Overview
Spend 2 months in Switzerland and 1 month in Eastern Africa!
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You will be based in Lugano, Switzerland, located in Canton Ticino -- the only Italian speaking Canton in Switzerland. You will take classes from Roanoke College and Virginia Tech professors at a local university and live at the Montarina Hostel, rated in a Washington Post article as one of the 8 top youth hostels in the world.
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From September through October, you will take classes from US professors and have the weekends to explore the surrounding areas of Europe. Lugano is on a major rail line between Italy and the rest of Europe. You can reach many wonderful cities in a few hours. Past students have visited cities such as Rome, Florence, Venice, Paris, Barcelona, and Munich.
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You will spend the month of November participating in an experiential learning project in Rwanda. Your project will depend on the needs of our non-profit partner organizations in Africa. Students collaborate with local schools and non-profit organizations to develop, implement, and deliver curricula in areas such as:​
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ESL (English as a second language)
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Cultural exchange discussions
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Basic computer skills
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US culture
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Professional development
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To learn more about the Africa experience, check out our Service Learning and Impact pages.
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You will also go on a safari excursion, reflection retreat, and other local activities. You will then return to Lugano for about one week to complete your semester-long project and reflect on your experiences.
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Costs
$6,594 Virginia Resident ($15,383 Non-Virginia Resident) Tuition
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Billed in July, due in August
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Potentially less than a normal semester for out of state students and Virginia residents!
$12,500 Program Fees
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$1,200 non-refundable deposit billed after you accept our offer to be in the program
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$5,600 billed May 15, due June 15
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$5,700 billed July 1, due August 1
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This includes housing for the semester, dinner 4 nights a week and lunch meal card in Europe, 3 meals a day in Rwanda, airfare to/from Europe and Africa, Eurail Pass, safari excursion, weekly laundry, international health insurance, Visas, etc.
$4,000 Out of Pocket Expenses
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Not billed, just recommended out of pocket expenses.
Weekend travel, textbooks, souvenirs and gifts, breakfasts & lunches, toiletries, etc.
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VIRGINIA RESIDENT TOTAL: $23,094
NON-VIRGINIA RESIDENT TOTAL: $31,883
This may be less than a normal semester at your current university if you are a Virginia Resident or attend a private college!
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Financial Aid Information:
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During your semester abroad you will be enrolled at and pay tuition to Roanoke College instead of your current university.
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Please contact us to see which scholarships, financial aid, tuition assistance, etc. can be applied to your semester abroad.
Classes
You will be enrolled in 5 Units at Roanoke College which will transfer to up to 19 credits at your home university:​
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BUAD 300 - Social Marketing - 3 credits (1 unit)
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BUAD 343 - Buyer Behavior - 4 credits (1 unit)
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COMM 416LL - Community Internship - 3 credits (1 unit)
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ROA 218 - Digital Storytelling for Global Learning - 2 credits (0.5 unit)
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ROA 219 - Digital Storytelling for Global Learning - 2 credits (0.5 unit)
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POLI 246 - Justice, Revolution, & the Good Society - 4 credits (1 unit)
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Credit Transfer Information:
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Once you apply we will reach out to get your academic advisor's contact information. We will work with your academic advisor to determine if the courses you will take abroad match to any courses offered at your university. We will then provide the study abroad course syllabus to your academic advisor to get final approval for course credit transfers from the necessary academic departments at your university.
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Your university may have limitations on how many courses you are allowed to transfer; please check with your academic advisor and make sure you fall below these limitations.
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Most transfer credits do not affect your GPA, but you must make a minimum grade (i.e. C or better) to transfer credits back to your home university. Be sure to check these grade minimums with your academic advisor.
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Academic Opportunities include:
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Experiential learning with international organizations and semester-long grant proposal project - looks great on resume!
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Opportunity to intern with Linking Lives the summer after participating in the program