Summer: 3 weeks (early to late May)
Not running in 2010; please continue to check this webpage for updates

Sponsored by the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources

Arranged through the Office of Study Abroad (OSA)

What's this program about?

THE SETTING: Northwestern Europe is a dynamic region with intensive industrial and commercial activity.  It is characterized by high population densities, historic towns, metropolitan regions, and complex, efficient transportation systems.  It also presents unique challenges and solutions in maintaining environmental quality through innovative public policies, land use planning and implementation.

THE CONTEXT: This lowland region embraces one of the world’s largest economically significant river deltas.  It provides opportunities for economic growth and unique challenges in land and water resource management.  The unique experiences and public policies of the region, which has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, can assist us in evolving effective, proactive land use strategies.

The study abroad program will address key environmental issues and review project and case studies such as land reclamation and consolidation, water management, land use planning, and environmental modeling and engineering.  In particular, public and private sector effectiveness in funding the international, national, and regional development of an integrating European market economy will be examined.

What can I study?

This international environmental planning and management program will explore relevant aspects of policy development and implementation through visits to leading university centers, national/regional government agencies, and international organizations, economic development and resource management authorities, and the European Union.

Specific study plans include:

• A theoretical and practical orientation at Dutch university centers such as visits to the Agricultural University of Wageningen and the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, Enschede.  Seminar topics typically include environmental planning  and monitoring of air and water quality, land use planning, soil and water management, environmental and agrarian law, and role of remote sensing and geographic information systems
• Urban planning, revitalization and historic preservation with visits to Amsterdam, Paris and Brussels
• Land reclamation, regional development and land use planning in the newly reclaimed Zuiderzee polders (Flevoland and Lelystad)
• Coastal zone development, management, and protection - the Delta Project and the Port of Rotterdam (including a tour of the Europort Harbor, the world’s largest harbor)
• Groundwater management in coastal environments
• Solid waste management and recycling
• European environmental and agricultural policies,  (European Union, Brussels)
• Environmental policies and the role of the United Nations organizations

Students are required to enroll for a minimum of three (3), maximum of six (6), credits from the following courses:

Additional credits may be obtained upon receiving the instructor's prior approval.

Although the program is intense and requires careful planning of available time, participants will have some time to visit historic sites and cultural attractions in the major cities of this region - Amsterdam, Brussels, and Paris.  Specifically, two weekend stopovers are planned in the Netherlands and France with a final two-day stop in Brussels.  The academic program preparation includes review and discussion of relevant readings available in the coursepack, including briefing materials.  Student participation requires the review and preparation   of institutional and field site visits, and a comparative paper on a relevant course topic of choice by mutual agreement with the instructor.

Course prerequisites may apply; see Course Descriptions (on the MSU Website) or program leader for details.

What are the requirements?

This program is designed for graduates and undergraduates (junior or senior standing or with permission from Prof. Schultink), majoring in Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies, Urban Planning, Landscape Architecture, Crop & Soil Sciences, Geography, Engineering, Social Science and other natural resource departments (Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife, and Parks and Recreation).

Students must be in good academic standing, with a grade point average of at least a 2.00 at the time of application.  Meeting this minimum grade point average does not, however, guarantee admission, and students must be judged academically prepared by program faculty members.

Students are encouraged to discuss the program with Professor Schultink to determine if the program objectives fit their specific needs, capacity, and interest, or to discuss relevant course paper topics.

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?

Students stay in safe, well-maintained tourist-class hotels.  A complete itinerary with lodging accommodations and phone/fax numbers will be distributed to all accepted participants.

Who can tell me more about this program?

Dr. Gerhardus Schultink, Professor and Program Director
Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies
310 Natural Resources
Phone: (517) 353-1903

You can also log-on to the program’s Web site.

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 the web page.

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.  If you are not a U.S. citizen, consult the embassy or consulate of the countries you will visit to learn their document requirements. If you will be staying in Europe for longer than 90 days, you will need to contact the consulate(s) of your host country(ies) for advice on visas.

For more information about visas visit the web page.

If you will be staying in Europe for longer than 90 days, you will need to contact the consulate(s) of your host country(ies) for advice on visas.

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 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 the "Health Issues" section of the Student Handbook.

How much does it cost?

The program fee is not currently available, but is expected to include the following:

• application fee ($100)
• deposit ($200)
• pre-departure orientation
• accommodations
• breakfast and some other meals
• ground transportation in Europe
• coursepack of readings, briefing materials, and handouts
• accident and sickness insurance
• field trips

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
• 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.)

NOTE:  All CANR majors will receive a scholarship from the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.  Contact Rhonda Crackel for details.

*Check Student Accounts 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.

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 the Web page.

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.

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources also offers its students special study abroad scholarships.  Check with Rhonda Crackel for further details

For even more MSU scholarship opportunities through individual colleges or external scholarship possibilities (including funding for Multicultural students) visit the web page.

How do I apply?

You can apply online or download an application form.

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. In past years, program capacity has been met in February.

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.

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