Beyond the Borders
2020 GSC Study Abroad includes Peru, Spain and More
As of 12.4.19, the 2020 Peru Trip has been cancelled and expected to be rescheduled for 2021.
By: Brittany Tennant, Communications Specialist
Gordon State College is going beyond borders this spring break visiting Peru and during the summer with an excursion to Spain. From March 12 -19, 2020, students can earn school credit for traveling abroad to Peru, while the trip to Spain is scheduled from May 30 to June 27, 2020. Both programs include a Gordon professor who directs and accompanies the students on the study abroad trip.
Today’s increasingly global world and challenging job market require graduates to have more specialized skills. Studying abroad allows students to become acquainted with another culture and to gain a different perspective on the world. Study abroad programs give students the unique opportunity to gain skills that will distinguish them from other college graduates. Program participation builds personal confidence; improves critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving; and enhances teamwork and the ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.
Peru Spring Break Study Abroad
Dr. Christy Flatt, associate professor of sociology and Dr. Rachel Mittelman, assistant professor of history will accompany students to Lima, Cusco, Sacred Valley, Aguas Calientes, Machu Picchu and Rainbow Mountain. Flatt has taught at GSC for nine years and has led five study abroad excursions. Mittelman has taught at Gordon for two years and has led six study abroad courses over her career.
“Study abroad is about education, exposure, and a global education but is ultimately about the personal growth that prepares our students for the work force and their personal lives,” said Flatt.
The in-state tuition and mandatory fees would cost approximately $892.80 for the study abroad program, which includes six credit hours. The program cost for the GSC Study Abroad program is separate from tuition at $2,100 and does not include airfare. Airfare for the week of spring break 2020 is anticipated to average around $1,200.
The deadline to reserve your spot for the spring 2020 study abroad trip is December 2, 2019 with a $1500 deposit. Other requirements to study abroad include the student being in good academic standing, enrolled at GSC during the semester of the program, turning in an application, two faculty references and a valid passport. Students who are currently participating in a learning support class are not eligible.
Students will be dropped from the course if there is failure to meet payment deadlines. All payments are nonrefundable and the deposit must be made directly to the college’s Cashier Office in the Student Services Center.
Spain Summer Study Abroad
GSC offers first-class opportunities for students to live and learn abroad while earning academic credit toward degree programs as students’ experience foreign locations, broaden cultural horizons and enhance career opportunities.
GSC will also be offering a summer abroad trip to Barcelona, Spain, from May 30 – June 27, 2020, led by Professor of Spanish, Dr. Karen Guffey. The cost of the four-week trip is $2,640, which includes program costs and housing; airfare is not included. Tuition and mandatory fees will cost $892.80. The application deadline is February 6, 2020 and must include a deposit of $650. Prior knowledge of Spanish is not a requirement to earn six credit hours on this study-abroad trip. Twenty students will be able to participate.
On the weekend, students have the opportunity to go to Rome, Paris, London, Venice, and other surrounding cities on their own schedule, Guffey said.
“Study abroad can change a student's life,” said Guffey. “In Barcelona, besides learning to communicate in Spanish, students experience a new culture. They live in private homes near world-famous buildings, so they get to know the customs and way of life of Spaniards in addition to exploring a place new to them but with ruins from millennia ago. The experience awakens in them a desire to know more about the world.”
USG Goes Global Summer 2020
The University System of Georgia study abroad program USG Goes Global Summer features nine programs available in 2020, including, Edinburgh, Scotland; Germany; London, England; Madrid, Spain; Paris, France; Porto, Portugal; Waterford, Ireland; China and Vietnam. Full-time and part-time students are eligible to participate in the program as long as the student will be 18 years of age by the time of departure. Students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing with their home institutions in order to be admitted. Reference letters may also be required.
The USG Goes Global tuition rate is $199/credit hour. The 2020 USG Goes Global application deadline is March 20, 2020. Applications will be processed once USG Goes Global receives the online application, $300 deposit payment, and institutional representative approval/confirmation of eligibility. Program acceptance is granted on a first come, first served basis. For more information on this program you can visit USGG Study Abroad Programs or Flatt at cflatt@gordonstate.edu.
Scholarships Available
Various scholarships are available for students needing assistance paying the costs of a study abroad program. GSC has 12 scholarships available on the website. Students can also try https://www.scholarships.com/. Once putting in the information for the trip, the website will link to any scholarships that are available.
For more information about study abroad opportunities at GSC and to fill out an application, contact Dr. Flatt at cflatt@gordonstate.edu, Dr. Mittelman at rmittelman@gordonstate.edu or Dr. Karen Guffey at k_guffey@gordonstate.edu