Millsaps Faculty-Led Programs

Summer Program in Europe: Business and Arts & Sciences in London, Florence/Dublin, and Munich

Millsaps College offers a summer program in Europe, typically based in London, Florence, and Munich, with opportunities for other European travel and cultural experiences built into the program. Students may choose courses offered by the Else School of Management, the Division of Arts and Letters, and the Division of Sciences. Millsaps faculty design and teach the courses, integrating experiences, field trips, and guest speakers that highlight the worldwide classroom. The Else School program is open to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Course listings vary each year. Recent listings by the Else School of Management include: Field Study in International Management; International Lessons in Leadership; Capitalism, Socialism, Communism: Have We Made the Right Choice?; and History of Economic Thought. Recent listings by the Division of Arts and Letters and the Division of Sciences include: The Psychology of Fear and Terrorism; The Idea of the City and the Culture of Travel; and Theatre in London. For more information, contact Dr. Jesse Beeler at jesse.beeler@millsaps.edu.

Mexico: Arts & Sciences in Yucatán

Millsaps College offers a unique study abroad program in Yucatán, Mexico. The College (and its non-profit organization Kaxil Kiuic, www.kiuic.org) supports and operates a 4500-acre tropical forest biocultural reserve in the heart of the Yucatán peninsula. The Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve, with its rich biological and archaeological resources, serves as a center for the arts and sciences program. Each summer a number of courses are offered in fields as varied as archaeology, art, biology, communication studies, environmental studies, geology, history, literature, sociocultural anthropology, and Spanish language. Courses change annually, so check with the Office of International Initiatives (OII) for upcoming classes. In addition to the field-based courses, research opportunities and internships in a variety of disciplines are available, including archaeology, biology, biochemistry, and environmental studies. Students may return to Yucatán to take additional courses and may also choose to participate in ongoing excavations at the ancient city of Kiuic, located within the biocultural reserve. A semester-long program is also offered.

The Millsaps properties in Yucatán include an off-the-grid Center for Research and Learning (CRL) located within the reserve at Kiuic, the Millsaps Puuc Archaeological Research Center (MPARC) in the nearby Maya town of Oxkutzcab, and the Center for Business and Culture (known affectionately as “Casa Millsaps”), a dormitory-classroom facility in Merida developed and operated by the Else School of Management. For more information, contact Dr. George Bey at george.bey@millsaps.edu

Mexico: The Yucatán Experience with the Else School

The Else School of Management offers study abroad classes each summer based from its facility in Merida, Yucatán: the Center for Business and Culture, known affectionately as “Casa Millsaps.” Through a variety of course offerings, students assess and understand geographic, environmental, economic, social-cultural, political, and legal factors that impact the business and legal environment of Latin America. In addition to classroom instruction, students learn directly from business, governmental, and cultural leaders in this vibrant region of Mexico while visiting industries including tourism, farming, manufacturing, and distribution. These courses provide students the opportunity to use their classroom knowledge in an applied field study in an emerging economy. Classes vary by year. Recent summer listings by the Else School include International Business Law; Innovation: From Minds to Markets; and Global Business-Latin America. In addition to these field-based courses, internship opportunities are available in a variety of business settings. For more information, contact Professor Harvey Fiser at harvey.fiser@millsaps.edu.

Peru: Archaeology in the Land of the Inkas

This course is a hands-on introduction to archaeological excavations and lab work in the Cusco region of the southern highlands of Peru.  Students actively participate in the various tasks involved in archaeological research, including digging, recovering artifacts, and mapping features, as well as inventorying, analyzing, and photographing artifacts.  In addition, students visit impressive archaeological sites in the region, such as Machu Picchu, experience contemporary Peruvian culture, and interact with Peruvians daily.  Students live in the city of Cusco, a beautiful Inka and colonial city that is rich in culture and history. This course is designed for students who have never had archaeological field experience and for those who have already participated in fieldwork or lab work but would like to gain additional experience. By the end of this class, students will be familiar with the hands-on tasks involved in archaeological research and will have gained a unique immersive experience living in Peru.  The course fulfills the Achaeology minor requirement for archaeologicial field study.  It also fulfills the SOAN major requirement for experiential component and counts as a SOAN elective.  For more information, contact Dr. Véronique Bélisle at veronique.belisle@millsaps.edu.

Study Abroad in Spain

Millsaps’ newest language immersion program and first study abroad program in Spain is located in Alcalá de Henares, a city with impressive historical architecture and a cosmopolitan and international atmosphere just 35 minutes outside Madrid. The program is intended for two levels of Spanish language students: beginning/intermediate and high-intermediate/advanced. Both components of the program are associated with the University of Alcalá de Henares, a UNESCO world heritage site. Beginning and intermediate-level language students enroll in one course per term (4 credit hours), studying at Alcalingua, a highly recognized school that specializes in teaching Spanish language and culture to foreigners. High-intermediate and advanced language students take two classes (8 credit hours) offered through the Instituto Franklin, which offers a comprehensive educational experience emphasizing global understanding. Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with Fridays reserved for excursions (at least two field trips per class included in tuition). All students live in homestays with carefully selected Spanish families, with three meals per day included as well as weekly laundry service. Millsaps students enjoy learning the language as well as living it through programmed and optional field trips including visits to neighboring cities, a two-day trip to southern Spain, and cultural events such as flamenco shows, museum visits, and a guided tour of Alcalá de Henares. Courses range from Beginning Spanish and Intermediate Conversation to Spanish for Health Care Professionals, Masterpieces of Spanish Literature through Film, Contemporary Spain: The 20th and 21st Centuries, Globalization and the Spanish Economy, and The Spanish Education System: A Practical Immersion. For more information, contact Dr. Judith Caballero at judith.caballero@millsaps.edu.

Taiwan: The Arts, Culture and History of Taiwan

This course connects Millsaps to the language and culture of China, but through a lens of paradox and contradiction. Regarded as a renegade province of China by some and an independent country by others, Taiwan has produced prosperity and creativity disproportionate to its size. Its human history dates back tens of thousands of years, from early Austronesian aborigine tribes to political control by the Dutch, Spanish, English, Japanese, and Han Chinese. Mandarin Chinese is its official language, but Taiwanese (Hokkien), Hakka, and 14 unique aborigine languages can be heard on the island. Twenty-three million people make Taiwan one of the most densely populated places in the world, but the island also has 286 mountain peaks over 3,000 meters high, where few people live. The course will feature lectures, museums, and concerts, with an overnight trip to Green Island, where we will visit the former political prisoners’ camp, and take in hot springs and snorkeling. A four day hike up Snow Mountain or hike to a Rukai aborigine village in mountainous central Taiwan depending on riverbed weather conditions will also be offered. For more information, contact Dr. Lynn Raley at lynn.raley@millsaps.edu.

Mexico: Arts & Sciences in Yucatán

Millsaps College offers a unique study abroad program in Yucatán, Mexico. The College (and its non-profit organization Kaxil Kiuic, www.kiuic.org) supports and operates a 4,500-acre tropical forest biocultural reserve in the heart of the Yucatán peninsula. The Kaxil Kiuic Biocultural Reserve, with its rich biological and archaeological resources, serves as a center for the arts & sciences program. Each winter, a number of courses are offered in fields as varied as biology, communication studies, environmental studies, history, and religious studies. Recent Winter Intersession course offerings include The Maya Gods, You, and Chocolate; Field Biology: Tropical Ornithology; and Sun, Sand, and the Cult of the Dead: Apocalyptic Tourism. In addition to field-based courses, research opportunities and internships in a variety of disciplines are available. For more information, contact Dr. George Bey, Director, Millsaps Yucatán at george.bey@millsaps.edu.

Mexico: The Yucatán Experience with the Else School

The Else School of Management offers study abroad classes each winter based from its facility in Merida, Yucatán: the Center for Business and Culture, known affectionately as “Casa Millsaps.” Through a variety of course offerings, students assess and understand geographic, environmental, economic, social-cultural, political, and legal factors that impact the business and legal environment of Latin America. In addition to classroom instruction, students learn directly from business, governmental, and cultural leaders in this vibrant region of Mexico while visiting industries including tourism, farming, manufacturing, and distribution. These classes provide students the opportunity to use their classroom knowledge in an applied field study in an emerging economy. These classes vary by year and have included Global Business-Latin America; Global Innovation: Solving the Mystery of Mexico; International Business Law; and International Business: Managing across Cultures. In addition to field-based courses, internship opportunities are available in a variety of business settings. For more information, contact Professor Harvey Fiser at harvey.fiser@millsaps.edu.

Semester in Yucatán

Millsaps regularly offers a full semester abroad program in Yucatán, Mexico. Staffed by Millsaps faculty and utilizing all three of the College’s facilities-Casa Millsaps in the capital city of Merida, the Millsaps Puuc Archaeological Research Center (MPARC) in the Maya market town of Oxkutzcab, and Millsaps’ biocultural reserve at Kaxil Kiuic-the program features four major field excursions, including trips to the Caribbean, Campeche, and Chiapas, and numerous day trips. Course offerings include intensive Spanish language study and homestays in conjunction with the Centro de Idiomas Sureste (CIS), an internationally certified language institute in Merida, as well as a rotating selection of Millsaps classes in archaeology, biology, communication studies, cultural anthropology, film, his- tory, Latin American studies, literature in English, and religious studies. Students’ regular Millsaps tuition and meal plan transfers to Mexico in order to cover room, board, and other costs to live and study abroad for the entire semester in Yucatán. The only additional cost to students is an activity fee to cover certain excursion expenses. Four content courses (16 semester hours), plus a two-hour Community Engaged Learning (CEL) course are included. Internships are also available upon request. Depending on the semester it is offered, the program also features a one-week fall or spring break for personal travel (cost not included). The program is open to 12 students (nine from Millsaps and 3 from other schools in the ACS consortium). For more information, contact Dr. Eric Griffin at eric.griffin@millsaps.edu.