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Learning Communities Summer Abroad Program

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MadridLearning Communities are predicated on linking inside-the-classroom teaching with outside-the-classroom experience.  This idea of ‘learning-by-doing’ is not only important for higher education, but is especially relevant at Villanova University, inspired by St. Augustine’s hope that “I may do what I learn and not just learn what to do.”

The Learning Communities Abroad Program (LCA) builds on these ideas by providing select members of the learning communities the unique opportunity to complement their classroom learning with a 6-7 week work placement in London or Madrid. Work placements will be based on students’ academic and personal interests, and will be embedded within the mandatory 3-credit course, Humanities 5950: Citizenship and Globalization

Core Courses

HUM 5950 will be taught by Dr. Bernard G. Prusak of the Center for Liberal Studies. This course will examine what it means to be a citizen in today's world and the obligations that come with this status. (See the syllabus for a much fuller description.) The aim of the course is to complement and to enrich the study-abroad experience, giving students the opportunity to prepare for, deal with, and reflect on the international experience. The course will be divided into three parts. First, the class meets weekly beginning after spring break until the end of the semester. Then, when students are overseas, the discussion shifts to the web. Finally, an intensive workshop/retreat will be hosted over Labor Day weekend of the following academic year, with the goal of helping students connect their abroad experience with the themes of the course. This course-structure thus seeks (like the learning communities themselves) to link learning inside the classroom with learning outside it.

Benefits of Participation

  • Take a 3 credit Humanities course before, during, and after your abroad experience so that you thoughtfully prepare and process your international experience;
  • Test career assumptions early in college through a 3-credit tailored international work placement:
  • Stimulate greater intellectual curiosity for study abroad earlier in your college career, and provide time and financial savings for an additional period of study abroad during your remaining years at Villanova;
  • Challenge pre-conceived notions of the world by being engaged in a foreign culture;
  • Start building a resume which makes students more competitive for future employment.

Dates

London Summer Program: 13 May to 7 July, 2012

  • Arrival: 13 May 2011
  • Orientation activities and on-site interviews (13 - 25 May)
  • 6-week internship component, Monday - Thursday (28 May - 5 July)
  • Fridays throughout internship component, How Britain Works and Mapping London coursework
  • Departure: 7 July 2012

Madrid Summer Program: 23 May – 14 July, 2012

  • Arrival: 23 May 2012
  • Orientation activities and on-site interviews (23 - 25 May)
  • 7-week internship component, Monday - Thursday (28 May - 12 July)
  • Fridays throughout internship component, Professional Development coursework
  • Departure: 14 July 2012

Costs

London: $8,500
Madrid: $7,500
In both programs, costs include tuition, room, work placement, travel passes, orientations, and airport pickup. In the case of the Madrid program, this cost includes two meals a day.
Airfare is not included in either program. For London, UK Tier IV Visa expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Application Process and Requirements

  • 3.0 Overall GPA Required
  • Each program location has a limit of 24 students. Applications will be accepted beginning Monday, September 19, 2011. Admission is rolling, and based on the strong level of interest, we expect the programs to fill quite quickly. The deadline for applications is January 23, 2012, though programs may be full prior to this date. Students must complete the LCA Application and have it submitted to Dr. Bernard Prusak no later than Monday, January 23, 2012. Successful applicants will be notified within the following two weeks.
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  • Once accepted, students will be required to submit a $850 non-refundable commitment fee. This commitment fee will be due within two weeks of receiving the acceptance letter. Final invoicing for the program will be assessed in early-April, with the program balance due no later than Monday, May 1, 2012.
  • Students interested in business work placements must have completed one business-related course, preferably in business. Placements within business include: HR, Financial Recruitment, Economics, Company Finance/Accounting, Corporate Finance, Venture Capital, Banking, Marketing, Operations (Logistics, Supply Chain Management)
  • Students interested in finance placements must have completed at least one University course in Finance.
  • Due to UK Tier IV Visa Requirements, students whose first language is not English must have a valid, recent (within two years) TESOL/TOEFL language exam. Please notify the OIS or Dr. Prusak if this applies to you.

Learning Communities Abroad Application: London & Madrid

For Further Information

Feel free to email OIS@villanova.edu.