Study Abroad

Faculty-led Programs

Writing (in) Place

Yucatán, Mexico
CRWT 3750 (4 credits)
December 29, 2024 – January 9, 2025
Professor Liz Egan

This course challenges students to examine place and setting, both in the creative essays, stories, and/or poems they craft, and in the writing strategies and habits they cultivate. The course will include discussion and study of what it means to write in a place as an outsider, as well as from a place to an outsider; text translations and language-meshing; and how to adopt place-based writing strategies for a successful writing practice back home. Appropriate for all creative genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.

Maya Gods, the History of Chocolate and You

Yucatán, Mexico
RLST, HIST or SOAN 3750 (4 credits)
December 29, 2024 – January 9, 2025
Dr. James Bowley

In this course we will explore the history of chocolate in the land of its beginnings.  Moving from Yucatecan Maya temples where offerings of chocolate were offered to Gods, to cenotes where cacao trees were grown, to daily life of ancient Maya towns to haciendas and missions where European conquerors ruled, to modern times and the syncretism of modern Yucatecan life.  As we do, we will also learn much about Maya religion and the coming of the European colonizers.

International Business Latin America

Yucatán, Mexico
EMGT 600 (3 credits) or MGMT 2020 (4 credits)
December 26, 2024 – January 11, 2025
Dr. Jesse Beeler

This is an intense course that requires you to travel to and live in Latin America for a two-week period. You are required to assess and understand geographic, environmental, economic, sociocultural, political and legal factors that impact the business environment of Latin America. In addition to the classroom instruction, the course provides experiential learning opportunities through participation in field trips that expose you to the history and culture of the region, as well as to various leaders of business, industry and government.

Amazing Thailand! The Food, the Gold, the Beach, the Culture!

Thailand
May 18 – June 2
Dr. James Bowley

Embark on an immersive journey through Thailand’s rich tapestry of culinary delights, cultural heritage, golden temples, and pristine beaches. Students will delve into the vibrant Thai food scene, relax on world-famous beaches, and experience the warm and intricate traditions that define Thai culture. Engage with local communities, participate in cultural activities, and gain a comprehensive understanding of what makes Thailand truly amazing!

Tunghai University Mini-Semester

Taichung, Taiwan
May 23 – June 28

This unique offering allows students to take TWO 3-credit-hour courses,  transferable to Millsaps through our exchange with Tunghai University in Taichung, Taiwan. Course options are in business and economics, STEM and sustainability, arts & culture, and Chinese language (all levels). Included within these categories are courses on food and tea culture, pop music history, psychology, creative writing, and many more.

Spanish in Yucatán

Yucatán, Mexico
SPAN 1000-3000 (4 credits)
June 1 – June 30
Dr. Judith Caballero

This program immerses students in the language, culture and history of the Yucatán Peninsula. In collaboration with Marista University and the Yucatán Institute for Language and Culture, students may enroll in courses ranging from introductory Spanish to advanced literature courses. Students will attend classes at Casa Millsaps and practice their conversation skills with Marista University students. Culture classes and weekend excursions to local archaeological sites, historical places and other sites of cultural and historical interest are also part of the curriculum.

Community Health in the Maya People of the Yucatán

Yucatán, Mexico
May 11 – May 25
Dr. Alan Penman

The aim of this course is to describe and explain the effects of globalization on the economy, public health, and health care in Mexico and the disproportionate impact of socioeconomic changes on health in Maya communities in the Yucatán, with a focus on a vector-borne infectious disease of public health importance, Chagas’ disease. Lectures on the clinical features and social epidemiology of the disease will be followed (after appropriate training in methods and procedures) by field work, under the supervision of experienced local faculty from Cinvestav-IPN, Mérida, comprising vector (insect) sampling, household ecobiosocial surveys, and EKG screening of residents in an affected community.

East African Wildlife: Politics, Conservation, and Ecology in Tanzania and Kenya

Tanzania and Kenya
GOVT 2770/BIOL 2775
July 9 – July 30
Dr. Victoria Gorham and Dr. Will Selman

This will be a class about the intersection between politics and wildlife conservation.  We’ll focus on how different countries, namely Tanzania and Kenya, approach wildlife in terms of policy and wildlife management.  There will also be opportunities to consider the impact of climate change and wildlife tourism on local communities.  We will incorporate discussion of major ecological principles, literature on the political and cultural impact of national and wildlife management, and draw on insights of local experts where possible.

Field Study in International Management

Florence, Italy, and Munich, Germany
MGMT 4750/EMGT 600

July 6 – July 23
Dr. Jesse Beeler

In this course, students will travel throughout Europe exploring new cultures and gaining valuable career training. They will experience an in-depth study of international business through travel, classroom training and site visits to businesses. This course includes six hours of formal classroom instruction at Millsaps and 38 hours of classroom instruction once in the region. Field trips throughout their time abroad will expose students to the incredible history and culture of Europe.

International Marketing

Florence, Italy, and Munich, Germany
MRKT 4750/EMKT 600

July 6 – July 23
Dr. Penelope Prenshaw

International Marketing explores issues in designing and executing successful marketing strategies for global markets. This course affords students the opportunity to enhance their understanding of global marketing — the offering of products and services in many countries of the world. The course emphasizes the strategic implications of marketing in different cultures, employing a cultural approach that permits a truly global orientation.

Europe: Culture, Power, Politics

Florence, Italy, and Munich, Germany
HIST 4750

July 6 – July 23

Dr. Amy Forbes

How has culture been used to create political power in Europe? This course explores how myths and images, rituals and symbols, paintings, museums, and media have helped represent, create, and uphold political authority across nearly two millennia in Florence, Italy and Munich, Germany. From the cult of the Roman emperor to the sacral kingship of the middle ages; from Renaissance courts to revolutionary cities; from propaganda images of imperial leaders to that of the Nazi regime, we will explore how religious beliefs, architecture, and legends, paintings, plays, statues, movies, revolutionary hymns and street posters, public executions and political advertisements, coronations, processions and festivals have all helped shape and legitimate authorities in Italy and Germany. Special attention will be paid to the Renaissance and Medici era, a golden age of arts meditating on and mediating power in the realm, and to the Fascist regimes of the 21st century. We will explore too the arts of resistance that grow up in the shadow of the arts of power: the libelers and pornographers who tarnished the images of kings and popes; and the dissident artists and writers who practiced the power of the powerless in European regimes.

International Lessons in Leadership

London, England

MGMT 4750/EMGT 600

July 23 – August 7

Dr. Jesse Beeler

Study international business as practiced in London, focusing on culture, legal and management issues.

Psychology of Fear and Terrorism

London, England

PSYC 4750

July 23 – August 7

Dr. Kurt Thaw

The course examines the psychology of fear and terrorism. Drawing from insights and analytical tools offered by psychology, sociology, political science, history, and philosophy, students will explore such topics as Serial Killings, Nazi Germany, the neural correlates of Fear, and the causes and consequences of recent terrorist acts. Thus, this course is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding contemporary terrorism (mainly focusing on the last 100-150 years) and the fear associated with such acts. While individual terrorists vary widely, the motivation for various terrorist organizations is more uniform and therefore more easily understood, at least with respect to their objectives. A primary emphasis of the course is on identifying common features both within and across terrorist organizations. We will visit sites where terrorist acts or acts of war occurred to fully appreciate the settings and purpose of the selected sites. Though terrorism often makes the news, the risk of terrorism-related deaths for Americans is quite low and almost insignificant, which begs the question, “why do we fear terrorism at all?”

Capitalism/Socialism/Communism — Choices

London, England

ADMIN 4750/GOVT 4750

July 23 – August 7

Professor Harvey Fiser

This course explores the concepts of Capitalism, Socialism, and Communism in Europe.

Other Study-Abroad Programs

Links

• Foundation for the Advancement of
  Mesoamerican Studies Inc.
  FAMSI provides grants, resources and research forums for studies of Mesoamerican culture.

• Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia
  Mexico’s federal agency devoted to anthropology and history administers museums and archaeological sites.

• Society for American Archaeology
  A forum for archaeologists with resources for both students and professionals.