LCC International University

All Messiah approved semester-long, off-campus programs are approved and designed to meet the requirements for the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI). To learn more about the process, please explore the ELI Off-Campus Study Information Page.

Students will complete all of the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) requirements that are a part of this program.
Sophomore, junior, seniors
2.75 GPA or higher
Since studying off-campus for a semester is a privilege, please note the following implications of being place on probation at Messiah University:

Chapel Probation: A student currently on chapel probation for the first time (or with an impending chapel probation for the upcoming semester) will be required to communicate or meet with the Director of the Agape Center for Local and Global Engagement to determine the potential impact on the student’s upcoming semester off-campus. If a student has been placed on chapel probation more than once during their time at Messiah, they will not be eligible to study off-campus for a semester.

Academic Probation or Low GPA: A student on academic probation or whose GPA drops below 2.75 will be not be eligible to study off-campus.

Disciplinary Probation: A student who has been placed on disciplinary probation at any time during the off-campus study application / acceptance process will be required to meet with the Director of the Agape Center for Local and Global Engagement to determine the potential impact on the student’s upcoming semester off-campus.

Courses may meet major or general education requirements.

Courses will appear on Messiah transcripts with letter grades.

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.

6 credits will come back to Messiah as 3 credits.
3 credits will come back to Messiah as 1.5 credits.

Pass/Fail Option

During their university careers, students may take a maximum of four courses on a pass/fail (P/F) basis with these conditions:

Such a course must be from a discipline other than those required for the student's major or minor.
Courses fulfilling requirements for a major, minor, or general education may not be used.
Students may declare their intention to take a course under the Pass/Fail option when they register or through the first calendar week of classes at the beginning of the new term. Students may also select to return to the letter grade system during this same time period. The selection cannot be changed after the first calendar week of classes.
The cut-off point to obtain a P is C–.
The instructor will submit only conventional letter grades to the Registrar's Office. This office will then convert the grade to P or F. (An instructor does not know which students are taking a course on a pass/fail basis.

The first FIVE DAYS of your classes are critical:

Recognizing that courses change while abroad, a student is required to communicate to the Registrar’s Office within the first FIVE DAYS of classes if their Off-Campus Course Approval Form in Terra Dotta has changed since the original submission/approval. Specifically, if a student desires to change a course to a pass/fail instead of a letter grade, this must be approved by Messiah University Registrar’s Office within the first FIVE DAYS of classes at the host partner program.

Auditing

Students are required to take no fewer than 12 credits towards their overall degree requirements and no more than 18 credits. These 12-18 credits include courses taken as pass/fail and letter grades. However, in addition to those 12-18 degree credits, students who would like to audit an academic course for no credit are permitted to do so for up to one 4 credit hour course for the sake of learning, cultural immersion or personal interest at no additional charge. This audited course will not appear on the Messiah University student’s transcript.

Off-Campus study is a time of challenge and change. The following are some things you should understand about this program before you participate:

Students will be sharing room with 3-4 European and/or International roommates. Sometimes there are 3 or 4 countries represented in one room. This is a great cultural experience, but at the same time it can be a little bit more challenging to navigate cultural nuances from time to time.
Cafeteria is available on campus, however, most of the students make their own meals in the shared kitchens. The program provides inventory sets for study abroad students and students are able to cook their own meals during their semester at LCC. Exchanging recipes of your favorite national dishes is a great cultural experience that helps learn about your roommates and classmates cultures and countries.
You will be living in the city and will be able to enjoy the urban life. You will be walking to most places and there will be many other people walking with you. Klaipeda is a safe city but we do encourage students to go out in small groups of not less than two, and advise not to be on the streets at night. LCC International University campus is located 35 minutes walking to the city center, 30 minutes walking to the beach and 5 minutes walking to the grocery store. Public transportation runs frequently and is very affordable for students.
Weather: bring clothes that you can layer. It tends to be windy in Klaipeda (it is a located by the sea) and the weather tends to change often.
Language: It is always useful to know at least a few words in the language you will hear people talk around you for four months. We encourage all study abroad students to take Lithuanian 101 during their time here. Lithuanian, Russian, and English are the three main languages spoken at LCC. Try to learn and use every-day words (e.g. greetings) when you can. Knowing the basic shopping terms (e.g. names for foods) will make your Lithuanian experience more memorable and fun.
In classes you will notice a different style of learning. Most of the classes you will have fewer research papers but more small assignments and group projects. You will learn not only the course material covered in class but also from your peers representing 30+ countries.
A trained counselor is available for all LCC students (Including study abroad students) free of charge. Counseling services provide a confidential place for students to work through personal concerns and issues they may encounter during their time at LCC. A counselor at LCC International University is available by appointment to discuss any issues and help students find ways of dealing with the challenges they face. Additionally there are several medical clinics and hospitals that LCC partner with in case students need medical care.

What do you pay?

TOTAL COSTS = Messiah tuition + Messiah room + Messiah board + Student services fee

Explore possible scholarships for this program.

These Costs Include:

tuition, housing, meals
educational excursions to Latvia, Estonia, and Russia
pre-departure, and re-entry orientation
international travel insurance
student services fee
- Student Services fee includes access to various services available to all students through, including internet access to, the Learning & Writing Centers, Career Services, Academic Accessibility Office, Library, Department of Safety, Agapé Center for Local and Global Engagement, and other campus offices that provide services to students both on and off campus.

Note: additional fees students may encounter include (but are not limited to) transportation, visas, passports, immunizations, and course fees.

Credit Limit Policy for Semester-Long, Off-Campus Program

Typically when students study off-campus in Messiah-approved, semester-long programs, students earn between 13 and 18 credits. All students must be enrolled in at least 12 credits.

The tuition/fees charged for Messiah’s approved study abroad programs permits a student to complete 12-18 credits. Messiah University will process up to 18 credits. If a student completes more than 18 credits and would like the additional credits applied to their transcript, additional tuition will be charged for credits over 18 and would be assessed after the official transcript is received/processed by Messiah.

Messiah Pre-Approval Deadlines

Fall - November 1
Spring - March 1