January Term off-campus courses are planned and led by Linfield faculty. They are usually limited to 10-12 students for each site chosen through a competitive interview selection process. Students cannot participate in both a Semester Abroad and January Term off-campus international program in the same academic year without special permission from the International Programs Office.

Students participating in an off-campus January Term course pay a program fee to cover the cost of the program and their living expenses such as accommodations, land transportation and other on-site costs.

• The program fee varies according to location and format.
• Course costs and estimates are subject to change.
• $290 per credit is charged for all January Term courses, both abroad and domestic.
• Passports and visa fees are the responsibility of each student. Linfield will help to facilitate the visa processes and students’ accounts will be charged accordingly.

Students are responsible for any meal costs incurred during course days on campus prior to departure or after return. Meal provisions for the periods spent off-campus vary for each course. Depending on location, student should plan on spending approximately $700-1000 for meals and personal expenses.

Courses

The following are sample courses that have been offered in the past.

The Americas

EDUC 398/ARTS 398 Visual and Performing Arts for K-12 Teachers: Culture and Education in Ecuador

A January Term off-campus course centered primarily in two cities in Ecuador: Quito and Cuenca, where multiple venues for music, drama, dance, artisan crafts, paintings, weavings, and sculpture will offer students first-hand experiences of Ecuadorian visual and performing arts that will provide a rich connection and deep appreciation of the indigenous groups, Spanish colonialism, and Catholicism present in historic and contemporary Ecuador.  Through tours, museums, performances, and mercados in both cities, students will use Ecuadorian culture, history, arts, traditions, and natural wonders to develop and teach visual and performing art lessons for K-12 students alongside international teachers in a K-12 international bilingual school. Spanish language is not an expectation or requirement for this course.

Prerequisites:  FOUNDATIONS OF EDUCATION (EDUC 150); or consent of instructor. Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit).

NURS 398 Healthcare in Peru

Off-campus service-learning experience providing nursing care in urban and rural areas of Peru under the auspices of Health Bridges International, Inc and in collaboration with La Católica University School of Nursing.  In addition, students gain cultural insights and understanding through collaboration with local partners; visit historical, environmental, and health care sites; and engage in integrative group discussions.

Prerequisite: Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit).

BIOL 398 Diving into Coral Reef Ecology in The Bahamas

Participants will travel to Nassau, Bahamas to study the ecology and conservation of coral reefs.  Students in the course will also obtain advanced scuba diving certification.  The majority of course time will be spent at sea aboard a live-aboard dive boat so that students can spend significant amounts of time underwater on coral reefs. Some time will be spent snorkeling in Nassau, and meeting with relevant people in the area to discuss the challenges of conserving these delicate environments while allowing residents to live on the islands.

Prerequisites: Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit); SCUBA (HHPA 067) or equivalent open water scuba certification.

Europe

ECON 398 Economics of Association Football (Soccer) in England

Explore the economic structure and issues related to association football (hereafter “soccer”) in England.  Examine how soccer (the dominant spectator sport outside the United States) and professional leagues in England operate very differently from professional sports leagues in the U.S. Study how structural differences elicit different decisions and yield different economic outcomes. Utilize the tools of economic analysis to critically evaluate and compare the two models (England v. U.S.) in terms of both input (labor) and product markets.  Consider how various policy recommendations will impact both competitive balance in leagues and the financial positions of professional clubs.

Prerequisites: PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICS (ECON 210). Fall semester prior to JT ’23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit).

NURS 398 The Impacts of Brexit on Healthcare in England, Scotland, and Ireland

The Economic and Health Care Impacts of Brexit in the United Kingdom reexamines the implications of Brexit in England, Scotland, and Ireland three years later. Students will seek to understand financial and political impacts on health care funding, accessibility to health care, recruitment of qualified labor, safe staffing, and the national health system's ability to maintain quality care for the population. Students will explore health care finances, economics, and provision of care from the view of nursing and other health care roles through selected agencies.

Prerequisite: Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit).

GLSP 398 Arts and Political Cultures in Modern Spain

Examine the historical, sociocultural, and political arenas in modern Spain while addressing questions about the architectural symbols that are synonymous with Spain’s diverse heritage. Participants will visit the cities of Seville, Ronda, Madrid, Bilbao, Salamanca, and Barcelona as they explore the lives of significant historical figures and their contributions to Spanish intellectual life. Opportunities to visit historical sites, museums, and universities while living with host families and meeting with bilingual speaking partners. Classes will also include lectures by local experts on urban studies, visual arts, literature, international relations, the wine industry, sports, and many other disciplines in dialogue with the history and culture of Spain. No language requirements.

Prerequisite: Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit).

THTR/JAMS 398 Storytelling: Ancient and Modern (Greece and Italy)

In ancient Greece and Italy, theatre was not only a form of entertainment, but was the major platform for discussing political and social ideas that would inform the populace on matters of democracy, justice, and civic obligation. Western theatre as a form of storytelling has evolved since the ancient theatre festivals as has the means in which stories are passed down through the generations. In this course students will study select ancient Greek and Roman plays and myths. They will visit the landmarks where such plays occurred, or were first performed, or other sites relevant to the lives of Greek and Roman citizens. Students will re-envision how these stories might be shared today by employing modern story-telling techniques such as podcasts, videos, photographs, reenactments. By investigating and reconstituting the ancient plays/myths through modern storytelling means, students will develop an understanding of people outside the US using interdisciplinary approaches. 

Prerequisite: Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit). 

South Asia

PHIL 398/POLS 398 The Philosophy and Politics of Happiness in Bhutan and India

Comparative social and political philosophy course examining concepts and practices related to the cultivation of sustainable happiness in Bhutan, Kerala, and the United States.  The philosophy of happiness is our focus for this interdisciplinary examination of lived culture and policy in the largely Buddhist and developing rural country of Bhutan, as compared to the more developed, urban, and pluralistic state of Kerala, India.  Bhutan is known for its policy of Gross National Happiness and peaceful transition to democracy in 2008.  In this beautiful Himalayan kingdom and as guests on the campus of Royal Thimphu College, we engage with texts, lectures from Bhutanese experts, comparative seminars, site visits, and guided treks to better understand the unique history and worldview of this ancient Buddhist culture and how it is adapting to the contemporary globalized world.  We then travel to the beautiful tropical Indian State of Kerala, which also has a unique matrilineal history, transition to democracy, and political emphasis on the quality of life for its people.  Kerala and Bhutan have extraordinary and fascinating histories, allowing a rich comparison in their philosophies of happiness, including emphases on the role and status of women, religion, and environment, both politically and culturally.

Prerequisite: Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit). 

Oceania

BIOL/POLS 298 The Forests and Politics of Middle Earth 

Study of the forested ecosystems of New Zealand, drawing connections between biological diversity, land preservation, and the politics of conservation. We will study the forest ecology of the South Island by learning the dominant woody plant species that make-up these forests, as well as the non-woody plants, birds, insects, mammals, and pathogens that are a part of these forested ecosystems. We will explore the forest conservation culture of the first peoples to inhabit the island, the impact of colonialism on New Zealand, and the contemporary political issues surrounding the environment, public health, and the US-New Zealand relationship. Our trip will include meetings with senior US diplomats and officials in the New Zealand government and nonprofit sector. Some of the field sites will be remote and difficult to access, requiring long, strenuous hikes in addition to a four-night backpacking and camping trip.

Prerequisite: Fall semester prior to JT '23 departure, students will be required to enroll and participate in the ORIENTATION TO INTERNATIONAL STUDY (IDST 098) (1 credit).

Airfare: Linfield will pay the cost of the first round-trip air transportation from Portland, for eligible students.

Students interested in any of the above programs should consult with:

International Programs Office
Walker Hall, Suite 120
Linfield University
McMinnville, Oregon 97128
Telephone: (503) 883-2222
Email: ipo@linfield.edu

Linfield reserves the right to cancel or change the provisions of the program at any time.