Seventeen courses are offered for the 2018-’19 J-Term, which runs Dec. 17, 2018 until Jan. 13, 2019. The chance to study abroad in China, Cuba, England, India and South Africa are all part of the J-Term session this year.
“Study abroad programs are vital to the overall mission of Marquette,” Irfan A. Omar, associate professor of theology, said. “If Marquette’s students are going to become men and women for others and if they are going to be the leaders of tomorrow, they need to know and experience the world first hand.”
Omar is leading the theology course, Faith and the Role of Nonviolence: Peacemaking in India, this J-Term in India with the help of Patrick Kennelly, director of the Center for Peacemaking.
“We decided to offer this as a J-session course so it does not become a burden for students and can be taken separate from regular semesters,” Omar said. “And it’s a good time to travel to north India from the weather perspective.”
J-Term sessions offer students the chance to earn credit during winter break by taking an online class or studying abroad for three weeks.
“J-term study abroad programs are proposed by faculty who are interested in leading a program,” Karli Webster, associate director and manager of study abroad, said in an email. “The courses being offered this year have been proposed due to faculty expertise and research in a certain field.”
Webster also said the Global Health program to South Africa was developed due to our existing strong relationships in and around Cape Town.
Taylor Oreck, a freshman in the College of Arts & Sciences, said she recently learned about the J-Term.
“I want to get my general eds. out of the way because I’m a double major, so I think I’m going to utilize this opportunity to do so,” Oreck said.
Last year, students had the opportunity to participate in a trip to Central America called the Global Brigades.
“The Global Brigades trip to Nicaragua in January 2018 consisted of three different parts: medical and dental, public health and water supply,” Brian Conway, a junior in the College of Health Sciences who went on the trip, said in an email. “We had three days in which we worked in a clinic, two public health days, and one day where we dug trenches to aid in providing a clean water supply to a village.”
Catherine Ruffino, a junior in the College of Health Sciences, said she experienced a mix of emotions in Nicaragua when she was a part of the trip.
“While the people there and I may speak different languages, the people in Nicaragua showed me that love is its own universal language that transcends beyond words and physical presence,” Ruffino said.
Ruffino said he timing of Global Brigades being in winter was rather ideal.
“I was able to go home and spend time with family but also go on the service trip and be back on campus with enough time to reflect on my experience and prepare for classes,” Ruffino said.
“Offering courses during the J-session will allow students to be able to participate in this valuable experience who may not be able to during the school year due to other conflicts,” Webster said in an email.
Applications for J-term are due by Oct. 1 each year, Webster said in an email. Interested students are welcomed to attend a study abroad 101 info session held each Friday at 3 p.m.
