Semester at Sea

(copied from Semester at Sea website)

Summer 2009 Voyage
• March 13, 2009: SAS financial aid deadline.
• April 3, 2009: SAS financial aid recipients are notified.
• April 16, 2009: Payment deadline. Last day to cancel without penalty.
• June 16, 2009: Voyage sails from Halifax.
Fall 2009 Voyage
• April 17, 2009: SAS financial aid deadline.
• May 8, 2009: SAS financial aid recipients are notified.
• May 29, 2009: Payment deadline. Last day to cancel without penalty.
• June 13, 2009: Last day to apply for visas from Pinnacle without late fee.
• August 28, 2009: Voyage sails from Halifax.
Admission Requirements
• Students must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program at an accredited college/university (domestic or international)
• Students must have completed at least one full term at the post-secondary level
• Students must demonstrate at least a 2.75 cumulative GPA
• Students must be in good academic and judicial standing at time of application
• Students must demonstrate their writing skills in a 300-500 word essay as indicated on the application
Sample Courses
Anthropology
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology
Introduction to Archaeology
Myth, Symbol, and Ritual
Religion and Culture
Biological Sciences
Environmental Biology
Global Ecology
Marine Biology
The Natural World
Africana Studies
Introduction to African Literature
Caribbean Literature
Business
Decision-Making in International Business
Human Resource Management
Introduction to Business in an International Context
International Marketing
Communications
Contemporary International Film
Freedom of Speech and Press
History of Mass Communication
Intercultural Communications
Political Communication
Television and Society
Economics
Comparative Economic Systems
Development Economics
International Economics
Introduction to Macroeconomic Theory
Money and Banking
English
Literature of the Sea
Topics in Non-Fiction Writing
World Literature
Writers' Journals
Environmental Studies
Global Ecology
Environmental Ethics
Environmental Geology
Environmental Influences on Business
Population Ecology
Fine Arts
Introduction to Architecture
Introduction to Non-Western Art
World Art
Geography
Economic Geography
Introduction to Cultural Geography
Modern Asia: Development Issues
Urban Geography
Geology
Oceanography
Our Restless Earth
History
Comparative Asian Civilizations
Comparative Revolutions
Introduction to Islamic Civilization
Modern Asia
Russia Since 1855
The West and the World
U.S. Foreign Relations
World War II
Music
Gamelan Angklung of Indonesia
Introduction to World Music
Music in the Middle East and India
Music in Society
Music of East Asia
Philosophy
Introduction to Ethics
Philosophy East and West
Philosophy of Religion
Political Science
Comparative Politics
East Asia in World Politics
Foreign Policies in a Changing World
Government/Politics of the Middle East
International Law and Problems of World Order
Modern Diplomacy
World Politics
Psychology
Cross-Cultural Psychology
Psychological Aspects of Human Sexuality
Psychology of Personality
Social Psychology
Religious Studies
Buddhist Civilization
Comparative Ethics
Religion in Asia
Religion and Culture
Varieties of Religious Experience
Sociology
Comparative Perspectives on Women
Ethnicity and American Social Policy
Sociology of Aging
Sociology of the Family
Sociology of Sex Roles
Theatre Arts
Acting
Modern Theatre
Survey of World Theatre
Women's Studies
Psychology of Gender
Women and Film
Women and Literature
Women in Politics
Women in Religion
Founded
• Founded in 1963, Semester at Sea is the world's premier shipboard program for study abroad.
Character
• Global, comparative international education.
• Administered by the Institute for Shipboard Education, a non-profit, 501c3 organization.
• The University of Virginia is the academic sponsor.
Location
• Charlottesville, VA
Campus
• The MV Explorer, one of the world's safest passenger ships, has been specially outfitted as its floating university
Alumni
• Approximately 45,000
Student Body (Spring 2009)
Enrollment
• 725 undergraduates (196 men, 529 women)
• 14 lifelong learners
• 67 faculty & staff
Geographic Distribution
• States represented: 47, plus Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico
• Countries represented: 7
• Home institutions represented: 235
Average GPA
• 3.3
Student-to-Faculty/Staff Ratio
• 22:1
Tuition
• Please see Program Fees for costs associated with tuition, room, and board for upcoming voyages.
Admission
• Conducted on a rolling basis
• Minimum G.P.A. (cumulative): 2.75
Financial Aid
• Over $2 million of ISE financial aid distributed to students each year; grants range from $1,000 to $10,000.
• Generally, 40% of participants apply for and receive ISE financial aid.
Academics
Voyages
• 3 voyages per year
• Fall and Spring circumnavigate the globe in 108 days
• Summer voyages explore a world region in 65-70 days
Credits awarded by the University of Virginia
• Fall and Spring voyages/terms: minimum of 12 credits (maximum of 15)
• Summer voyages/terms: minimum of 9 credits (maximum of 12)
Course offerings
• 20 disciplines of study
• 75+ course offerings in the fall and spring terms
• 30+ in the summer term
• Extensive in-country field program comprises 20% of coursework
Lecturers and Guests
• Curricula bolstered by interport lecturers, interport students, world leaders, and other experts
Honor Code
• Participants subscribe to the Honor System of the University of Virginia.
Campus (Our Ship)
The MV Explorer
• 590-feet long
• 24,500 tons
• Built in 2002 by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg, Germany
• Fastest passenger ship of its kind in the world
Learning facilities
• State-of-the-art classrooms
• Study areas
• 8,000-volume library
• Wireless Internet (in public areas)
• Computer lab
Recreational facilities
• 2 dining rooms
• Outdoor pool
• Fitness center
• Sports court
• Wellness center
Student Life
Co-curricular and Extracurricular Activities
Typically, over 50 organizations emerge each voyage in the following categories:
• Performing and visual arts
• Service organizations
• Multicultural organizations
• Media/Web/Publications
• Program Board
• Student Government
Student Services and Resources
• Health Services
• Mental Health Services
• Academic Support/Learning Skills
Library
Collections and Public Service
• The collection is maintained by the University of Virginia and contains approximately 8,000 volumes specifically tailored to international study, travel, world cultures, religion, art, history and to the curriculum and itinerary of each voyage. There is an extensive map collection containing physical, political, topographical and historical maps. The library also has a significant collection of videos and DVDs for educational and recreational purposes.
Library Services for Faculty and Students
• The librarian for each voyage works with the staff of the University of Virginia Library to provide reference services, interlibrary loan, and access to U.Va. online resources for faculty and students.
Online Resources
• Semester at Sea faculty and students have access to all of U.Va.'s digital resources during the voyage.
• Full-text resources include:
o Handbook of Latin American Studies Online
o CIAO: Columbia International Affairs Online
o ENVIROnetBASE
o Ethnic NewsWatch
o Latin American Network Information Center
o FACTIVA
o Lexis/Nexis
o Journals available online through Blackwell Synergy, EBSCO Electronic Journals Service, Elsevier's Science Direct service, JSTOR, and Project Muse.
Technology
• 20 computers with Windows XP, Microsoft Office XP, DVD Player, and USB ports.
• Lab equipped with HP LaserJet printers. Free printing.
• Wireless connection.
• All cabins are equipped with a telephone and television set.
Prominent Alumni
• Betsy AARON, F94 (journalist, married to journalist Richard Threlkeld)
• David AL-CHOKHACHY [David Chokachi], S89 (actor on Baywatch)
• Adrian BELIC, S91, F96 (filmmaker, Genghis Blues)
• Joan LUNDEN F67 (tv host)
• Arthur C. CLARKE, F80, S83, S84, F84, F85 (novelist, wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey)
• Stuart DAMON, C05 (General Hospital)
• Jim DI SPIRITO, S86 (musician with Rusted Root band)
• Gary FOSTER, S82 (film producer, Sleepless in Seattle)
• Robert FULGHUM, S01 (author, All I Ever Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten)
• Stephen GAGHAN, F86 (screen writer, Traffic)
• Cathy HELLER Keating, S71 (wife of Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating)
• Richard LAMM, S91 (former Governor of Colorado)
• Jane LAUDER, F93 (granddaughter of perfume-maker Estée Lauder)
• Jonathan MURRAY, S99 (MTV producer, Road Rules)
• Cynthia NIXON, S86 (actress - "Miranda" on TV show Sex and the City)
• Kristoffer POLAHA, F97 (actor)
• Todd ROTONDI, F96 (actor)
• Sam SCHOEMANN, F85 (tv producer)
• Daphne SHELDRICK, S01 (Kenyan naturalist, expert on elephants)
• Kerri STRUG, F00 (Olympic athlete)
• Richard THRELKELD, F94 (journalist)
• B.J. (Brian) AVERELL, S02, CBS's The Amazing Race 9 winner
• Tyler MACNIVEN, S02, CBS's The Amazing Race 9 winner
• Iliza SCHLESINGER, S04, NBC's The Last Comic Standing winner
Notable Lecturers and Guests
• Fidel Castro (Cuban President)
• Anwar Sadat (Egyptian President)
• Indira Gandhi (Indian Prime Minister)
• Mikhail Gorbachev (USSR President)
• Corazon Aquino (President of the Philippines)
• SHRM King Mohamed VI (King of Morocco)
• HRH Moulay Rachid (Prince of Morocco)
• Archbishop Desmond Tutu (Nobel Laureate)
• Mother Teresa (Nobel Laureate)
• Nelson Mandela (First President of South Africa, Nobel Laureate)
• Arthur C. Clark (Author of 2001: A Space Odyssey)
• Pete Peterson (First U.S. Ambassador to Viet Nam)
• C.H. Tung (first Chief Executive of Hong Kong after end of British colonial rule)