International Summer Programs
The University of Southern California is again offering several programs abroad during Summer Session 2017. The purpose is to create opportunities for USC students to learn in an international environment. Each program features intensive courses from two to 10 weeks in duration, and many programs visit more than one country.
Experienced USC faculty serve as instructors, tour guides and coordinators, sharing with students the unique excitement of learning at an overseas location. Excursions to important cultural and historical sites supplement classroom lectures. Housing is prearranged for students in university dorms, hostels, inexpensive hotels or with local families.
These special programs offer travel and study opportunities at reasonable costs; programs planned for International Summer Session 2017 are listed below. Interested students should call the contact person indicated for further information about a specific program.
Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
Communication, Public Relations and Journalism – Undergraduate and Graduate Summer Study in London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Prague
The International Communication Studies (ICS) program provides undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to study a range of approaches to public communication and media across Europe.
Students divide the five-week course into stays in Los Angeles, London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin and Prague. In addition to regular class meetings, students discuss the interplay of current world issues and international media practices with communication practitioners from international news and public relations media, government institutions, private industry and global organizations.
Students enroll in JOUR 482 Comparative Media in Europe. For further information and course section number, contact Annenberg International Programs at (213) 821-1276, email ascintl@usc.edu and refer to annenberg.usc.edu/international.
Program dates: June 5-July 9
Total number of units: 4
Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Pembroke-King’s College Summer Programme in Cambridge, England
The USC-Cambridge Pembroke King’s Programme (PKP) in Cambridge, England offers students an exceptional opportunity to experience life as an undergraduate in one of the oldest and most distinguished university cities in the world. The USC PKP is geared toward students who have demonstrated academic excellence and a continuous love of learning.
The PKP program provides students an excellent opportunity to study British literature, art, history, economics, creative writing, political science and international relations, and to examine the background of modern Britain and its rich and diverse cultural heritage.
Students apply in the fall and if admitted must make a financial commitment to the program in January and then attend orientation meetings during the spring semester in preparation for the intellectual and cultural environment they will experience in the lectures and specialized seminar courses at Cambridge.
Students may earn 9 undergraduate elective credits by taking three courses over eight weeks and completing both a final exam and a comprehensive essay in each course. The program is open to qualified undergraduates with a GPA of 3.5 or higher (3.7 or higher recommended). For further information, visit the program webpage at dornsife.usc.edu/pkp/, or contact Emily Moon at (213) 740-3636.
Program dates: late June to end of third week of August (eight-week program)
Total number of units: 9 units of elective credit
Chinese — Shanghai and Beijing, China
The USC in Shanghai and Beijing Program is offered during the summer semester – the first four weeks in Shanghai and the second in Beijing. This program gives students the opportunity to improve their language skills, learn about China’s culture and history, and gain valuable international experience by living in two of the world’s most rapidly progressing cities. Students complete one level of Mandarin during the four-week program or two levels of Mandarin during the eight-week program. All students receive USC course credit and can seamlessly transition to the next level of Chinese upon their return to USC. Smaller class sizes provide greater personal attention and enable students to more quickly improve their Mandarin proficiency. In addition to daily classes, the curriculum includes one-on-one speaking sessions with trained local teaching assistants. Homework consists of useful assignments like interviews with locals to improve speaking skills.
Shanghai, which has rapidly grown into China’s second largest city, is a hub for fashion, culture, and finance and reflects the country’s modern architectural boom. Students will experience firsthand Shanghai’s cosmopolitan atmosphere, including European architecture along the Bund, shopping on Nanjing Road, and viewing the astonishing skyline of the Pudong district. Shanghai is only a short train ride away from many important historical sites, such as Nanjing and Hangzhou.
Beijing is China’s largest city and is the center of its political and educational communities. Here students enjoy visiting China’s most famous ancient and modern attractions, including the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Peking Opera and Olympic Park. To have close access to the Chinese college cultures, students will live and attend classes on campus at the local universities.
Excursion fees will be included in the tuition, which covers the traveling expenses to other cities and places. Fun co-curricular activities include language exchange, Chinese table, Tai-Chi, Chinese painting classes, Chinese singing contest at a karaoke club, and more. As a result, students often form wonderful friendships with their fellow students in the program, locals in China, and other foreign exchange students who have come to Shanghai and Beijing to study Mandarin.
Fully immersed in Chinese language and culture, students will experience a new lifestyle in a completely different part of the world and significantly improve their Mandarin proficiency.
For further information, contact Dr. Nansong Huang, the program director, at nansongh@usc.edu or visit dornsife.usc.edu/ealc/beijing-program/.
Program dates: May 29-July 28 (there will be an eight-day break between the first course and the second course from June 17-24)
The program offers six Chinese Language courses from EALC 106 Chinese II through EALC 404 Advanced Modern Chinese III.
Students can enroll in either one or two courses.
Chinese — Taipei, Taiwan
The USC Taiwan summer study aboard program provides students with unique opportunities to experience the vibrant city of Taipei while joining a four- or eight-week Chinese language program at the top-ranked academic institution, National Taiwan University (NTU), in Taiwan.
The course curriculum includes an array of courses for students with various levels of Chinese. The program offers intermediate courses for students to enhance communicative skills. For advanced students, the film class is a great way to learn idiomatic expressions and deepen their understanding of the culture. The program also offers business-oriented advanced courses that focus on experiential learning and co-curriculum activities, through which they can acquire practical skills as well as various professional opportunities. Students who are business majors and minors are particularly encouraged to apply, since meeting with Chinese businesses is a key element of the business Chinese summer courses. The program will offer unique courses for students who have family ties and interest in furthering their understanding of the cultural heritage of Taiwan. The smaller class sizes in this immersion program provide greater personal attention and enable students to improve their Mandarin proficiency.
In addition to regular classroom activities, each week the program will have one or two excursions that allow students to experience the exciting city of Taipei, including visits to the National Palace Museum, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, Taipei 101 and Shilin Night Market. There will also be longer field trips to other parts of the island.
For more information, contact John Chang, the program director, at johnwcha@usc.edu.
East Asian Studies Center – Global East Asia Problems without Passports Program (PwP) in China and Japan
The East Asian Studies Center’s “Global East Asia as PwP” summer international program offers USC undergraduate students a unique opportunity to study abroad in China or Japan in a research-oriented, 4-week summer course. Students will engage in USC faculty-guided, on-site research through multiple exciting excursions to noteworthy locations in the destination country. Research topics will vary depending on the course: China will focus on global consumerism and Japan on international understanding of identity. This 4-week program is divided into two weeks on campus and two weeks abroad.
Application to the program is required. This summer study abroad course offers students 4 units of upper-division USC credit, an opportunity to study and conduct research with USC faculty members in an East Asian country and a platform to share their experiences through an outreach activity.
This program is designed to expand undergraduate interest in East Asian studies. Most of the major expenses associated with the travel abroad portion of the course will be covered: basic lodging and some meals as well as local transportation and entrance fees related to the course. Students are responsible for the tuition, course materials, international airfare and expenses during the first two weeks of the program at USC. Dornsife College and departmental financial support is available.
Program dates: China May 15–June 10 (four-week program); Japan May 15–June 10 (four-week program)
Total number of units: 4
| EASC 360 | Global East Asia | 4 |
| China | 552-25801 | |
| Japan | 234-25803 |
For more information, please contact the East Asian Studies Center at (213) 740-2991 or easc@usc.edu, or visit usc.edu/easc/gea.
French — Dijon, France
The Department of French and Italian offers a summer program in the city of Dijon, France, where students have the opportunity to study the French language in a beautiful, culturally rich setting. Dijon is the ancient capital of the former Duchy of Burgundy and is renowned for its lovely old streets, monuments, churches and fine cuisine. The program begins on Monday, June 5, concludes on Friday, June 30 and is centered at the Université de Bourgogne campus in Dijon.
During the program, students live with families near the city center, which effectively immerses them in the French culture and language. Classes are taught both by French instructors from Dijon and USC faculty. The latter lead small-group sessions designed to help students achieve even greater fluency in French.
Cultural visits and excursions further enhance awareness and understanding of French history and culture. Opportunities for daily interaction with townspeople and students from other countries are plentiful. The 4-unit program is offered at the undergraduate level. The cost of field trips is included in tuition fees.
Program dates: June 5 to June 30 (four-week program)
Total number of units: 4
Application deadline: Rolling applications; first come, first served. Applications and other materials may be picked up in the Department of French and Italian, Taper Hall 155. For further information, contact Julia Chamberlin, Department of French and Italian, Taper Hall 342, jcchambe@usc.edu.
All of the following courses are offered in Dijon:
| FREN 150 | French II | 4 | 099-34350D |
| FREN 220 | French III | 4 | 099-34352D |
| FREN 250 | French IV | 4 | 099-34354D |
| FREN 300 | French Grammar and Composition | 4 | 099-34355D |
| FREN 310 | French Pronunciation and Conversation | 4 | 099-34356D |
| FREN 330 | Writing about Literature | 4 | 099-34357D |
| FREN 490x | Directed Research | 4 | 099-34359D |
International Relations — Brussels, Belgium
The School of International Relations offers students the opportunity to study and intern for five weeks in Brussels, Belgium. Students take a course on the contemporary issues in European foreign and security policy while interning at an international organization. Students enroll in IR 491x Field Study (4 units), which can be used to fulfill an IR major or IR minor requirement. Students intern full-time for the first week, after which their schedule will consist of class in the morning and internship in the afternoon.
This program is open to IR and IR-related majors with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applications for this program are available in VKC 301 and the School of International Relations Website.
Program dates: May 29–June 30
International Relations — Paris, France
The School of International Relations offers students the opportunity to study and conduct research for six weeks in Paris, France. Students take a course on European policy modeling and contemporary challenges to the European Union focusing on the particular case of France. The course will focus on weekly topics such as: the Confederalization of Europe; Governance through Law, Politics and Economics; EU Citizenship: Refugees, Migrants and Belonging; Going Green European Style; and Doing Business in Europe, Green as Business.
In addition to completing course requirements, students will have a choice of participating in two policy task forces focusing on real world problems in business and immigration.
Students enroll in IR 490x: Directed Research (4 units), which can be used to fulfill an IR major or IR minor requirement.
This program is open to IR and IR-related majors with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applications for this program are available in VKC 301 and the School of International Relations Website.
Thornton School of Music – London, England
USC students will collaborate with European students in a 10-day intensive course in the study, composition, production, marketing and/or performance of original, contemporary popular music, with an emphasis on the London music scene. Creatives and industry professionals will provide guest lectures and workshops throughout the program at the host institution, The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance. Students will also have cultural and historical excursions in London and Liverpool.
Students enroll in MUSC 470: Contemporary Popular Music – A Global Perspective (2 units).
Program dates: July 2 – July 11, 2017
For further information, contact Professor Richard Smith at rsmith@usc.edu or visit TMC 118.