Mar 19, 2024  
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

International Education


O’Dowd Hall

Room 328

(248) 370-2889

Website

 

Director: Alex Zimmerman

Coordinator International Ed.: Cynthia L. Weil

Office Assistant ll: Shirley A. Campbell Smith

Advising Assistant: TBA

Study Abroad and Study Away

The Office of International Education facilitates study abroad throughout the world and study away at campuses throughout North America.

Oakland University students may avail themselves of nearly 300 different study abroad programs, some sponsored by our program provider partner, GEO, in Argentina, Austria, Chile, China, Easter Island, England, France, Ghana, Greece, Germany, Ireland, Italy, and Spain, and others through our other major partner, the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), which offers programs on six continents, including innovative programs focused on business, ecology and sustainability, health sciences, and service learning.

The consortium of the Japan Center for Michigan Universities coordinates programs in Japanese language and culture in Hikone, Shiga Province, Japan, and can provide up to two years of study, as well as short-term summer courses in subjects like print-making, comparative health science, and criminal justice.

Oakland University has an expanding portfolio of exchange agreements with partner universities around the world through which Oakland students may directly enroll at a university abroad for a semester or a full academic year, and earn Oakland University credits.  An exchange program with Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan, provides an opportunity for one or two semesters of study while living with a Japanese family.  The Department of Modern Languages and Literatures also coordinates one- and two-semester exchanges with the University of Orléans in France and the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg in Germany.  An exchange program with the University of East Anglia in England is facilitated by the OU directors of the American Studies program and of the Cinema Studies program.  An exchange program with the University of Malta is facilitated by the School of Engineering and Computer Science.

Oakland University also offers a variety of faculty-led international programs, most of which are short term (three to six weeks) and take place during the Summer semester.  The College of Arts and Sciences offers an intensive six-week language and culture study at Beijing China Foreign Affairs University in May and June of each even-numbered year, providing language study via linguistic immersion in standard Mandarin Chinese. Beginning level Chinese language courses are taught by English-speaking Chinese instructors; intermediate level Chinese language courses are taught in Chinese. History and culture classes are also taught in English by Chinese professors.

The College of Arts and Sciences also offers an Archaeology in Israel program annually which includes three weeks working on excavations at important sites in association with Hebrew University of Jerusalem. All training is done on site and any student taking any major may apply.  Due to the excavation field work, this is primarily an archeological work program complemented by weekend travel and sightseeing. The program provides three weekend excursions to exciting places in Israel, including Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and the Galilee region, as well as excursions to holy sites, cultural sites, and museums.

Other summer Oakland University international programs include the British Studies at Oxford program; the African Drumming and Dance program in Ghana; the Classical Theatre program in Hydra, Greece; Art History in Volterra, Italy; and Global Health in Forence, Paris, and Amsterdam. The Department of Biological Sciences also regularly offers a short course in Tropical Ecology in Costa Rica and the School of Nursing offers a two-week Nursing Research program in Padova, Italy.

Through the National Student Exchange, Oakland University students may study away for a semester or for a full academic year at one of more than 180 participating colleges and universities throughout North America, including Canada, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and Hawaii.  Students pay OU tuition while on exchange and in most cases are eligible to take any courses at their host university for which they have the pre-requisites.

All programs provide credits toward baccalaureate degrees. For additional information about these programs, see the website of the Office of International Education.

The mission of the Office of International Education is to serve all Oakland University students by providing immersive, meaningful academic experiences abroad with a commitment to safety and accessibility. The Office supports, facilitates and encourages study abroad and opportunities to volunteer or intern abroad, perform research abroad or teach in an international setting for students, faculty and staff. The Office seeks to increase and deepen the University’s engagement in the global scholarly community through productive agreements with universities and other appropriate institutions around the world. It serves as a resource center for the Oakland academic community by providing information on international study and research opportunities, supporting internationalization of the curriculum and of campus life and facilitating the presence of foreign students and scholars on our campus. Through such endeavors, the Office affirms the importance of a global outlook as an essential part of the University’s overall mission.


Schedule of Classes

Specific offerings for each semester may be found in the Schedule of Classes