Study Abroad

Greetings from the Study Abroad Advisor!

This message is for all students interested in studying abroad during the 2007-2008 or 2008-2009 school years. Office hours of 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Tacoma Community College works with the Washington Community College Consortium for Study Abroad to offer several exciting opportunities. All study abroad programs require a minimum of a 2.5 GPA. Additionally, successful completion of English 101 is a prerequisite for all study abroad programs offered next year. Please submit a completed WCCCSA application to the international office before applying to a specific program. Download the application here.

The following programs are 15 credits each and accepted for credit by Tacoma Community College. {Please check with your academic advisor to ensure these classes will meet your specific degree requirements. Running Start students please see your advisor for your high school graduation requirements}

Winter 2008: Spain

Salamanca is a beautiful and historic town in western Spain. Classes offered through this program are Spanish (5 or 10 credits) and Introduction to Human Geography (5 credits) and/ or Introduction to Physical Geography (5 credits). Professor Tim Schulz from Green River Community College will teach geography courses in English, and the Spanish language instruction will be provided by local Spanish faculty from El Colegio Hispanico de Unamuno. Students will be provided access to shared computer, internet, and printing facilities by the AIFS language institute. The minimum age to apply is 17 with parental consent. The program fee is $5,995, and covers the cost of homestay accommodations and three meals per day. (Does not include airfare or tuition. An optional roundtrip airfare package inclusive of ground transportation to and from the hotel in Madrid is available for $750, excluding airport fees/ taxes.)

WCCCSA applications must be handed in to the TCC Study Abroad Coordinator no later than October 19, 2007, for approval, before students submit application and deposit to AIFS.

$450 deposit is due to AIFS with AIFS application on October 26, 2007; the balance of fees (dependent on decision to purchase airfare) due on November 21, 2007.

Program dates:

Departure SEATAC - January 10, 2008

             Arrival Madrid - January 11, 2008

             Arrival Salamanca - January 13, 2008

  Departure Salamanca - March 22, 2008

  Departure Madrid - March 23, 2008

Spring 2008: Italy

Florence, Italy, is the perfect program for the student interested in art, history, and in this case, psychology! (Brochures to come.) Helen Taylor of Bellevue Community College will teach Psychology of Adjustment and Cross-Cultural Psychology, and Mary Hogan Camp of Whatcom Community College will teach Art History: Baroque and Renaissance and History of Photography. Italian Life and Culture (required) will be taught by a native Italian language instructor provided by CAPA language institute. Each class is 5 credits. Students must be 18 (no exceptions!) by the beginning of the program to apply as students will be staying in apartments.

Fall 2008: England

Many students have expressed an interest in the return of the London, England program and so we will offer it once again the year after next. Information will soon be made available at www.wcccsa.com.

Financial Aid may be used to cover the cost of tuition, and scholarships are available. I encourage looking into study abroad resources sooner rather than later as many scholarship deadlines for 2007-2008 are during the summer months. (The Writing & Tutoring Center in Building 7 is more than happy to provide assistance in proofing scholarship essays. Remember to plan ahead: please don't wait until the scholarship or program deadline to make an appointment.) Please remember that scholarships do not necessarily need to state study abroad as their purpose in order to benefit this goal.

For scholarships offered by Tacoma Community College, check out our website:

http://www.tacomacc.edu/foundation/scholarshipsandgrants.aspx

For other scholarship leads, please see:

http://www.wcccsa.com/Scholarships/index_scholarships.htm

As always, brochures and applications, as well as scholarship information, are available in the International Student Services and Programs Office. Please contact me if you have any questions. I am more than happy to help students learn how to research other opportunities as well.

Thank you for your interest in study abroad!

Clay Harmon
Recruiting Specialist/Study Abroad Advisor

International Student Services and Programs
Tacoma Community College
6501 South 19^th Street Building 11
Tacoma, WA 98466-6100
Telephone: 253.566.5290
charmon@tacomacc.edu