Off-Campus Study

Off-Campus Study programs exist in most regions of the world. You will find information on a very wide range of programs at www.grinnell.edu/offices-services/ocs.

Featured Programs

The programs featured on the Off-Campus Study website have been carefully selected and are believed to represent some of the best opportunities available today in off-campus study. From among the broad academic and geographical diversity of options, most students should be able to identify a program well suited to their academic goals.

Types of Programs

Most programs offer you the opportunity to enhance your major, concentration, or other area of academic interest while broadening your liberal arts education by learning about another area of the world. In some programs, the courses offered are linked by a common theme, such as women’s studies, environmental studies, or global development studies. In others, coursework may be closely connected to a particular major such as biology or economics. Programs may be organized and operated by American educational institutions, universities abroad, or a combination of both in a cooperative arrangement. Formats vary from traditional classroom-based instruction to fieldwork, independent study, and internship.

Program Competitiveness

It is important to note that off-campus study programs vary considerably in competitiveness. While some programs are highly competitive, accepting only students with higher G.P.A.s and specific course preparation, others may have more relaxed criteria for admission. Specific prerequisites and G.P.A. requirements are normally set out in the program information materials. Campus Program Advisers are also able to advise you regarding your eligibility for a particular program. Normally, Grinnell students apply to only one off-campus study program. Denial of admission to Grinnell students is rare because of the screening that takes place during the on-campus approval process.

Yearlong Programs

Approval to attend yearlong programs is limited and is granted by the Off-Campus Study Board on a competitive basis to students demonstrating exceptional academic achievement, strong written rationale, and support for their plans from their major department. The Off-Campus Study Board gives preference to well-focused proposals designed to deepen the student’s knowledge of a single culture within the context of a single integrated program. Successful applications for yearlong approval normally involve a request to study in one program in one country.

Assessing the Importance of Off-Campus Study

You may already have a good idea about where and what you would like to study off campus. However, if you are just beginning to explore the possibilities, you should reflect seriously on what you are planning to do. Personally, at this point in your life and education, you are likely to be at the optimal point in your capacity to learn by living and studying in a new and challenging environment. Since an optimal point occurs by definition only once in a lifetime, and off-campus study may hold valuable personal, academic, and professional benefits, the careful choice of an appropriate program may well be one of the most important decisions you make during your college career.

Core Rationale for Off-Campus Study

Grinnell requires that you select a program compatible with your academic goals, which you will clearly set out in a four-year course-plan and written rationale for off-campus study. It is up to you to define your goals in consultation with your academic adviser. Since your choice of program must be linked to your academic objectives, you should begin by thinking about why you want to study off campus, i.e., your core rationale. Most students choose to link their off-campus study to their major or concentration while others may wish to use the experience to enhance their understanding of other subjects studied on campus.

Additional Objectives for Off-Campus Study

In addition to the core rationale described above, your choice of program may be partly determined by additional academic objectives you want to achieve. For example, you may wish to broaden your liberal arts education by studying a language or taking courses not offered at Grinnell. You may also have broader educational goals connected to the experience of living in another culture. The possibility of community service, fieldwork, or an internship might be an important consideration. Additional objectives such as these are important to consider along with your core rationale and will help in selecting a program that is right for you.

Campus Program Advisers

A Program Adviser is assigned to every off-campus study program featured by Grinnell College. These advisers are very familiar with the programs they represent and can provide you with detailed program information as well as answering any questions you may have.

Peer Advisers

Every semester, large numbers of Grinnell students return from studying off campus. Talking with other students who have already studied on a program of interest to you is essential to making an intelligent decision about off-campus study.

International Students

Grinnell College is fortunate to have a diverse student body from many parts of the world. International students may be able to provide you with valuable insights and information to help you in making a decision about where to study off campus. The International Students Office will provide names of students from specified countries or regions.

Grinnell-in-London

Donna Vinter, English, Resident Director; Keith Brouhle, Economics; Sheila Fox, Theatre; Julianna Fuzesi, Political Science; George W. Jones, Political Science; Katy Layton-Jones, History; Paula Nuttall, Art History; Nancy Rempel-Clower

Grinnell-in-London takes place each fall semester. The program’s course offerings include topics that change from year to year, reflecting the interests and expertise of Grinnell faculty members who teach on the program. Other courses—in art, English, history, political science, and theatre —are offered regularly by our London-based faculty members.

Students may choose between traditional classes or classes plus an internship. Internship placements take into account the interests of each student. Several parliamentary internships are available.

The program has two phases. In the nine-week Phase I, students earn 8 to 12 credits in three or more courses. In the six-week Phase II, students take one 4 credit course or participate in an internship and required internship seminar for a total of 6 credits. Students live in flats, homes, or residence halls in London, attend classes at the Grinnell-in-London site, and take multiple field trips in London, the English countryside, other parts of Great Britain, and other European destinations.

Phase I Courses

The Florentine renaissance is widely regarded as an artistic watershed, when artists formulated new ways of representing reality based on direct observation, scientific principles, and classical precedent, with profound implications for the course of European art. Equally important were contemporary developments in Flanders, where artists were likewise engaged in new ways of seeing, and where the oil technique offered unprecedented potential for depicting light and texture. This course will provide the opportunity to study the art of both Flanders and Florence, introducing students to the major artists (Masaccio, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Jan van Eyck, and Rogier van der Weyden), and to broader art historical themes such as patronage, iconography, and technique. Students will acquire an understanding of what constitutes the Florentine renaissance, but by also studying Flanders, will be encouraged to question the standard view of Florence’s central position in the art of the 15th century. Approximately 50 percent of classes will take place in London’s galleries, taking advantage of the unparalleled collections of the National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum. An additional three-day visit to Bruges and Ghent, located in Belgium, will offer the opportunity to study Flemish painting in situ. Prerequisite: none. NUTTALL.

The city of London is one of the largest, most dynamic cities in the world. Throughout its history, London’s growth has been propelled by people seeking a destination for economic, cultural, and social interaction. This influx of people and activity, though, has frequently led to different environmental crises. Hundreds of thousands were killed, for example, in plague and cholera outbreaks linked to poor infrastructure and sanitation. Today, unfettered economic activity threatens an equal number of people through pollution and global climate change. How can cities, engines of economic growth and prosperity, result in such significant environmental degradation that threatens the lives of its inhabitants? In this course, we will use London as a case study to examine what drives the creation and growth of cities. We will explore why these forces generate such tremendous stresses on the natural and physical environment. Finally, we will ask whether cities hold the key or are an obstacle to “sustainable” living. The class will visit several sites around London that might concern public health, transportation, and the role of the private sector in urban management. Prerequisite: none. BROUHLE

This course will study representative plays from each period of Shakespeare’s career, including histories, tragedies, and comedies. Through close analysis of these plays both on the page and on the stage the course will aim to develop an appreciation of the richness of Shakespeare’s theatrical art, in its powerful marriage of words and images. Attendance at productions of Shakespeare both in Stratford and in London, including at the newly built replica of the Globe in Southwark, will be central to our study. . Prerequisite: None. VINTER

This course explores the history of London from its Roman origins to the present day and examines how royalty, trade, religion, and transport have shaped the city’s pattern of growth over 2,000 years. Coursework consists of weekly lectures, guided walks, and discussions of readings from contemporary sources. Students are given an opportunity to investigate an aspect of London history of particular interest to them. Prerequisite: none. LAYTON-JONES.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, first published in London in 1818, was inspired by exciting advances in studying the nervous system and popularization of new scientific discoveries throughout Europe. In the early 19th century, science was a hot topic in classrooms and drawing rooms alike. Shelley’s famous novel is a stunning reflection of that fascination, exploring as it does the angst of a society at once drawn to and repelled by the possibilities of science at the edge. This course will focus on how our understanding of the brain has influenced various aspects of society for 200 years and continues to today. Topics will include the neuroscience of love, trust, decision-making, stereotyping, and mental illness, and consideration of the interaction between neuroscience and medicine, public policy, ethics, economics, marketing, and education. Class periods will be a combination of lecture and discussion, with readings from both the popular media and science journals. The class will visit local science museums, neuroscience laboratories, and meet researchers engaged many of the course topics. Prerequisite: none. REMPEL-CLOWER

This course aims to familiarize with the devices used for the regulation of national and ethnic conflicts. It seeks to provide students with an understanding of the tools available to states and policy makers to manage conflict. The course will include a close examination of cases of divided societies such as India, South Africa, Lebanon and Yugoslavia. Once students have a grasp on the concept of ethnicity, the course will divide conflict management into four main themes: 1) territorial devices, 2) repressive and accommodation incorporation, 3) violence, and 4) solutions within democracies. Instruction and discussion will occur in the classroom as well as out in London, at various museums, communities, and sites. Prerequisite: none. FUSEZI

This course explores the inner workings of the elements that comprise the professional theatre in Britain through a careful examination of contemporary and classic plays in actual performance. Prerequisite: none. FOX.

Phase II Courses (6 weeks)

Financial crises, housing crashes, and rising unemployment have rocked economies around the world. These crises in Europe have made global headlines. In this course, we will examine the causes and consequences of the recent European financial and sovereign debt crisis. The course will begin with a discussion of some commonly proscribed objectives of government (e.g. to provide law and order; to promote full employment; to provide a social safety net) and the monetary and fiscal policy tools which governments use to achieve them. We will then consider how political and economic institutions like the EU and the Euro have impacted the policies adopted by national governments in recent economic crises. We will focus on how the response of national governments has been constrained by supranational institutions such as the European Commission and the European Central Bank. How have these national and supranational institutions impacted the daily lives of individuals? This exploration informs us as to what we can expect of governments, including our own, in addressing new economic challenges of the twenty first century. Plans for fieldtrips include financial institutions in London and elsewhere in Europe. Prerequisite: None. Instructor: BROUHLE

This course will study modern Irish literature written between about 1890 and the present, including fiction, poetry, and drama by such authors as W.B. Yeats, J.M. Synge, James Joyce, Sean O’Casey, Elizabeth Bowen, Samuel Beckett, and Seamus Heaney. It will introduce the student to the turbulent history of modern Ireland, while considering how these writers foster, invent, reinvent, and critique ideas of Irish national, cultural, and religious identity. It will also look at how the authors engage with themes that speak to the wider modern human experience. We will take advantage of opportunities to see Irish plays and hear Irish music in London, and there will be a field trip to the Republic of Ireland. Prerequisite: English 120. VINTER.

Class discussions and assignments focus on understanding and interpreting internship experiences with an academic perspective. Please note that class meetings may begin in Phase I. Prerequisite: undertaking a Parliamentary internship. Enrollment limited to three Parliamentary interns. JONES.

Class discussions and assignments focus on understanding and interpreting students’ internship experiences and those of their co-workers within the U.K. work environment. Topics include the meaning of work and changing definitions of work, the emergence of the culture of overwork and pressures that interfere with a viable work-life balance, the growth of the service economy and consequent increased importance of “emotional labour” (work requiring one’s emotional skills), the social costs of low pay, and the impact of European Union legislation on the world of work in the United Kingdom. Prerequisite: Acceptance into regular internship. VINTER

Students work 32 hours a week for six weeks at internship sites in London. Applications for internships are made as part of the application for the Grinnell-in-London semester program prior to coming to London. Learning contracts must be approved by the instructor, the internship coordinator, and the work-site supervisor. Prerequisite: none. STAFF

Grinnell-in-Washington, D.C.

Steve Jackson, Faculty Director, Eugene Gaub, Music

The Grinnell-in-Washington, D.C., program is offered in the first semester of each academic year. Part of the curriculum changes from year to year, reflecting the interests and expertise of the Grinnell faculty member leading the program that fall. Other courses—policymaking, internships, and the internship seminar—are offered every year.

Students are placed in internships that match their individual interests and experience. The internship is 12 weeks in length, Monday–Thursday, approximately 32 hours each week. During the internship, classes are on Fridays and on one weekday evening.

Students are housed in apartments in D.C., attend class just off Dupont Circle, and take multiple field trips in Washington, D.C.

Prerequisite: second-year status and good academic standing.

This course focuses on how the Arts are paid for in the United States. Unlike countries in Europe in which the visual and performing arts are heavily subsidized by the government, our system is a mosaic of public and private philanthropy. Public patronage in our country is synonymous with the National Endowment for the Arts. We will closely examine the NEA’s controversial history and its impact on American culture, and consider questions like these: Should the government fund the arts at all and to what extent? If so, who and what are deemed worthy or appropriate to support? The course will make fieldtrips to sites around Washington relevant to these case studies. Prerequisite: None. Instructor: GAUB

This course will introduce the political and organizational nature of policy making using an applied interdisciplinary approach, taking advantage of the resources available in Washington, D.C. Various approaches to public policy making will be discussed and analyzed using current policy issues of interest to the students on the program. The course will provide students with analytic tools to use in their internship and to use as a foundation for understanding the politics of policy making. Prerequisite: None. Instructor: JACKSON

Each student will intern four days a week (approximately 32 hours per week) for 10 weeks. Beginning in the spring prior to going off campus, students will work with an internship coordinator to secure an internship which matches their interests and skills. Prerequisite: None. GAUB

The ACM

Grinnell cooperates with 13 other independent liberal arts institutions in the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM). The other members of the ACM are Coe and Cornell in Iowa; Carleton, Macalester, and St. Olaf in Minnesota; University of Chicago, Knox, Lake Forest, and Monmouth in Illinois; Beloit, Lawrence, and Ripon in Wisconsin; and Colorado College. The ACM provides off-campus study programs for students of member institutions and promotes opportunities for faculty research and development.

Featured Programs

Africa: Sub-Saharan
Botswana, Ghana, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania

Botswana: University Immersion in Southern Africa (ACM) (spring)

Ghana: Development Studies Program, University of Legon (CIEE)

Senegal: Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID)

South Africa: University of Cape Town (IES)

South Africa: Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS)

Tanzania: Human Evolution and Ecology (ACM) (Fall)

Australia and New Zealand

North Queensland, Australia: Tropical Rainforest Management (SFS)

University of Melbourne, Australia (IES)

University of Otago, New Zealand (Arcadia)

East Asia
China, Japan, Korea

China: Beijing (ACC)

China: Beijing: Contemporary Issues Program (IES)

China: Beijing or Nanjing (CIEE)

China: Beijing (Pitzer College)

China: Hangzhou - C.V. Starr-Middlebury School in China

China: Harbin or Kunming - Intensive Chinese Language (CET)

China: Shanghai (Alliance for Global Education)

China (Republic of China) : Taipei (CIEE)

Japan: Tokyo – Sophia University (CIEE) (spring)

Japan: Tokyo - Japan Study Program - Waseda University (ACM) (year)

Korea: Seoul – Yonsei University (CIEE)

South Asia
India and Sri Lanka

India: Delhi (IES)

India: Cultures, Traditions, & Globalization (ACM) (fall)

India: South India Term Abroad (SITA)

Sri Lanka: Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education (ISLE)

Europe and Russia
Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany and Austria, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden

Various Countries

Comparative Women’s Studies in Europe Program (Antioch)

Germany: European Union Program (IES)

Belgium

Czech Republic

Denmark

England

London: Grinnell-in-London (fall)

London: London and Florence; Arts in Context (ACM) (spring)

London: University College (spring)

France

Aix-En-Provence and Marseille Programs (AUCP)

Nantes Program (IES)

Paris: Hamilton College Junior Year in France (year)

Paris: Sweet Briar College in France

Germany and Austria

Austria: Vienna (IES)

Germany: Berlin (IES) (spring recommended)

Germany: Freiburg (IES) (spring recommended)

Germany: Freiburg – European Union Program (IES)

Germany: Munich - Wayne State University (spring recommended)

Greece

Hungary

Hungary: Budapest Semester in Mathematics (St. Olaf)

Hungary: Aquinum Institute of Technology (AIT)

Italy

Florence: Arts, Humanities and Culture (ACM) (fall)

Florence: London and Florence; Arts in Context (ACM) (spring)

Milan: Milan Program (IES)

Rome: Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome (ICCS)

Netherlands

Poland

Russia

Spain

Granada: Institute for the International Education of Students (IES)

Madrid: Hamilton College in Spain

Madrid: Institute for the International Education of Students (IES)

Salamanca: Institute for the international Education of Students (IES)

Sweden

Latin America and the Caribbean
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, British West Indies

Argentina

British West Indies

Chile

Chile: Santiago or Valparaiso — Cooperative Latin American Studies Program (CIEE)

Chile: Santiago Program (IES)

Costa Rica

Costa Rica and Nicaragua: Institute for Central American Development Studies (ICADS) — Internship Program

Costa Rica: Organization for Tropical Studies (Duke University)

Costa Rica: Organization for Tropical Studies: Global Health Program (Duke University)

Costa Rica: Language, Society and the Environment (ACM) (fall)

Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, and Humanities (ACM) (spring)

Ecuador

Ecuador: Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID)

Ecuador: Quito Program (IES)

Mexico

Middle East and North Africa
Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco and Turkey

Egypt: American University in Cairo

Egypt: Alexandria: C.V. Starr School in the Middle East (Middlebury)

Egypt: Cairo (AMIDEAST)

Israel: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Jordan: Middle East and Arabic Language Studies, Amman (ACM)
 

Jordan: Amman (AMIDEAST)

Morocco: Rabat Area and Arabic Language Studies (AMIDEAST)

Morocco: Rabat: Regional Studies in French (AMIDEAST)

Morocco: Rabat (IES)

Turkey: Duke University in Istanbul (spring)

North America
United States

Atlanta: Morehouse College and Spelman College

Chicago: Arts, Entrepreneurship and Urban Studies (ACM)

Chicago: Newberry Seminar in the Humanities (ACM) (fall)

Chicago — Urban Education: Student Teaching in Chicago (ACM)

Knoxville, Tenn.: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ACM) (fall)

Washington, D.C.: Grinnell-in-Washington, D.C. (fall)

Waterford, Connecticut: National Theater Institute

Woods Hole, MA.: Marine Biological Laboratory — Semester In Environmental Science (fall)