Study Abroad
Why Study Abroad?
Studying abroad can be a life-changing experience. By traveling and studying overseas, students learn not only a better understanding of the world, but also of themselves and how they relate to our greater global society.
At Christopher Newport, every student can find a study abroad opportunity that fits his or her goals. You can travel in groups with faculty leaders, attend an overseas university or study alongside other U.S. students in a foreign country. Whether immersing yourself in another culture by taking courses taught in the local language, living with a host family or taking language classes, the choices are abundant.
What is the PLP Study Abroad Scholarship?
We believe that as part of a liberal learning education, you should have the opportunity to travel to other countries to experience their culture and perspectives. As a PLP student, you are eligible to receive a one-time study abroad scholarship for qualifying trips. To be eligible to receive your PLP study abroad scholarship, you must be currently receiving your PLP scholarship and meet the Office of Study Abroad’s requirements.
What are some of the leadership courses abroad?
Old maps of a “flat” world show the area of origin as the center or middle of the Earth, illustrating the mindset of societal and cultural preeminence. The purpose of this course is to explore the influence of society and culture on leadership, with a particular focus on the nations of Western Europe. Defining leadership as the process of leaders and followers acting together within a given context to achieve a common goal, the course examines how social values and cultural mores of nations (contemporary context) shape individual thought and impact leader-follower behaviors, attributes, relations and interactions within and across national boundaries. Through personal observation and investigation of concepts, patterns and issues that shape society and cultural values, students will learn the importance of society and culture to effective leadership in a global setting and understand how to assess social structure and culture when making leadership decisions.
Set in the coastal city of Cape Town, South Africa, the course is designed to help students gain fundamental knowledge of the principles of social justice. Beginning with an overview of social justice theory, the course will examine the causes and consequences of several types of injustice brought about by race, class, gender, sexual orientation, religion and ability, and how they shape the experiences of diverse groups. The course will focus strongly on the debate of where the responsibility for leadership for social justice falls: in the hands of government institutions who must intervene to ensure a just society, or in the hands of individual citizens working together to promote the common good? The course will focus primarily on the history and culture of South Africa. Students will learn about the pursuit of social justice in South Africa through a series of lectures, seminars and excursions. This course will introduce students to the country’s history, politics and culture through classroom lectures with Cape Town University’s faculty subject matter experts. Lectures will be augmented with historical excursions to Robben Island, the District Six Museum and the RSA Parliament. Students will also participate in several cultural excursions, including tours of Cape Town, Table Mountain and Cape Peninsula. Integrating learning and rich culture, students will fall in love with one of the world's most beautiful cities.