/ Communication Department

Off-Campus Study

Studying in another part of the world or country can be a valuable part of your academic journey and instrumental to developing cultural competence.

  • A group of people stand on a walkway outside a Buddhist temple. There is a red fence on the side of the walkway leading to the templeJapan May Term students visit the Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan.
  • A person, wearing shorts, a t-shirt, work boots and gloves, is standing in a brushy area holding handfuls of long grassy leaves. Other people are in the background looking at plants.Emily Grombala ('25) clears out invasive plants on the western tip of Oahu to make room for native plants to flourish.
  • A group of people stand behind three people holding a large Hope College banner. All are looking at the camera and smiling. A man in the back row is holding a small dog.Aloha May Term students and faculty leaders, Dr. Jayson Dibble and Dr. Virginia Beard. While in Hawaii, they worked with Malama I Na Honu, an organization that protects Hawaiian sea turtles and does education outreach.
  • Ten people stand on a sandy beach with the sun setting on the water behind them. All are looking at the camera and smiling.Dr. Choonghee Han and Japan May Term students at Uchinada Beach, located in Kanazawa, a coastal city about 250 miles west of Tokyo.
  • DIana Cortes ’18 and friends in France.Diana Cortes ’18 spent a semester in Nantes, France, and amidst all the learning got to experience Les Machines de l'île.

 If you are a communication major interested in an off-campus study experience, here are some general guidelines:

  • You can fulfill the COMM 399 internship (three credits) requirement for your COMM major by completing a semester-long study-abroad experience. 
  • You may be able to fulfill a 200-level elective (three credits) requirement if you take a communication course during your semester abroad.
  • 300-level non-internship COMM credit can be earned only through summer terms conducted by our department faculty. Remember that only three credits transfer for summer terms.
  • Many communication majors study off-campus to complete general education requirements as well as the COMM 399 internship requirement.
  • As you review off-campus programs, identify courses that you may be able to take for COMM credit. These courses need to be reviewed by your advisor and the COMM department chair to determine if they meet department requirements and work with your degree plan.
  • As soon as you return, make sure you work with the department chair and the registrar’s office to have credits earned during your off-campus experience counted on your transcript.

“While living and learning in Rome, Italy, I engaged with so many different facets of Italian culture. The opportunity to participate in an internship took my experience to a deeper level. I experienced first-hand the different atmosphere of Italian work culture that meets deadlines and values progress, while holding relationships with family and friends higher still. I brought my perspective as an American student into conversation with Italian and Italian-American perspectives on how to create campaigns directed toward an American market. I gained a broader perspective on the world and understanding of intercultural communication both in daily interactions and within the workplace.”
—Erin Hoolahan ’18, IES Abroad Rome

COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT SUMMER TERMS

 

FEATURED PROGRAMS

  • Chicago Semester – Internship
  • CIEE Cape Town: Arts/Sciences – The Media in South Africa, Intercultural Communication & Leadership
  • IES Dublin: Irish Studies – Digital Marketing & Communication
  • IES Rome: Language & Area Studies – Intro to Fashion Styling & Communication, Italian Fascism, Internship Seminar
Hope CollegeCommunication Department

Martha Miller Center257 Columbia AvenueRoom 107Holland, MI 49423

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