Study Abroad Programs in Education
Department of
Education
900 Arkadelphia Road
Box 549027
Birmingham-Southern
College
Birmingham, AL
35254
Dr. Kelly Russell
Department Chair
[email protected]
Sklenar Center for
International
Programs
Norton Building
Suite 280
2nd Floor
900 Arkadelphia Road
Box 549038
Birmingham-Southern
College
Birmingham, AL 35254
http://www.bsc.edu/
academics/krulak/
sklenar/index.cfm
Anne Ledvina
Study Abroad Advising
[email protected]
“I’m worried that my credits won’t
transfer.”
As long as you plan ahead, and get
courses pre-approved, credits that
you receive abroad will count towards
your degree at BSC. Plan to meet with
your academic advisor and with the
Study Abroad Advising Staff to assure
that you take classes that fulfill your
major/minor requirements and give
you a credit under Civic Engagement
for semester study. See the “Credit
Transfer” section for more details.
“I can’t speak any foreign languages.”
While some programs do have a
lan-guage requirement, there are many
program options across the world that
offer classes taught in English. Some
programs even offer beginning
lan-guage courses so that you can learn
the fundamentals of the local language
in your host country.
“Studying abroad is too expensive.”
You will find that many study abroad programs available to our students are
similar to (or less than) the cost of attending BSC. The Sklenar Center offers
scholarships to help alleviate the costs of studying abroad. Additionally, federal
financial aid can be applied to approved study abroad programs. There are also
many outside scholarships and program-specific scholarships that you can use
towards study abroad.
Birmingham-Southern College offers a variety of programs that allow you to study
education in an international setting. Due to common misconceptions, many
stu-dents pass up the exciting and enriching opportunity of studying abroad.
PROGRAM TYPES
University of Birmingham—Birmingham, England Language Req: None
Minimum GPA: 3.0
Terms Offered: Academic Year, Fall and Spring terms The University of Birmingham offers one of the most pres-tigious education degrees in all of the UK. Course options include ‘Teaching and Learning in Schools,’ ‘Exploring Dis-ability and Inclusion,’ ‘Contemporary Issues in Education,’ and more.
Hong Kong Baptist University—Hong Kong, China Language Req: None
Minimum GPA: 2.5
Terms Offered: Academic Year, Fall and Spring terms At HKBU, education majors will have the opportunity to have unique English teaching experiences in Hong Kong classrooms while taking courses such as ‘Integration, Re-flection, & Innovation in English Language Teaching,’ ‘Development of Children and Adolescents,’ and ‘Creative and Critical Thinking.’
BSC EXCHANGE PROGRAMS
BSC DIRECT PROGRAMS
University of Glasgow—Glasgow, Scotland Language Req: None
Minimum GPA: 3.0
Terms Offered: Academic Year, Fall and Spring terms Educational studies at Glasgow brings together national and international expertise in all aspects of learning, from pre-K to adult continuing education. Students who enroll at Uni-versity of Glasgow will be enriched by a wide variety of edu-cation courses and teaching experiences in local schools. University of Limerick—Limerick, Ireland
Language Req: None Minimum GPA: 3.0
Terms Offered: Academic Year, Fall and Spring terms The University of Limerick offers students the opportunity to specialize their education major with concentrations in English, biology, chemistry, geography, mathematics, physi-cal education, or physics. Education courses include
‘Becoming a Teacher: Identity and Communication,’ ‘How Young People Learn,’ ‘Curriculum Studies,’ and more.
BSC Exchange programs
offer students the opportunity
to study abroad at universities
around the world for almost the
same price they pay to BSC.
En-rolling through one of our
ex-change universities is usually
the most cost-effective way to
study abroad because
scholar-ships apply in the case of
tui-tion/fees , and in some cases,
housing and meal plan
scholar-ships also apply. Pre-approved
courses from our exchange
uni-versities can transfer back as
credit toward the major, minor,
and electives at BSC.
BSC Direct programs
offer wonderful overseas
op-portunities for students to
study abroad at some of the
world's top ranked universities.
BSC Direct has a direct
enroll-ment payenroll-ment process, which
involves students paying
tui-tion, room, and board directly
to the host institution. Students
are eligible to use need-based
financial aid, but not merit aid,
to cover the cost of tuition. All
BSC Direct university partners
have offices specifically
de-signed to assist students from
North America. Students remain
enrolled at BSC while abroad
through these partnerships, and
pre-approved courses transfer
back as credit.
BSC Partner Programs
include third-party
organiza-tions that arrange and lead a
variety of study abroad
pro-grams for college students. Each
partner program offers
differ-ent options and locations for
study. Although these programs
differ in destination, program
design, and requirements, all
offer course credit that is
trans-ferable to BSC, provided
stu-dents receive pre-approval for
the courses they take. Like BSC
Direct, BSC Partners have a
di-rect enrollment payment
pro-cess. Students are eligible to use
need-based financial aid, but
not merit aid, to cover the cost
of tuition.
CREDIT TRANSFER
Upon completion of the study abroad program, the
stu-dent must have an official transcript from the study
abroad institution sent to Birmingham-Southern
Col-lege. In order to receive credit, the student must have
earned a grade of “C” or better in the courses taken
abroad. Study abroad courses may not be similar to
courses already completed at the College. Students
must be enrolled in the equivalent of 3 units minimum
while abroad.
Study abroad courses, outside of faculty-led programs
and independent contracts, are evaluated as transfer
credits. Please refer to the Coursework at Other
Institu-tions section of the BSC Catalog for the policies
regard-ing transfer credit. Department chair and Provost Office
approval is required for pre-approval of study abroad
courses. Study abroad courses may not be used to fulfill
Explorations learning outcomes requirements;
howev-er, study abroad for a semester may fulfill one
Explora-tions Civic Engagement requirement, and study abroad
courses may, with pre-approval, fulfill the Explorations
Self-Directed requirement. In addition, students receive
3 EEIS credits for each semester abroad. Students
must complete the transient course form for study at
international institutions prior to departure.
Teaching Development Program (CIEE)—Seville, Spain
Language Req: Five semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent
Minimum GPA: 2.75
Terms Offered: Academic Year, Fall and Spring terms Students who enroll in this program will have the opportuni-ty to improve their Spanish skills while developing expertise in international education. This program pairs courses in professional teaching development and intercultural communication with local school observances to prepare majors for intercultural classroom settings.
BSC PARTNER PROGRAMS
University of Wollongong (TEAN)—Wollongong, Australia
Language Req: None Minimum GPA: 3.0
Terms Offered: Fall and Spring terms
This program offers a wide variety of courses in early child-hood education, such as Engaging with Technology in Early Childhood Education, Creative Arts Education in Early Childhood Setting, and Contexts of Development: Intercon-nections Between Child, Family & Community. Intern-ships available.
Chile: Comparative Education and Social Change (SIT)—Santiago, Chile
Language Req: 3 semesters of college-level Spanish or equiv-alent
Minimum GPA: 2.5
Terms Offered: Fall and Spring terms
Students live with a Chilean family in Santiago and visit edu-cational sites in Temuco, Chile and Buenos Aires, Argentina. They take Spanish language, Education Quality and Equity: Tensions and Proposals and Bilingual Intercultural Educa-tion and Popular EducaEduca-tion and complete an independent research project or internship.
Arts and Sciences (CIEE)—Gaborone, Botswana Language Req: None
Minimum GPA: 2.75
Terms Offered: Academic Year, Fall and Spring terms Students on this program learn Setswana and take courses such as Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood Education and Contemporary Issues in Teacher Education in Botswa-na. They can become involved in the local community through internship and volunteer opportunities. Stu-dents also go on excursions throughout Botswana, including a safari and a week-long rural home-stay.
South Africa: Education and Social Change (SIT)— Durban, South Africa
Language Req: None Minimum GPA: 2.5
Terms Offered: Summer term
This program examines educational policy and approaches in South Africa and provides an education practicum in rural and urban primary and secondary schools to expose students to a variety of teaching models.
Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (Spanish Studies Abroad)—San Juan, Puerto Rico
Language Req: Four semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent
Minimum GPA: 3.0 (in Spanish coursework) Terms Offered: Fall and Spring terms
At Universidad del Sagrado Corazón, students will be able to develop their Spanish skills while taking courses such as Teaching English as a Second Language, Nature and Needs of the Exceptional Child, and Educational Psychology.
Major Requirements for Education
B.Sc. in Elementary/Collaborative Education
The following courses are required (19 units):
B.Sc. in Secondary Education
The following courses are required (10 units and program units):
ED 201 Introduction to Educa-tion
ED 210 Curriculum Design ED 219 Creative Arts in Teaching ED 299 Exploring Teaching ED 315 Reading I:
Developmen-tal Reading
ED 316 Reading II: Reading Practicum
ED 317 Teaching Social Studies ED 318 Children’s Literature ED 320 Teaching Mathematics ED 324 Teaching Science and
Health
ED 360 Methods and Materials for Teaching Students with Spe-cial Needs
ED 410 Internship II
ED 411 Internship III
ED 472 Senior Research Project in Education
ED 499 Internship I
EPY 223 The Developing Child in the Twenty-First Century
EPY 260 Survey of Exceptional Children
EPY 320 Educational Psychology
ED 201 Introduction to Education ED 299 Exploring Teaching
ED 319 Teaching Secondary Reading ED 323 Teaching Secondary Subjects
One unit from the following: ED 340, ED 341, ED 342, ED 343, ED 344, ED 345
ED 412 Internship IV ED 413 Internship V
EPY 223 The Developing Child in the Twenty-First Century
EPY 260 Survey of Exceptional Children EPY 320 Educational Psychology
One program in the major from the following: Single major certification (students
com-plete major requirements in biology, chem-istry, history, mathematics, physics, or Spanish)
OR
Comprehensive certification in English Lan-guage Arts (grades 6-12; students complete major requirements in English) or General Social Science (grades 6-12; students com-plete major requirements in history with courses also in political science, sociology, and economics)
Learn about more opportunities abroad...
This major advising page only intends to give you a taste of the programs the Sklenar Center has to offer.
Check out the Study Abroad webpage on BSC’s website, or visit the Sklenar Center and talk to a study
abroad advisor, to find out the vast range of study abroad opportunities all over the world. There are also
opportunities to research, intern, and volunteer while abroad.
Study Abroad and Major Requirements for Education , continued
Students are encouraged with their academic advisor and/or the department chair to prepare an
academic plan for their time abroad.
Start planning early. For education majors interested in a semester overseas, the best terms to
study abroad would be spring of sophomore year and fall of senior year. For students interested in
a year abroad, sophomore year is the only option. Summer is also an option though course choices
are limited.
Majors must complete the general education curriculum requirements of the College. One of these
requirements include a semester abroad under Civic Engagement as well as two language courses.
Student who plan early can receive these units overseas. Additional courses in mathematics,
Eng-lish language arts, social science, and science are also required to meet state certification
require-ments.
BSC Requirements for Study Abroad
Complete the transient course form for study at international institutions prior to departure.
Maintain at least a 2.5 GPA
Complete first-year at BSC (transfer students must be enrolled one semester at BSC prior to
de-parture.)
Be in good social standing
