Education Studies student exchange to Francis Marion University, USA

Key Information

Information

Application Deadline: 29/05/24 at 9:00 am

Opportunity type: Academic-led trips

Faculty: Health and Life Sciences

Ref: 10008748

Dates

Departure Date: 16/11/24

Return Date: 22/11/24

Costs

£1200: the estimated cost for travel and accommodation (excluding any support). Students will also be required to pay for: UK transfers, visits, food and drink (including £98 food card for FMU campus), visa (approx. £20 for an ESTA))

Funding

DMU Global Bursary: £400

Booking

Accommodation: Shared dorm rooms on campus at Francis Marion University or at a local hostel/hotel

Travel: Flights booked by DMU (students travel as a group)

Contact

General Enquiries: Global Mobility Office - dmuglobal@dmu.ac.uk

Trip Lead: Dr. Rachel Higdon - RHigdon@dmu.ac.uk

How to pay

Payment details: Students will be required to pay £800 as a contribution towards the cost of travel and accommodation after being offered a place on the trip. The DMU Global bursary will be deducted directly from the overall cost of the booking.

Carbon Levy

Student contribution: To offset the carbon emissions from the flight for this trip there is a £5 Carbon Levy for this trip which has been added to the total cost. Information about how this Levy will be used can be found here.

Eligibility

BA Education Studies students that will be in their third year of study in the 2024-25 academic year are eligible to participate in this opportunity. There is a maximum of 20 places available, with a minimum of 15 participants required for this opportunity to take place. Students are recommended to check the eligibility criteria before applying.

About

Trip description

BA Education Studies students will spend time experiencing campus life and attending lectures at a DMU’s exchange partner Francis Marion University in South Carolina. Whilst there, you will take part in a programme of academic activities, with students from our host university, which have been co-created by DMU and Francis Marion University. This bespoke academic programme will provide you with an intensive CPD certificate in ‘Trauma informed Pedagogies’, that links to Sustainability Goals 1, 2, 3 and 4. Our destination has areas of historical and cultural importance, and you will have the opportunity to visit the local area and forge friendships and links with your peers in the USA.

You will have the opportunity to visit a part of the United States which many people from the UK never go to. This trip will be an authentic exchange of culture, knowledge and experiences with students of the same age studying the same discipline in a different educational and cultural setting. You will be encouraged to engage with the academic and social activities as much as possible, and you may find yourself feeling a little out of your comfort zone, but this will be an excellent opportunity to grow and develop new skills. The experience will challenge and develop your ideas about education and hopefully enable fruitful reflections which will inform your future studies and careers.


Learning objectives

Participating in a DMU Global opportunity can help you develop a range of skills and knowledge that enhance your studies. Through participation in this trip to the USA we expect that you will:

  • Experience life as a student at an American university in the ‘deep south’
  • Engage with students studying for a similar degree but with a very different cultural and educational background
  • Have ample opportunities for cross-cultural discussion and develop both personally and academically.

Before the trip to Francis Marion University, Dr. Jeanne Gunther, DMU’s contact at the host, will offer a virtual link up before the trip (to support the students before they arrive) and also a post trip virtual link up where students evaluate the trip and what they have learnt.


Cultural activities

While there, students will be working closely with the local community by working with teachers and educational practitioners. They will also be involved in planning and leading workshops within the university for their peers.

Visa Information

Due to various external factors and an unprecedented demand for international travel, there are significant delays in visa processing, as well as very limited availability of application appointment slots for some countries and embassies.

We recommend that you take all appropriate steps to secure a visa as soon as practically possible, and to notify DMU Global if you face any issues. It is your responsibility to meet the entry requirements of the country you are travelling to. Failing to do so may mean that you’re liable for the costs incurred to the university (including repayment of the DMU Global bursary).