC. Courses include: Foundations for Media Involvement; Reporting in Washington; Washington, News, and Public Discourse. Students spend about 25 hours a week getting hands-on experience in writing, while being mentored by a program staff member.
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