Summer Study Abroad

We recognize that some cadets are unable to study abroad during a semester for a variety of reasons. Cadets can also study abroad in the summer with one of our study abroad providers, in a military exchange program or with one of our faculty-led summer programs.

Dates: 1 June – 30 June 2023

Cost: Approx. $6,995 plus airfare & food (Fees subject to BOV approval)

A $250 non-refundable deposit is due on January 20, 2023.  The final payment is due no later than February 28, 2023.

Fees include tuition, insurance, internet (wifi), and accommodation in apartments. International airfare costs are not included.         

General Overview

Students will be immersed in French culture and language during a five-week intensive course of study that includes level-appropriate language instruction and French culture and history course taught in English. The program will also offer students the opportunity to travel to important historical sites in Paris and Normandy. Students will earn a total of nine hours of credit, three hours for the French culture and language course and six hours at the 100, 200, or 300 level, which can be counted toward fulfilling their VMI language requirement. It is aimed at those fulfilling a language requirement (either 2 or 3-year requirement) and French majors and minors.

Eligibility

Any current student in good standing with an accredited university is eligible to apply.  VMI students need only apply.

Room and Board

Students will be housed together in authentic Parisian apartments.  Meals are not included.

Program Director

Lt. Col. Jeff Kendrick earned his Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and has directed or co-directed the VMI Paris summer program every year since its inception. He enjoys teaching language, literature, and culture classes, especially in the medieval and Renaissance periods. His research interests include the poetry of Marguerite de Navarre and other contemporaries, the Reformation in France, medieval lyric poetry, and medieval chivalric romance.

 

Dates: Depart US on June 24, 2023 (arriving June 25), and return to the US on July 25, 2023
Cost: Approx. $4,995 plus airfare (Fees subject to BOV approval)

A $250 non-refundable deposit is due no later than 20 January 2023
The final payment is due no later than 17 February 2023

Fees include tuition for two courses, hotel accommodation, breakfasts, train tickets, museum tickets, insurance, and internet (Wi-Fi).
International airfare costs are not included.

General Overview
Students will be immersed in Italian culture and mathematical study during a five-week intensive course of study although no experience with the Italian language is expected. Students will earn six credits from two VMI courses:

  • All cadets will take MA331X: History of Mathematics in Europe. This counts as an X course for the Civilizations and Cultures requirement at VMI.  There will be no pre-requisite for this class, but good ability in pre-calculus topics is expected.
  • For the second course:
    • For cadets who have completed MA123-124, the second course will be MA311: Differential Equations.  This is required for AM, PY, CH (research track), and all engineering majors.
    • For cadets who have completed MA101, the second course will be MA102: Math that Matters 2.  This will help complete the MA101-102 core requirement for CIS, BI, PS, HI, ERH, MLC, ECBU, and IS majors.
    • Both courses are taught in English, the grades will count towards the VMI GPA, and for those students who have completed a course in Differential Equations, there are opportunities to replace this course with an independent study (on a case-by-case basis).

The program also includes travel to Pisa and Florence to see historical sites like the Leaning Tower, the Statue of David, and the Sistine Chapel, and museums such as the Galileo Museum.
Cadets will have at least one free weekend to travel on their own (at extra cost).

Eligibility
Any VMI cadet or current student in good standing with an accredited university is eligible to apply.

Room and Board
Students will be housed together in an authentic Tuscan hotel: Residence Le Santucce and breakfast is included. Some other meals such as welcome and departure dinners will be included as well.

Program Directors and Course Instructors
COL/Dr. Troy Siemers earned his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. He has been a professor at VMI since 1999 and department head since 2013. He has led previous study abroad trips to Lithuania, France, and Germany. His interests include ultrarunning, football (soccer) and all sorts of gaming.

MAJ/Dr. Blain Patterson earned his PhD from North Carolina State University. He joined VMI in 2019 and is excited to help led his first study abroad program. His academic interests include improving teaching and learning of undergraduate mathematics. Blain is avid board gamer who plays tabletop, role-playing, and trading card games.

MAJ/Dr. Sarah Patterson is a professor at VMI in the Applied Mathematics Department. She earned her Ph. D. from Duke University in 2019. Her interests include mathematical modeling, pedagogy of mathematics and computation science, and hiking with her two dogs.

VMI, in partnership with John Cabot University, is pleased to present a summer four-week program in Rome, Italy.

Dates: June 29 - August 5, 2023
Cost: $4,900, excluding airfare (Subject to BOV approval)

Fees include tuition, books, accommodation in John Cabot University apartments, two meals/day Meal Plan, public transportation (pass for the subway, trams, and buses), cultural sightseeing tours (e.g., Roman, Colosseum, Roman Public Baths, Roman Catacombs, Pantheon, etc…), museum entrance fees and airport pick-up and drop-off service. International airfare is not included.

Program Director: Col. Jon-Michael Hardin, Professor, and Department Head of Mechanical Engineering.

Deadlines: Cadets must have completed the application process and provided a $250 non-refundable deposit by 20 January, 2023. Committed cadets must have paid program in full or signed promissory note by February 28, 2023.


Room and Board
Students will be living in a John Cabot University designated apartment. Cadets will have a two-meal a day Meal Plan at the John Cabot University Café.

Academics
No foreign language requirement.
Col. Michael Hardin will be teaching two Mechanical Engineering Courses.
ME 302 – Dynamics (transfer credit)
ME360X - Global Engineering (VMI Credit)

List of excursions, meetings and events in conjunction with the Global Engineering class:
Leonardo Da Vinci Museum
Italian Space Agency
European Space Agency
Manufacturing company that produces space launchers
Italian company that produces military vehicles and systems
Excursion to and a meeting with the Italian Corps of Engineers
Dinner with Roma Tre engineering doctoral students
Lecture and Excursion to Aqueduct Park
Lectures and presentations by Italian Engineers

Academic Facilities
The engineering classroom is located at John Cabot University – Guarini Campus.

Dates: 27 May to 17 June, 2023 at University College Dublin
Cost: TBD
Eligibility: Cadets in Good Standing

Program:
The program allows students to take two three-credit hour VMI Biology courses: Epidemics in Society (BI-245X) and Biological Agents in Warfare and Terrorism (BI-240). These courses can fulfill the Science Electives for Humanities Majors. BI 245X also fulfills a cadet’s civilizations and cultures (X) requirement.

A $250 non-refundable deposit is due on January 20, 2023. The final payment or the signing of the promissory note is due no later than February 28, 2023.

Room and Board:
Students will be housed in comfortable accommodations in town. Two open weekends are included in the program for travel in Ireland.

Program Directors:
Col. Bell is a Biology professor and Department Head in VMI’s Department of Biology. Col. Bryant is an adjunct professor in the Biology Department. For more information about the content of the program, contact either Col. Bell (bellwe@vmi.edu) or Col. Bryant (bryantmh@vmi.edu).

 

Dates: 10 July – 3 August 2023

Cost: $5,150 (Airfare not included)

Program:

Seoul, South Korea is ranked as the world's leading digital city and a tech capital of the world. South Korea is also among the world's most technologically advanced and digitally connected countries; it has the third most broadband Internet users among the OECD countries and is a global leader in electronics, digital displays, semiconductor devices, and mobile phones. 

Dankook University was elected as the best university in academic-industrial partnerships. 

  • Accredited ‘Outstanding’ in phase 1 of the Leaders in Industry-University Cooperation (LINC) cultivation program
  • Built a world-class medi-bio cluster based on industry-academia partnership
  • Implemented the ‘Dasan Industry-centered Education (ICE) Academic System’ that aligns education with actual needs in industries.

Courses

Each student will take up to 2 courses. One course must be a CIS course. All courses will be taught in English.

1. VMI CIS Courses 

The CIS courses will be transferred to CIS or Free Elective credits with prior pre-approval.

  • CIS 110 (Computational Thinking & Programming) – Python
  • CIS 231WX (IT: Past, Present and Future)

2. Dankook: CIS Courses

The CIS courses will be transferred as CIS or Free Elective credits with prior pre-approval

  • To be announced in December
  • Korean Culture and Society
  • History of Korea

3. Dankook Non-CIS Courses 

Will be transferred as Free Elective course(s) with prior pre-approval  

Housing: On-campus Dormitory (Included). Live with Korean and international students. 

Meal: Meals are not included. Dankook University provides meals at reasonable price (at most $4).

Cultural activities: 7 activities are included in the program cost. Transportation for activities are included.

  • Korean Traditional Music and Dance
  • K-Movie 
  • K-pop Dance
  • Taekwondo
  • Craft Art
  • Mud Festival 

Cadets can select and pay for additional optional activities, e.g. Temple Stay, Ceramic Arts, and Amusement Park. 

Transportation: Airfare is not included in the program. Airport pick-up service is included.

Program Director 

Dr. Youna Jung, Assistant Professor CIS Department, MH313E, jungy@vmi.edu 

CIS in Korea 2023

 

The Virginia Military Institute, in partnership with Alcalingua-Universidad de Alcalá, is pleased to present a summer five-week language and cultural immersion program (nine credit-hours) in Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain.

Dates: 28 May – 28 June 2023

Cost: $5000 plus airfare (This fee is subject to Board of Visitor approval).

Fees include tuition, textbooks, health insurance, airport transfer, Madrid travel pass, excursions and field trips, accommodation with host families, and most meals. International airfare costs are not included.

General Overview

This will be a language, culture, art, and history program in which all participants will earn six hours of Spanish language credits at the 100, 200 or 300*, and three hours of Spanish History credits. Students will visit the most significant sites and museums in Spain and will be introduced to the history, traditions, and culture.  In addition to language studies, courses are combined with cultural activities such as visits to battlefields, Military Museum in Toledo, Prado Museum, Reina Sofia Museum, Royal Palace, and Naval Museum. Students will be observing the cultural diversity of Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Granada, Cordoba, and Barcelona.

Eligibility

Any current student in good standing with an accredited university is eligible to apply. VMI students need only to submit an application. Applicants from other universities should include a faculty letter of recommendation, an official transcript, and a short essay outlining the applicant's personal and academic goals for the program, along with the application.

Cadets must have completed the application process and provided a $50 non-refundable deposit by 20 January 2023. Committed cadets must have paid program in full or signed promissory note by 28 February 2023.

Academics 

The program will allow students to take the following classes:

  • 2 classes (6 credits) of Spanish Language at the appropriate level at the University of Alcalá in Madrid (transfer credit hours).
  • 1 class (3 credits) of Spanish History, taught by COL Jensen (VMI credit hours).

*Each student will take a proficiency test in-situ to determine his or her language proficiency and be enrolled in the appropriate courses.

Room and Board

Students will be housed in dorms on the university campus. Included in the program fee are three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week. During weekend trips, only breakfast is included.

Program Director

Dr. Sabrina S. Laroussi earned her Ph.D. from Texas Tech University. She is currently an associate professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures where she teaches courses on Spanish and Latin American literature, cultures, and film, in addition to Spanish language courses. Her academic research interests include metafiction, the grotesque, representations of violence and death in contemporary Latin American and Peninsular literature, culture, and visual media, as well as cultural ramifications of drug trafficking in Colombia, Mexico, and Galicia. At VMI, Dr. Laroussi directs the summer study abroad program in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid). She also serves as the chapter adviser for the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, Sigma Delta Pi.

Dr. Laroussi was born and raised in Algeria and lived and studied in Spain and Texas. Her study-abroad experiences have broadened the scope of her education and of her career as well.

Dates: 20 May – 16 June 2023

Cost: $5,850 excluding airfare (subject to BOV approval)

Scholarships: WELD Study Abroad Scholarships will be available for ECBU cadets. In addition, a variety of other study abroad scholarships will also be available for VMI cadets.

Payment: a $250 non-refundable deposit is due on January 20, 2023.  The final payment is due no later than February 28, 2023.

Program price includes tuition and fees, insurance, excursions and accommodation in furnished apartments with kitchen facilities. International airfare costs are not included.         

Academics: Students will be taking 2 elective courses:

    1. EC 308 (International Trade), taught by Dr. Bing Jiang (VMI ECBU Professor)
    2. HI 375X (Modern Germany & Eastern Europe), taught by Dr. Timothy Dowling (VMI History Professor)  

Excursions: In conjunction with the two courses offered, there will be company visits and guest lectures from business leaders, foreign relations experts, and/or policy makers in Prague. In addition, the program will also offer numerous cultural excursions to world-renown sites such as Prague’s Old Town, Český Krumlov, the Jewish Cemetery and Museum, the Czech National Museum, the Cold War Museum, Charles Bridge, Prague Castle, and many more.

Eligibility

Any VMI cadet or current student in good standing with an accredited university is eligible to apply.

Program Directors and Course Instructors

Dr. Bing Jiang is an Associate professor of Economics in the VMI’s Department of Economics & Business. She earned her Ph.D. from Emory University and joined VMI in 2013. She has taught a variety of courses including Principles of Microeconomics/Macroeconomics, Intermediate Microeconomics, International Trade, Behavioral Economics, and Statistics. Besides teaching, she is also interested in utilizing behavioral and experimental methods to study charitable giving, volunteering, coordination, and entrepreneurship. In her spare time, Dr. Jiang enjoys nature, traveling, volunteering, and exploring different countries, cultures and cuisines.  

COL Timothy Dowling has been teaching history at VMI since 2001. He has lived in Vienna, Tokyo, Berlin, and Munich. He has led study abroad programs to Budapest and completed a semester as a Fulbright Scholar at the National University of Public Service in Budapest, Hungary.

For more information about this program and the WELD Study Abroad Scholarships, please contact Dr. Jiang (jiangb@vmi.edu).

 

The Virginia Program at Oxford is a six-week summer program in British history and literature run jointly by VMI and five other schools. Cadets from any major and any class are welcome to apply. You will earn 6 hours of credit and take courses on a pass/fail basis. The cost is approximately $8250, but financial aid is available from several sources, including the VPO itself. The cost includes a room of your own, all meals, and trips to London and Stratford-on-Avon.

Program Dates: 26 June-5 August 2023

Eligibility: Open to any major

Academics: 6 credits studying the literature and history of Great Britain around Shakespeare’s time

For more information, visit the program website, or contact Dr. Duncan Richter (richterdj@vmi.edu).

 


Don’t miss out on this opportunity to go with a VMI faculty member, to potentially gain VMI credit and to share an experience abroad with a fellow brother rat. 

If you are interested in participating in one of the VMI faculty-led programs or in a third-party provider program, start your adventure here:

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1. Conduct a search in our study abroad management system, Terra Dotta

Terra Dotta lets you research where you may want to go. You have the option of studying abroad with one of our approved study abroad providers or studying abroad as part of a military exchange. Terra Dotta will provide you with hundreds of results no matter where you want to go!

 

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2. Start an online application in Terra Dotta

To start an application, and since Terra Dotta is not connected with the VMI network, choose: “I do not have login credentials to this site” then follow the prompts.

 

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3. Connect with VMI's Study Abroad Advisor

Make an appointment with the study abroad advisor using our calendar. Click on your desired date and time, then log into the VMI portal to sign up for your appointment.

 

Francisco de Goya outside of El Prado in Madrid, Spain with (from left to right) Cadets Dahm, Schlussel, Armbruster, Welsh

Living independently in a different part of the world changed my perspective on what I am capable of doing alone

 

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