The Office of International Programs (OIP) serves the Birmingham-Southern community by providing intercultural experiences through study abroad, international internships, and on campus activities that focus on the development of international education in the curriculum and campus life. The interim term also provides an excellent opportunity for students to participate in projects abroad. Each January several faculty members lead groups of students on study-travel and service learning experiences in other countries. Together with the support of faculty, staff, and the International Committee of the Norton Board, students are able to participate in organizations like the International Student Association and the Global Studies Association. These organizations establish mutual friendships among students and faculty interested in cross cultural topics. The Office of International Programs also assists foreign students with their transition to a new culture by working with the International Ambassadors, a student organization that supports foreign students at the College, welcomes international visitors, and participates in cultural festivities on campus.

Semesters Abroad

Birmingham Southern College has made a commitment to promote international study as a valuable part of a liberal arts education. Several interdisciplinary majors and minors highlight intercultural education. These are Latin American Studies, Asian Studies, and International Studies. For further information, please refer to the Interdisciplinary Major Requirements and Interdisciplinary Minor Requirements sections of this catalog. The Office of International Programs provides students with the opportunity to enhance their studies in any major through study abroad, and has established affiliations with North American and foreign institutions that provide scholarship support. Credits earned at these institutions can be transferred back to Birmingham-Southern College, which allows students to gain credit at the College while participating in an extraordinary educational experience abroad. Through Syracuse University, the School for International Training, Semester @ Sea, the Council on International Educational Exchange, Augsburg Center for Global Education, Associated Colleges of the South, and the American Institute for Foreign Study, students are able to study in most countries around the world. Likewise, the international institutions with which we work offer students an opportunity for direct enrollment in a foreign university. These programs include Instituto Metodista Bennett and Universidade Metodista de Pircicaba in Brazil; Concordia University in Canada; American University in Cairo, Egypt; Kodolanyi College in Hungary; Hong Kong Baptist University in Hong Kong; University of Limerick in Ireland; Kansai Gaidai in Japan; Amsterdam School of Business in the Netherlands; University of Cape Town in South Africa; and Lancaster University and Middlesex University in the United Kingdom. Other study abroad programs available to Birmingham-Southern students include a new program in Turkey through the Associated Colleges of the South, as well as programs in England, Senegal, Thailand, Australia, Scotland, Central Europe, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Israel. For further information about the Office of International Programs or affiliated institutions, please visit Birmingham-Southern's Web site or contact the Office of International Programs.