Not running in Summer 2008

Summer: 6 weeks (mid May to late June)

NOTE: This program runs in odd-numbered years only; next offering will be in 2009

Sponsored by the School of Journalism in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

In cooperation with Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia

Arranged through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA)

What's this program about?

Conducted in conjunction with Macquarie University in Sydney, with both Michigan State University and Macquarie University academic staff serving as program faculty, this eight-credit program will run in the summer of 2009 from mid May through late June. It will provide an overview of Australia’s media and examine its role in reporting public affairs, natural resources, cultural issues and the environment; explore Australia’s natural and cultural resources, their management and role in heritage and ecotourism; and assess various modes of interpretive communications. It is aimed at majors in journalism, media, natural resources management, tourism, communications, environmental sciences, social sciences and liberal arts.

There will also be an optional post-program internship in Sydney for additional credit.

Where does it take place?

The program begins in Sydney, Australia’s largest and most sophisticated city and site of the 2000 Olympics. Included are sessions with experts in news and the media, zoo and aquarium management, tourism, public relations and cultural affairs in Sydney, as well as field trips. While based in Sydney, participants also will visit Canberra, Australia’s capital and seat of government, and the Blue Mountains. Instruction and field visits in Canberra will include Parliament House, the War Memorial and discussions with media and environmental experts. The Blue Mountains segment will include a visit to a national park and discussions with wildlife and natural resource experts. Students will take part in a professional placement experience during their time in Sydney.

Next, the program visits the desert region of central Australia—the city of Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayers Rock), the world’s largest monolith and a site sacred to Aboriginal peoples for tens of thousands of years. The continent’s Red Centre provides incomparable beauty and Aboriginal culture, illustrating life and natural resources in arid environments.

The final portion of the program takes place in Townsville and Cairns near the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland’s tropical rainforest. Field activities will include a visit by boat to the Great Barrier Reef and visits to a cultural village, natural resource environments and outdoor recreation sites.

Students wishing to stay longer in Australia will have the option of registering for additional credits for a career-related internship in Sydney. See the program leaders for details.

What can I study?

Topics and discussions will include:

• The impact of environment on Australia’s culture and identity
• Australia’s image in film and other mass media, using European colonization and exploitation of the environment as a backdrop
• Ecotourism and heritage tourism development
• Interpretive communications, especially related to tourism and museums/interpretive experiences
• Indigenous societies, immigration and multiculturalism in Australia
• Land use and water resource management
• Australia’s wildlife and natural habitats

Additionally, MSU and Macquarie faculty will provide instruction on reporting, writing, photography, publishing, interpretive program development and tourism-experience enhancement via various modes of interpretive communications, and Web design.

Evaluation will be in the form of completed written and Web production assignments. These assignments may involve both individual and group projects. When completed, all approved projects will be included in the Web portfolio that has been created for the program at: http://australia.jrn.msu.edu.

All participants in the program will be required to bring along a camera, preferably digital, for documentary record-taking.

Undergraduates must enroll in a minimum of eight (8) semester credits at the 400 level in Journalism (4 credits) and CARRS (and related departments) (4-5 credits). Graduate students have the option of enrolling in 2-4 credits of PRR 891 credits in place of the CARRS 400-level credits (4-5 credits) and JRN 890 (4 credits) in place of JRN 400-level credits.

What are the requirements?

This program is designed for upper-level undergraduate and graduate students. MSU students from all majors are welcome to apply, as well as students from other colleges and universities. Preference in admission will be given to students in Journalism/College of Communication Arts and Sciences, CARRS/College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the RISE program.

Students must be in good academic standing, with a grade point average of at least 2.5 at the time of application. Meeting this minimum grade point average does not, however, guarantee admission.

An essay on “Why I want to go to Australia” is required as part of the application process. The essay should be about 250 words and should describe how participating in the program will enhance your education, both generally and relative to your degree program. Please include some indication of your primary interests (e.g., environmental journalism, resource-based tourism, natural and cultural resource management, interpretive communications, etc.).

Applicants’ participation may be denied or their participation approval may be revoked if their conduct before departure raises doubts as to their suitability for program participation.

Where will I live?

While in Sydney, students will stay in housing provided by Macquarie University. During travel elsewhere in Australia, accommodations will include hotels, hostels, dormitories and campsites.

Some meals will be included at some locations, but students will need to budget for other meals.

Who can tell me more about this program?

Eric Freedman
School of Journalism
345 Communication Arts and Sciences Building
Phone: (517) 355-4729
E-mail: freedma5@msu.edu

Gail A. Vander Stoep
Dept. of Community, Agriculture, Recreation & Resource Studies
131 Natural Resources Building
Phone: (517) 432-0266
E-mail: vanders1@msu.edu

You can also visit the program’s Web site at http://australia.jrn.msu.edu.

Do I need a passport or visa?

U.S. and non-U.S. citizens need a valid passport both to enter other countries and to return to the United States. If you already have a passport, make sure it is valid until at least six months after your return date. If you must apply for or renew a passport, APPLY EARLY, since a minimum of twelve weeks are usually required for processing. During peak travel seasons, more processing time is required. Passport forms are available at many federal and state courts, probate courts, some county/municipal offices and some post offices. They can also be downloaded from the Web.

For more information about passports visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/passports.html

A visa is official permission granted by the authorities of a country where you will study or travel that allows you to enter and remain in that country for a specific purpose. The visa itself is frequently a stamp in your passport, not a separate document. You will need a passport before applying for a visa and the passport plus visa process may take several months, so start early. It is your responsibility to inquire about visa requirements for all countries you plan to visit while abroad; this includes countries that you plan to visit before or after your study abroad program.

For more information about visas visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/visas.html

Are there special health issues?

As part of your acceptance you will complete a Student Health/Emergency Treatment Authorization. It is your responsibility to ensure that your routine immunizations are up-to-date; inquire whether there are recommended and/or required immunizations or medications for the country/countries you will visit (including any countries you will visit that are not part of the study abroad program’s itinerary); and review educational issues relevant to your personal health and safety.

For further health information and recommendations visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/health.html

How much does it cost?

The program fee in 2007 was $3,301 and included the following:

• application fee ($100)
• deposit ($200)
• pre-departure orientation
• accommodations
• some meals
• public transportation pass in Sydney
• all course materials
• accident and sickness insurance
• field trips that are part of the program

Amounts not included in the program fee for which participants will need to budget include:

• MSU tuition and fees*
• airfare
• additional meals
• books and supplies
• passport application fee ($100)
• visa application fees (if applicable)
• pre-departure doctor visits
• pre-departure immunizations (if applicable)
• personal spending money

Students may request a cost sheet which estimates these additional expenses not included in the program fee by contacting the Office of Study Abroad at (517) 353-8920.

Approximately two months before the program’s departure date, students will receive an e-bill from the MSU Student Accounts Office for the study abroad program fee. Students will also be e-billed for tuition and fees, based on the number of credits taken, once they have enrolled in courses. (Both amounts may be billed at the same time.)

*Check http://www.ctlr.msu.edu/studrec/ for current tuition, fees and taxes. MSU students pay the same amount they would pay to study at MSU; non-MSU students pay the Lifelong Education rate, regardless of state of residence.

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.

How can I get help to pay for it?

Financial assistance is available to students who make appropriate arrangements with the Office of Study Abroad (OSA) and MSU’s Office of Financial Aid.

If you are an MSU student and indicate on your application that you plan to use financial aid to pay for your study abroad experience, OSA will forward an estimated cost sheet to the MSU Office of Financial Aid for processing. This form will include all anticipated costs associated with the program, including airfare.

If you are a non-MSU student, please request financial aid from your home university. If your university is unable to award you financial aid, contact the MSU Office of Study Abroad to apply for loans only and you will be provided with instructions on how to proceed.

For further information about financial aid visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/finaid/index.html

Additionally, MSU students applying to any credit-bearing study abroad program are eligible for OSA Scholarships. Some scholarships are based exclusively on academic performance; others are based on a combination of academic performance and financial need. Requirements are listed in the scholarship application. The deadline to apply for these scholarships is March 1st for summer programs.

A generous endowment from the MSU Federal Credit Union, as well as additional resources provided through the Forest Akers Endowment, MSU Alumni Association, the Australia-Pacific Council, Eleanor and Charles Greenleaf Sr., Brigitte and Thomas Huff, the Georges Jules Joyaux Memorial Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, Charles and Marjorie Gliozzo, and contributors to the Overseas Study Endowment provide funding for these OSA scholarships.

For even more MSU scholarship opportunities through individual colleges or external scholarship possibilities (including funding for Multicultural students) visit http://studyabroad.msu.edu/scholarships/index.html

How do I apply?

You can apply online or download an application by visiting http://studyabroad.msu.edu/applications/index.html

Applications must be received in the Office of Study Abroad by March 1st for summer programs. We strongly recommend that you apply early as this program may fill to capacity prior to this deadline.

Selection of applicants is done on a rolling admission basis - that is, applications are accepted and students are evaluated and considered for admission throughout the academic year. Please remember that applying early and meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission.

A $100 application fee is required. Students will receive an e-bill for the application fee that is applied to the cost of the program and is non-refundable once a student has accepted admission into the program. Students who have accepted admission may also be billed for a non-refundable and non-transferable $200 deposit, also applied to the cost of the program.

Students who wish to withdraw their application are required to notify the Office of Study Abroad, in writing, that they no longer intend to participate.

Acceptance to all programs is based, minimally, on a faculty review of your transcript and a review of the Judicial Affairs Office records (MSU students) or Dean of Students Reference (non-MSU students).

Details about the admissions process, pre-departure information, what to know while you’re abroad, and information about returning home can be found in the Study Abroad Student Handbook that will be sent to you with your acceptance letter. You can also read the handbook online at http://studyabroad.msu.edu/abcs/index.html.

Program fees, dates, and arrangements may be subject to change due to unexpected circumstances.