On the literary holiday of Bloomsday this June 16, 2021, we are pleased to announce that UNK students can once again read Joyce in Ireland or visit the James Joyce Pub in Prague.
UNK offers students many opportunities to study abroad and we encourage English majors to participate. The Study Abroad office shared this good news:
“UNK is planning to resume its study abroad programs to the Czech Republic and Ireland in spring 2022. All students selected to participate in any UNK study abroad program in 2021-22 will receive a $500 travel scholarship! [The Study Abroad Office] will be holding information sessions early next fall semester and anticipate an application deadline of September 17, 2021.
For more information please email studyabroad@unk.edu or contact Heidi at knakeh2@unk.edu or 308-865-8246”
We also asked two English alumni who studied in Madrid, Spain, their junior year about their experience and what they would say to a UNK student who had questions about affordability.
Emily Hemmer who graduated from UNK with a B.A.E in English 7-12 in 2019 shared a picture from her semester abroad at the Universidad Villanueva in Madrid. She writes,
I think my best advice for the cost would be to encourage students to seek out scholarships related to study abroad programs specifically. They may be surprised to find they exist! And I can attest that I had to save money for the trip (I had time to consider this because I knew I needed to study abroad when I began my freshman year as a Spanish major), but it was worth every penny. I grew so much as a person and a student from it, which I never could have in the states.
Megan Kelley who graduated from UNK with a B.A. in English and Spanish shared a picture of the inside of the La Sagrada Familia cathedral in Barcelona, Spain. She writes,
Here's my cost-related advice for potential study abroaders: I know the cost of studying on another continent can be daunting, but there are plenty of ways to make expenses more manageable without sacrificing experience. Many UNK scholarships still apply with helping pay for classes. Bring your student ID with you, as you never know where you might snag a student discount. Traveling around Europe is so much more affordable than in the US, with plenty of trains and buses running nearly anywhere you could want to go, and of course cheap airfare (Ryanair is your new best friend - some flights within Europe can be as low as $10!). Check websites for museums and other attractions to see if they have free admission days listed, and take advantage of local parks and simply walking around your city to take in the sights. Overall, though I know it sounds cliché, there is no price tag that can be put on the value of the experience. I will never regret a single penny I spent for my study abroad experience.
Right now, the Department of Communication has a shorter 11-day program to send students to Spain and Morocco in May 2022. To learn more, contact Prof. Jake Jacobsen or visit HERE.
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Several faculty members in the Department of English have international experience as well. Feel free to reach out to them as a resource.
Dr. Michelle Beissel Heath: London, England
Dr. Janet Graham: Guangdong Province, China; Abu Dhabi, UAE; Hanoi, Vietnam; Astana, Kazakhstan
Dr. Maria O’Malley: Beijing, China (Graduate School of the Beijing Academy of Sciences); France
Dr. Annarose Steinke: Beijing, China (Tsinghua University)
Dr. Marguerite Tassi: London, England (Globe Theatre); England (Bristol, York, Stratford-upon-Avon); Edinburgh, Scotland; Montpellier, France; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice)
Dr. Rebecca Umland: London, England (Tate); Edinburgh and the Highlands, Scotland
Dr. Denys Van Renen: Cairo, Egypt; Perpignan, France; and Edinburgh, Scotland
For a comprehensive list of faculty across UNK with international experience, visit HERE.