Study Abroad

Fall Semester: Study Abroad information sessions occur every Friday @ 10:30 a.m. in Johnson Center Room 155. Join us to learn about North Park’s study abroad programs and how to apply!

Meet with your faculty advisor to discuss the best time to go abroad and which major, minor, or general education courses you should take.

Explore program options online and in the study abroad handbook. Ask yourself the following questions:

• How long do you want to study abroad?
• What type(s) of program interest you?
• What locations offer classes that will fulfill your major/minor/GE requirements?

Study Abroad Handbook

Complete the study abroad advising worksheet and contact Tessa Zanoni to set up a one-on-one study abroad advising meeting.

ADVISING WORKSHEET

tzanoni@northpark.edu

773-244-5553

Johnson Center 159, Center for Student Engagement

Complete the online application.

Apply Now!

Applications will not be reviewed until both recommendation documents listed below are received. Please request recommendations in advance and allow faculty 2-3 weeks to complete them. Forms must be submitted by the faculty to Tessa Zanoni, via email, intercampus mail to Box 24 or in person at the Johnson Center for Student Engagement (Office 159).

1. Faculty Advisor Recommendation Form. Click here to download.
2. Recommendation Letter from NPU Faculty. Click here for more details.

Additional application note: ISEP, CCCU, and North Park University Exchange partners require an additional application. Please complete the NPU application first and contact the Office of International Affairs for further instructions.

North Park University has direct exchange relationships with universities across the globe. Bilateral exchange participants will study with students from the host university and take a variety of courses in English (unless otherwise noted). On these exchange programs, students pay regular tuition to North Park, with all financial aid applying; students generally pay room and board to the host university. Chance of placement on bilateral exchange programs is excellent for qualified students.

Hawthorn, Australia: Swinburne University of Technology Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors.

Córdoba, Argentina: Blas Pascal University *Note: all courses are only offered in Spanish. Best for Spanish majors/minors.

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Universidad Del Salvador *Note: all courses are only offered in Spanish. Best for Spanish majors/minors.

Ghent, Belgium: Artevelde University College Ghent This program only offers courses for majors/minors in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management or Communication Studies majors/minors.

Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus University Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors. *Note: this program is only offered during the Spring semesters.

Athens, Greece: The American College of Greece Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors.

Tampere, Finland: University of Tampere Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors. *Note: students are required to travel to Washington, D.C. and obtain a student visa for this program.

Bergen, Norway: University of Bergen Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors.

Madrid, Spain: University of Comillas Courses are offered English & Spanish at the Humanities & Social Sciences campus. *Note: no business courses are offered for NPU students on this exchange program.

Seoul, South Korea: Sungkyunkwan University Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors.

Incheon, South Korea: Inha University Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors.

Jönköping, Sweden: Jönköping International Business School All courses taught in English. *Note: this program only offers courses for majors/minors in the School of Business and Nonprofit Management.

Jönköping, Sweden: Jönköping University School of Communication and Education All courses taught in English. *Note: this program is best for Communication Studies majors/minors and Conflict Transformation Studies majors/minors.

Liverpool, England, United Kingdom: Liverpool Hope University Courses are available in English for a variety of majors/minors.

North Park University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities so University students have access to study abroad programs run by the CCCU. Students join peers from other CCCU institutions to study in Australia, Costa Rica, Jordan, Northern Ireland, Oxford, or Uganda. CCCU also offers domestic programs with focused study in film (L.A.), music (Nashville), or American studies (Washington, D.C.). On CCCU programs, students pay program fees to North Park University, however no financial aid applies. These programs are quite popular, so chance of placement may be limited.

North Park University’s fastest growing study abroad program is ISEP, the International Student Exchange Program. North Park students have access to 140 universities in over 50 countries with courses taught in various languages through ISEP. On ISEP exchanges, students pay regular tuition, room, and board to North Park, with all financial aid applying. Chance of placement on ISEP programs is excellent for qualified students, though individual ISEP schools may be more competitive than others. ISEP Direct also provides a customized study abroad experience with guaranteed placement, however no financial aid applies. More information about ISEP Direct can be found here.

North Park University offers two group study abroad programs in Sweden and Ecuador. This type of program offers students the experience of traveling abroad with a group of their peers from NPU, accompanied by a faculty member.

Södra Vätterbygdens Folhögskola (SVF), Sweden: This program is offered every fall semester. Ideal for sophomore students, this program offers general education coursework and the opportunity to explore Swedish language and culture. Each fall, approximately 15 North Park students study at SVF together with a cohort of 15 Swedish students. In the spring semester, all 30 students return to Chicago to continue studies at North Park University.

Cuenca, Ecuador: This program is offered every spring semester during Quad A. Open to Spanish majors and minors who have completed at least 3 semesters of language coursework (or the equivalent). This program pairs intensive study in Spanish language and Latin American culture with travel, service opportunities, and host family living.

North Park University offers a variety short-term study abroad programs led by NPU faculty. Some course are part of a quad or semester course, while others are offered as stand-alone courses during a break. Current short-term study programs include:

• Biology: The Biology department offers travel courses to The Bahamas, Taiwan, Costa Rica, and more.  Students from any major may take the courses for either upper-level biology or Keystone credit. Visit the website or talk to your advisor to find out about current offerings.
• Education: The Academic Odyssey is a short-term study/travel course during Spring Break 2019 offered through the School of Education. It is especially designed for prospective teachers, but open to other students, as well. Click here to view trip details and the itinerary. Application forms are due November 1st, 2018. Contact the School of Education for more information.
• Rome, Italy: Earn NPU Christian Life and Thought or Keystone credit on an academic tour of Rome and Pompeii over Spring Break 2019. Click here to view trip details and the itinerary. Contact Dr. Joel Willitts for more information.
• Personal Health: complete your GE requirement in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for a cross-country ski trip that provides an opportunity to learn about exercise, ecology, and health in a natural environment. Contact Alyssa Anderson for more information.

Note: Students applying for short-term study abroad courses do not need to complete the full NPU study abroad application. Please contact the program leader for application instructions.

North Park University is committed to helping students live lives of significance and service. In the Office of International Affairs we believe that an important part of the journey toward a life well lived is getting to know one’s self, and there are few better ways for a student to do this than to study abroad. International travel and education enable students to see the cultures from which they come in a new way, and to develop new skills and outlooks that will aid them in their personal development.

In addition, some potential benefits are:

• Your child will learn about herself and become more independent
• Your child will become more comfortable interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds
• Your child will acquire a better understanding of his own cultural values
• Your child will improve her options for future employment in the increasingly globalized business world
• Your child will have the opportunity to improve or develop fluency in another language.
• Your child will increase his open-mindedness
• Your child will broaden her geographic, artistic, political, and social horizons.
• Your child will make connections that can last a lifetime

Depending on their host country, students may have a variety of communication options at their disposal.

• Many have found Skype (a type of calling from computer to computer) an efficient way to communicate with family and friends at home.
• FaceTime and iMessage are both useful and free options if there is Wifi available in your child’s study abroad location.
• Others find an international cell phone (or a US cell phone outfitted with a country specific SIM card) to be a more convenient mode of communication. Host universities may provide help to students regarding purchase of an international cell phone.
• Many parents may wish to take advantage of their child being abroad to do some international travel of their own. While we encourage you to explore your child’s host country, and learn more about her or his experience first hand, please remember that your child is abroad as part of an educational program. She or he is expected to attend all required class sessions and to participate in all applicable group activities. Please ensure that your visit doesn’t disrupt your child’s class or study schedule!

Studying abroad may be more financially feasible than you think! With the exception of visa/passport fees, insurance, and airfare, the great majority of North Park study abroad opportunities cost almost the same as spending a semester at North Park. Here are some examples:

• Group Programs to Sweden or Ecuador: Students pay their regular tuition, room, and board and get to apply all financial aid. A modest extra fee may be charged to cover travel excursions and textbooks.
• Exchanges through the International Student Exchange Program: Students pay their regular tuition, room, and board to North Park and get to apply all financial aid. Students must purchase health insurance through ISEP.
• Exchanges through ISEP Direct and CCCU: Tuition, room and board, and any additional fees are all out of pocket. No institutional financial aid from North Park applies. 
• Bilateral Reciprocal Exchanges: Students pay regular tuition to North Park and get to apply financial aid. Students pay room and board to the host institution.
• The Office of International Affairs has also compiled a list of scholarships and loans that may be accessible to study abroad students.

Your student’s well-being while abroad is our top priority!

• All North Park study abroad students participate in a series of preparatory study abroad orientation sessions. In these sessions, they are given details on any Centers for Disease Control and Prevention medical warnings or immunization recommendations for the countries to which they are traveling. Students are advised to consult with the North Park Center for Counseling and Health Services, or with a personal physician, prior to travel to determine a specialized prevention plan.
• Students are encouraged to register online with the US Department of State. Travel registration is a free service provided by the US Government to US citizens who are traveling to, or living in, a foreign country. Registration allows travelers to record information about their upcoming trip abroad that the Department of State can use to assist them in case of emergency.
• While abroad, the Assistant Director of the Office of International Affairs will be in bi-weekly contact with all study abroad students by email. They are also given an emergency phone number at North Park for 24-hour access to Office of International Affairs staff.
• Immediately upon arrival in the host country, students are urged to complete an Emergency Contact Card with in-country phone numbers and addresses. Students also have access to International Student Services personnel at all host institutions.
• North Park closely monitors all travel warnings issued by the US Department of State and will suspend any travel to countries or regions deemed unsafe.

There are over 300 sites in 50+ countries to choose from.

Most of our study abroad programs are a semester to a year in length, while others last one to two weeks and run over school breaks.

About 50 percent of North Park’s study abroad programs require students to have some level of proficiency in a foreign language; the other 50 percent offer courses in English in a variety of subjects.

North Park offers study abroad programs for students in their sophomore, junior, or senior year. Students are not permitted study abroad during their first two semesters or last semester at North Park.

Study abroad programs are available for students in any major, and even for those who have not yet decided on a field of study.

Over 90 percent of North Park study abroad programs cost the same amount as studying at North Park, and allow you to apply all financial aid you would receive if you were studying on our Chicago campus.