Study Abroad
"How do you find out about study abroad experiences? They find you."
Jenna Van Sant
At Messiah, we believe that learning doesn’t just take place in the classroom. In fact, we want the world to be your global classroom, and that’s why international education is an important part of the Messiah experience.
- Learn Mandarin Chinese in Dalian, China
- Study community development in Nairobi, Kenya
- Explore the arts in Sydney, Australia
- Dive into history and philosophy in Athens, Greece
Messiah College’s study abroad program is recognized as one of the best in the nation. In 2006, Messiah was ranked one of the top 10 bachelor's institutions sending students abroad by the Institute for International Education’s annual Open Doors Survey. With 30 programs in more than 40 countries, our goal is to make some form of off-campus study or service an option for every Messiah student—and we meet that goal. More than 60% of recent graduates participated in a study abroad program.
Messiah’s cross-cultural courses, semester-long international studies, and academic service-learning experiences will help you deepen your knowledge of the world and its people while earning college credit. Our programs will allow you to:
- Enhance your major
- Strengthen language skills
- Explore unfamiliar locations
- Live with a host family
- Complete an internship in an international setting
For many students, studying abroad is a life-changing experience. “It was a time of intense personal growth in the midst of situations I never would have imagined,” says Alicia (Asper) Ramos ’07, who spent a semester in Quito, Ecuador. “For the first time in my life, I felt like the bumper rails were taken off.”
Our EpiCenter office will help you select the destination, program, and course of study that best fit you and your interests. If your major doesn’t leave room for a whole semester or year abroad, you might consider one of our short-term programs—perhaps J-term in the French West Indies, a spring break missions trip to Belize, or a summer trip to Tanzania.
Or, if you want to stay closer to home, our North American programs include AuSable Institute for Environmental Studies, Los Angeles Film Studies Center, Oregon Extension, and the Philadelphia Campus.
Because we want our students to become global citizens, we work hard to keep the costs of studying abroad in line with the costs of attending Messiah. When you study off-campus through a Messiah-approved program, all your state and federal grants and loans, as well as all your Messiah aid, will apply. In most cases, Messiah even pays for international flights.
We want our students to change the world. [But before you can change the world, you need to see it for yourself]. At Messiah, you don’t have to ask if it’s possible to study abroad. We ask you—Where will you go? |
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Through Messiah College's EpiCenter (Experiential Program Information Center), students discover educational courses around the globe, earning college credit while learning about the world and its cultures.
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