Hendrix College, through the International Programs Office, the Committee on International/Intercultural Studies, and individual faculty members and departments, promotes and coordinates overseas study opportunities for Hendrix students. These groups also aid in the development of international educational programs and activities. The Committee is made up of students, faculty members, and members of the administrative staff.
The Committee on International/Intercultural Studies must approve students for all study abroad programs. The Committee determines holistically if each applicant has the academic and personal maturity to participate in an abroad program. A typical application will consist of GPA, student affairs record, extracurricular activities, personal statement, and letters of recommendation. Although there is no set minimum GPA requirement, many Hendrix and external programs require at least a 2.75. Additionally, students must complete the Level I writing requirements (W1) before studying abroad. Applications for all Hendrix programs are available in the fall from the Office of International Programs website.
The College sponsors student participation in several study abroad programs. The International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) provides many exciting and varied opportunities for study abroad by arranging for direct enrollment of individual Hendrix students in nearly 150 colleges and universities on six continents, and allows Hendrix to bring students from overseas universities to the College. In recent years, ISEP placements have been arranged in such places as the Netherlands, Argentina, Japan, Hungary, Malta, Ghana, South Africa, Korea, Finland, Thailand, and Australia. A special direct exchange with Karl-Franzens University in Graz, Austria, facilitates overseas studies for students interested in German. A similar arrangement with Heilongjiang University in Harbin, China, allows Hendrix students to pursue intensive Chinese language study.
The Hendrix-in-London program sends a faculty director and a group of Hendrix students to live and study in the heart of London each fall semester. Students take courses on contemporary British culture, Shakespeare, British art and architecture, and a topic selected and taught by that year’s faculty director. Participants profit immensely from the countless cultural and travel opportunities available in the British capital and elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Three summer language study abroad options have recently been created, and are offered on a rotating basis. Students participating in these programs earn two Hendrix credits, and may receive financial support from the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation. Students on the Hendrix-in-Madrid program spend a month engaged in intense study at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and participate in a wide variety of cultural activities and excursions to sites of interest. Students on the Hendrix-in-Florence program spend a month studying Italian at the University of Florence and art history in the city's wonderful museums. Similarly, students on the Hendrix-in-Lyon Program study French language and culture for a month at Université de Lyon II, and travel throughout France.
The Hendrix-in-Costa Rica program, offered every other summer, involves students in the hands-on study of the language, cultures and ecology of this rich and diverse country by offering courses in Spanish, psychology, anthropology and ecology taught by Hendrix professors who accompany the students on their summer adventure. The Hendrix-in-Shanghai program allows students to immerse in the fast-paced culture and excitement of the economic capital of China while studying Chinese and international business and economics. One of the College’s newest programs, Hendrix-in-Brussels, allows students to study “all things European” in the capital of Europe. Not only do students study topics such as European history, law, government, integration, and identity, they also complete an in-depth research paper and an internship within a major governmental, private, or nonprofit organization. Similarly, the Hendrix-in-Rwanda program allows students to study African culture, literature and religion; peace and reconciliation; and development. Students also complete a three-month internship.
Both the Office of International Programs and the Department of Foreign Languages can provide students with information on additional options for language, cultural and literary studies abroad. The Office of International Programs seeks to expand study abroad opportunities and is exploring new programs in Mexico, India, and New Zealand, among others. The Director of International Programs also advises individual students on participation in programs not directly affiliated with the College. In addition, other campus organizations arrange special foreign travel, study, and activity programs such as European tours by various musical ensembles, service-learning trips organized by the Hendrix Miller Center, and summer travel opportunities.
Various scholarship funds are available to Hendrix students studying abroad. These funds are competitively awarded based on financial need, cost and type of program, and merit.
Information on all of these overseas activity and study programs may be obtained from the Director of International Programs. Scholarship information is available from the Office of Financial Aid.
The College also encourages students during their junior years to explore postgraduate international study opportunities such as the Rhodes Scholarship Program, the Thomas J. Watson Fellowships, Fulbright Fellowships, and others. Drs. Jay Barth and Dorian Stuber are the initial contacts for information on these awards.
Hendrix College cannot be held responsible for financial liability or other obligations of non-Hendrix study abroad programs.