J-Term and Summer Abroad

Mount Holyoke offers an intensive program in Chinese language and cultural studies each summer. The program is based at Beijing Language and Culture University, one of the premier universities in China for teaching Chinese as a second language. Students complete a full year of Chinese language (at the intermediate or advanced intermediate level) in the eight-week program, and earn 8 transfer credits toward their Mount Holyoke degree.

• Beijing, China (eight weeks of intensive Chinese language and cultural studies)

Mount Holyoke typically offers three or four J-Term courses each year that take place entirely or partially abroad. This list will be updated as courses are confirmed for 2010; recent offerings have included:

• Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia: Study a New Democracy in the Making 
• Pretoria, South Africa: Education Practice and Policy in Post Apartheid South Africa ("J-Term in June") (not offered in 2010)
• Rome, Italy: Topography and History of Ancient Rome (not offered in 2010)
• Italian 200: Intensive Pre-Intermediate Italian in Caorle, Italy ("J-Term in June")

See the faculty member leading the program for details about academic content, costs, and travel logistics. You must apply to the faculty member leading the course for admission to the program.  Deadlines vary, but are generally in October (or February, for "J-Term in June" courses), with deposits due early in order to secure airline reservations and housing.  You must also register for the course in ISIS. Financial aid does not travel for J-Term programs, but each faculty member has a small fund from which awards can be made to help students meet their expenses.

Students may also participate in J-Term and summer programs abroad sponsored by other colleges and universities. The McCulloch Center does not maintain a list of approved programs, but does keep information on hand. See the file boxes with J-Term and summer program brochures and the book IIE Passport: Short-Term Study Abroad (also available on-line in a searchable format).

J-Term and summer transfer credits are processed directly by the Registrar's Office, so check there for information about whether and how courses taken elsewhere will transfer. Remember that ordinarily only liberal arts courses completed with grades of C- or better will be considered for credit transfer; credit for non-liberal arts courses is strictly limited. You may count a maximum of eight summer credits toward your Mount Holyoke degree.