Field Study programs are an amazing and unique component of Rollins College International Programs; they are developed and directed by Rollins College faculty in conjunction with the Office of International Programs and are offered during winter break, spring break and over the summer. Field Study programs emphasize experiential learning: why just read Shakespeare, when you can see a play performed at the Globe? Why simply read about reforestation, when you can hike through a rainforest to interview staff at a research station? Faculty have designed their Field Study programs to take advantage of the location and have worked to integrate more traditional coursework (Field Study programs still have assignments, exams, papers, lectures and discussions) with hands-on experiences that will enhance the curriculum and provoke discussion and active engagement with the subject of the course.
Each year, different faculty are interested in developing and leading Field Study programs, so there are always new offerings for students to explore. Some students do many Field Study programs during their time at Rollins, while others see Field Study programs as an introduction to study abroad and move on to longer summer or to full semester and academic year programs afterwards. Still, other students find that Field Study programs offer a convenient way to include an international experience into their college careers without any disruption to their major/minor path or other commitments on campus. Field Study programs also offer an incredible way to build credits towards graduation without overloading during the semester. Whatever your situation, don’t miss these incredible international opportunities!
Service Learning Field Study
Recently, we have seen more faculty and students interested in Field Study programs with a service-learning focus or component, so we are offering more volunteer focused travel opportunities each year. We work with the Office of Community Engagement to coordinate these international service-learning projects and some are offered for credit, while others are considered non-credit travel experiences (An alternative spring break in Guatemala for example). The Office of Community Engagement also offers domestic off-campus service-learning programs, so make sure to explore their website and contact their staff to learn in full how Rollins students can make a difference during their time at Rollins.
Credits and Academics
Most Field Study programs are from one week to three weeks. They typically earn two to four credits and are offered for a letter grade or for Credit/No Credit depending on the particular program. They are sometimes connected to or co-requisite with a regular, on-campus semester or Maymester course. Since these are faculty-led programs, they are assigned Rollins course numbers and earn Rollins credits—the course information and grade will appear on your Rollins’ transcript and be factored into your GPA. They can be easily integrated into your major or minor program since they are short-term, offered outside the regular academic year, and are offered in a variety of departments from Environmental Studies, to Education, to International Business and more.
Costs
Since Field Study programs occur outside the regular semester, they do represent an additional cost. Each Field Study has its own course fee that is set based on the accurate and real costs of the program itself. Thanks to excellent faculty connections overseas and good group rates, the programs are priced competitively. International Programs offers scholarship funding to assist with the costs for these programs, and can also coordinate with other offices on campus to assist you in finding other funding sources. See Scholarships and Funding for more information.
For details on the current Field Study Programs, follow the links on this page.
