Most students may not know this, but DMACC has a Study Abroad Program.
Students have the opportunity to spend a whole semester taking classes in London for 10 weeks.
It costs about $12-13,000. This is including the standard fees, travel expenses, food, and a little spending money. This may seem like a very high number, however London is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and a cultural hotspot. Luckily, there are opportunities for scholarships.
While there, students take 12 credits. This is so that students will spend more time outside the classroom experiencing the city. The classes will be taught by DMACC’s English Professor, Alan Hutchison, and by the teachers at the college in London. Hutchison has been on the London trip twice: in 2001, and in 2004.
He says London is one of the best places to teach certain classes. Intro to Film, for example, is fun because, “London is the capital of the film industry in the U.K.,” says Hutchison, who has had the opportunity to take his students to see film shoots. The classes he provides include Composition 2, Creative Writing, Encounters in Humanities, Intro to Literature, Major British Writers, and Intro to Film.
British Life and Culture is another class, and it is required for students in the Study Abroad Program. The classes will be tailored to the study abroad program’s needs, in that most of the class work will include roaming around London. This is to encourage the students in the program to get a chance to explore the city.
It is also encouraged to travel to surrounding countries on the weekends. The classes are Monday-Thursday to give students a four-day weekend so that they can travel. That is another reason the price may seem high; that $12-13,000 range includes travel money; students are not only paying for London, they are paying for all the surrounding countries they may choose visit such as Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Prague, etc.
The living situation includes living with a native family and one other student in the program. If two students wanted to request to live together, they could.
Maria Cochran, the coordinator of the Study Abroad Program, describes this as the perfect opportunity to “Go native” which means to really dive into the culture. When asked about the program, Cochran says that she has “never known someone who went and regretted going.”
In comparison to prices at a four year school, Cochran and Hutchison agree that DMACC is “relatively inexpensive,” in Cochran’s words. She says that assimilation into the culture takes less time than in other countries, because the language is the same. Hutchison says that it is “a transforming experience.” Also, employers look for Study Abroad programs on resumes. London is a big city with incredible theatre, and there is always something going on, says Hutchison. Students are strongly encouraged to check out the website.
Students deciding to study in London for the Spring Semester can go to the DMACC website and print out the application.
It can be turned in to Maria Cochran. Students must have a 2.00 GPA and must have references from two professors. The reference can just be a paragraph email about your character, from the professor to Maria Cochran at mecochran@dmacc.edu.
Once everything goes through, there is a $450 deposit to secure a spot.
The deadline to apply is November 3. For any further questions, students may email Maria Cochran.
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