Global Connections


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Take a jet to class

Why walk to class when you could take a jet? Connect with people who think and live in different ways through Calvin's off-campus programs and other global opportunities.

Study abroad programs

Semester programs: Study development work in Honduras or business in China. This is the just beginning of Calvin's 12 semester-long offerings. 

Interim trips: Spend three weeks in one of more than 30 locations around the world each January. In 2013, off-campus interim courses included "Business and Engineering in China," "Sustainability in New Zealand," "Improving Rural Health in India" and "History of Science, Medicine and Religion in London." 

Academic programs

Cross-cultural learning is woven throughout all of Calvin's 100+ academic programs. Several programs provide direct pathways to other cultures.

  • Languages: Explore the many cultures represented by the nine languages taught at Calvin: Chinese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Japanese, Korean, Latin and Spanish.
  • Asian studies: Dig deep into the history, culture, philosophy, religion and languages of China, Japan and Korea in this interisciplinary program.
  • African Studies: Get an interdisciplinary overview of African history, culture, religion and more.
  • International development studies: Study the best ways to create sustainable business and strong communities in developing countries.
  • International relations: Learn how to influence the world's political systems by studying regional and global governments.

Internships

Get hands-on experience in your field in exciting locations around the world. Many academic programs have strong connections to international companies and organizations—ask your professors about specific opportunities that you might take advantage of. These programs regularly have students find internships abroad.

Research opportunities

In the classrom: Be a part of exciting research and development work that faculty and students are doing in countries around the world:

  • Geography students created online atlases for Eritrea, Thailand and Nepal. Read more »
  • Senior engineering students designed an optimized amaranth popper to help fight hunger and poverty in developing countries. Read more »

With faculty: Join faculty in their research and explore cultures from a scholarly point of view. Recent faculty-student research partnerships include:

  • Equipping Ethiopian professors with GIS mapping skills. 
  • A study of the Afro-Hispanic newspapers of Argentina and Urugauy from 1820-1899
  • A history of Christian faith in 20th-century Eastern Europe