The Patriot

Francis Marion University's award-winning student newspaper

The Patriot

The Patriot

Coffee Hour discusses studying abroad programs

FMU’s international department held an international coffee hour for those interested in studying aboard on Sept. 13 in the Honors Center. 

The event had speakers talking about each study abroad program offered at FMU. Speakers included Melissa Dungan, assistant coordinator for international programs, as well as several foreign exchange students studying abroad here in the United States. 

Topics discussed included where there are opportunities to study abroad and the cultural differences exchange students experienced coming to the United States. The five different countries FMU students may study in are Germany, England, Ireland, Canada and France. 

In Germany, FMU has partnered with four different universities. While all four universities only offer classes in the spring, they all have various focuses for majors.  

The Rhineland-Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern-Landau is a university located in Landau; a city known for its lush campus. It is best for those with majors in education, the arts and sciences. Another university Hochschule Schmalkalden, located in Schmalkalden, a city with a castle and a university specializing in business and social and natural sciences. 

Students may also study at Universität Trier, a university specializing in social sciences, computer science and the German language. The university is located in Trier, which is the city in Germany, being founded around the year 16 A.D. 

The final German university FMU students can attend is Ernst-Abbe-Hochschule, located in the city of Jena. While the other German schools are best for those in the sciences, this school is primarily focused on those with an engineering major. 

In England, FMU students may attend De Montfort University in Leicester. Unlike the schools in Germany, courses are offered in the fall. Primarily, this school is meant for those studying the humanities, fine arts or literature.  

The university boasts two campuses and over 20,000 students. The city itself is known for its historical museums as well as its diverse cultures represented throughout the city. 

In Ireland, there are two universities from which FMU students may pick. Carlow College St. Patrick’s, located in Carlow, offers courses in the spring and fall semesters. This university is best for those studying literature, the humanities and philosophy. This school is also known for being a Catholic institution that has educated politicians and priests. 

The other school offered in Ireland is the University College Cork, a school for majors including the humanities, literature, business and social sciences. Located in the large city of Cork, there are plenty of recreational activities to participate in and plenty of Irish culture to soak in. 

In Canada, FMU students may attend the University of Prince Edward Island situated on Prince Edward Island. This university offers terms in the fall and is a good choice for a variety of majors. These majors are nursing, education, natural science, social science and the humanities.  

Like FMU, the University of Prince Edward Island is a small school with a student body around 4,000 students. Also, located on the scenic provence, there are plenty of environmentally beautiful locations to visit. 

In France, there are two universities for FMU students. The Université Caen Basse Normandie, in the city of Caen, offers semesters in both the fall and spring. All of this school’s courses are offered in French, so it is best to attend if you wish to perfect your skills in the language. 

The other French school offered is the Rennes School of Business in the city Rennes. Also offering courses in both semesters, the courses here are best for those in the school of business – just as the name implies. 

For more information regarding FMU’s international programs, one can find applications and details on their page on the FMU website.