Missouri Southern prides itself on having an Institute of International Studies that strongly encourages students to experience other cultures through study abroad. MSSU has received numerous awards, including national recognition, for these efforts. The opportunities offered range from trips for 10 days up to a year.

The most popular trips are University-sponsored trips during the summer. According to Dr. Chad Stebbins, director of the institute, students who are unfamiliar with international travel often feel more comfortable with the short-term trips led and organized by Southern faculty and staff.

Summer 2014 includes seven group trips, all ranging from 10 days to a month. Paris will be the destination for Southern students wishing to gain some knowledge about literary modernism and American expatriate writers in France. Dr. Holly McSpadden will lead the group to stand in sites where American writers in self-exile stood, and try to understand the effect Paris had on American literature.

 Continuing with the European theme is a trip to Sweden through the art department. Students on this trip will study with a Swedish photographer and explore the major cities of Sweden, along with their museums and galleries.

Rounding out the European tour, two separate groups will go to Italy. The most popular trip of the summer, led by the business department, will see students travel to various cities in Italy studying international business. This will be the 10th international trip Dr. Chris Moos has led, but he remarked it is always a rewarding experience to share with students.

“As an international business trip it provides the real life component and experiential learning opportunity that is just not possible in the classroom,” he said.

Not to be outdone, the psychology department will embark on a trip to study the aesthetics of Italian architecture and culture.

The second most popular trip is heading to Belize to study the tropical rainforests and coral reefs there. Students will get the opportunity to explore diverse biomes through hiking and snorkeling.

Sophomore biology major Michaela Altvater, who will be joining the group, said, “I am most looking forward to being surrounded by a culture and environment that I’ve never experienced before.”

The foreign language department will also see two trips depart. The first group will venture to Quito, Ecuador, to take part in an intensive Spanish language program. Students will live with host families and be reunited for weekend excursions.

Another group of students will travel to Orleans, France, to participate in a French language intensive course. Students will spend one month studying under French professors and adjusting to the French education system and culture. For the full experience, students will live with a host family during the week, leaving weekends free for travel and sightseeing.

For more information about study-abroad opportunities, visit the Institute for International Studies page on the MSSU website, http://www.mssu.edu/international-studies/.