Spring Semester in Thailand

Spend next Spring experiencing Thai culture firsthand!  Gain an insider’s perspective by living with a local family in Chiang Mai and by taking classes at Chiang Mai University.  Courses focus on Thai culture and language.  For 16 hours a week, students participate in an internship at a church, government, or educational agency, discussing their unique experiences at a weekly seminar.  For the last month of the program, students journey to the foothills of the Himalayas in Northern Thailand, where they live in a Karen tribal village called Tee Mae Ker Lah.  By interacting with village leaders and families, students examine the growing effect of broader Thai culture on these indigenous communities.  This 12 week program is perfect for students who wish to explore a different country as a member of its society, not simply as a tourist.  This program is only available to Messiah students during the spring semester.

Video about the program.

Want a student's view? Read Melissa's Story. 

Click here to view photos from a Site Visit.

Follow their blog to learn what they are doing throughout the semester!

Requirements
Students must have completed one full year of college and have at least a 2.5 GPA to qualify for the program.  Students are required to attend all Messiah-run pre-departure orientation sessions the semester before studying abroad as well as a half-day re-entry retreat upon returning to campus the following semester.

Credits / Grades
The sixteen to eighteen credits earned may meet some general education or major requirements. Courses taken will appear on Messiah transcripts with letter grades. Please refer to the grade conversion scale.

Students will meet their third language/cross-cultural requirement by participating in this program. Students will not earn 3 credits, rather the requirement will be waived.

Costs: 2013 - 2014 $20,620, plus $400 deposit. 

Fee covers tuition, housing, meals *round-trip airfare, educational excursions, airport taxes, visas, and books, pre-departure, and re-entry orientation.  Note: additional fees students may encounter include (but are not limited to) local transportation, passports, immunizations, and course fees. A $300 deposit is typically requested within two weeks of acceptance.

For comparison, a typical semester in Grantham for 2013-2014 is $19,655.

Optional Post Semester Courses

Chiang Mai University Language Institute TEFL Program - Certification (no credits) - additional $1,300

Ethnographic Research on Thai Tribal Peoples (3 credits) - additional $1,300

Note: *Once flights are booked, students are responsible for the cost of the flight if they cannot participate for any reason, including visa issues.  Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the jumping off point in the United States.

Application Deadlines
Spring Semester: October 1

Students are encouraged to apply early (May - September) to have the best chance of being accepted into the program.

Course Equivalencies
The Registrar’s Office has determined that the following courses taken at the Spring Semester in Thailand will fulfill the following General Education requirements:

“By learning in a Buddhist country and a strong Buddhist environment, I actually found that my faith grew stronger and that I was reacquainted with what it actually means to be a follower of Jesus”

--Amy Kennedy

To learn more about BCA program in Strasbourg, France, check out:

	Spring Semester in Thailand Home Office
	CIA: World Fact Book: Thailand