Only about two history majors in a hundred go abroad for foreign study, even though numerous Study Abroad programs are accredited by the University and nearly every course taken in a foreign institution is directly credited toward your degree requirements. Foreign study does some predictable things, such as helping you to see the U.S. from another perspective, learning to make friends with people whose core values are likely to be different from your own, and adding useful skills to your repertory such as handling foreign money, learning how to eat and drink more diversely, and navigating through unfamiliar terrain. Although studying abroad does impose some additional expenses such as airfares, visas and immunizations, the overall costs may in some instances be less than staying in Iowa City.

The Department encourages foreign study. Information and advice can be obtained from the Office of Study Abroad. Advisors will encourage you to meet your College of Liberal Arts & Sciences foreign language requirement in a way that relates to your geographical and cultural interests. If, for example, French history is your passion, then you will be encouraged to study the French language. Alternatively, if you already have a working knowledge of French, it makes sense to choose at least some French history courses that will benefit from your language skills. Advisors will also encourage you to pursue study abroad opportunities that accord with your foreign language and historical-geographical interests. All things being equal, wouldn't you like to polish your study of French history with a semester of study at the Sorbonne in Paris or to further pursue Japanese history while resident in Tokyo?

Opportunities for study abroad are many and present a wide range of options. Here is an overview of some specific possibilities:

Majors committed to a particular field can take advantage of reciprocal exchanges to one of four partner schools in the UK. On this one-for-one trade, cost remains comparable to regular UI tuition and living costs in the residence halls and US students attend university classes from the regular curriculum alongside the British students. The year program, open to juniors or seniors, follows the British calendar October through June, with long breaks in December and March.

Programs for semester study are, generally speaking, group programs whose cost varies depending on location, sponsor, etc. Some options with instruction in English include study in Wales, in Northern Ireland, in Australia and in some less familiar sites: Malta (at a crossroads of ancient and modern Mediterranean history), Iceland (and a chance to soak up the spirit of the Viking discovery of North America), a fall semester in Mysore (where classical India dynamically coexists with the modern) or study in Thailand or Vietnam (affording a special introduction to the pacific rim). Programs to China can take students either to the urban sprawl of Beijing (requiring some prior language coursework) or to Chengdu in fertile Sichuan province and easy air access to Tibet (open to all language levels including beginning.)

For students with a certain level of foreign language proficiency (having completed coursework at third year level at Iowa), semester programs would offer history (and other liberal arts subjects) in special program classes, taught by local professors in the foreign language, though aimed at non native speakers who also would not have the common background of those raised in the culture. Such programs exist in France, Germany and Italy. Council programs in Chile or Argentina permit study at the prestigious FLACSO (Facultrad Latino Americana de Ciencias Sociales). Programs in Spain include either study in the Basque country, with exposure to the region’s unique history and cultural independence, or study with faculty from the University of Seville, which includes the Archivo de Indias and is the foremost center in Spain for study of the history of Spanish America.

Other options on the reciprocal exchange model (cost comparable to UI tuition, room and board) include universities in France, Germany and Italy for students sufficiently proficient to make it possible to follow regular coursework and take exams in the foreign language. Otherwise several Dutch universities offer excellent history selections taught in English, universities in Finland offer interdisciplinary programs on Eastern European, Russian, Karelian and Baltic Studies.

And finally, for the independent, resourceful student not-for-credit programs can provide the basis for independent study under a UI professor with whom they have already taken some preliminary courses. La Sabranenque language program in Provence, for example, provides a unique opportunity to spend four months in the heart of rural France. Volunteer programs can take students into other rural communities, providing the chance to come face to face with living history.

Study Abroad: Vietnam
By Jon Chester

My decision to go abroad was influenced by a yearning to experience something educational outside of Iowa City. Debating where to go, I could not decide between Central America and Southeast Asia. I eventually decided on Vietnam, a place that has continually peaked my curiosity due to American military involvement in Indo-China during the 1960s and 1970s.

Stepping off the 747 at Tan San Nhat Airport in Saigon (now called Ho Chi Minh City), the first thing to hit me was the hot, moist tropical air. Coming from the Midwestern United States in mid-February to a climate that was 95 degrees and humid every day was a major adjustment, but proved to be a pleasant modification to make. The streets bore no resemblance to the streets of American cities. The traffic is infinitely greater in Saigon than any American metroplis I have visited, with little motorbikes being the primary mode of transportation. Bicycles also remain popular, as well as cars which are just beginning to break into the consumer market on a larger scale.

I rotated residences monthly. The first month was spent in a guesthouse where I shared a room with one other American student. The second month, the fifteen American students on my program split up and went into individual family units. Living with a Vietnamese family was one of the best experiences I have had, teaching me the value that the Vietnamese place on the Confucian traditions of familial piety. I quickly learned never to reach for food at dinner before the father had his chopsticks in hand! I was also able to witness other family traditions such as ancestor worship and the worshipping of the Buddha at a local pagoda.

While living in Saigon, I was able to easily and efficiently travel throughout Vietnam. My excursions took me to Hue (the imperial capital of Vietnam dating back to the 1700s and the Nguyen emperors), Hanoi (the current political capital and the home of ancient Vietnamese civilization), Khe Sanh, Nha Trang, Pleiku, and Can Tho. The fieldtrips gave me a sense of the way people in the countryside live, and the way in which it differs from the standard of living of the Saigonese.

In Saigon I was able to make contacts and friends. It's a lively city that is quickly emerging onto the international business scene. There is plenty of entertainment and it is an extremely comfortable city to live, as tourist friendly as I have seen. When I got back to America, I missed Vietnam, but still realized how lucky I was to live in a free country. Walking the streets of a police state, one can never be certain if the secret police are following. We were warned repeatedly to stay out of trouble, for the communist government would have no problem arbitrarily placing any American in detention. It was an experience I will never forget, and would recommend anyone seeking adventure to try studying abroad. Learning foreign customs and traditions in the actual country is more educational than any classroom setting can provide.

Scholarships Available for Study Abroad:

Presidential Scholarships for Study Abroad
Several awards of $1000 are made each spring to UI undergraduate students preparing to study abroad for a semester or academic year.

Naomi Gunderson Scholarship for Foreign Language Study Abroad
One $4000 scholarship is awarded to a UI undergraduate to develop advanced proficiency in a foreign language. Preference is given to students studying abroad for an entire academic year.

Stanley Undergraduate Scholarships for international Research
Several awards of varying amounts are made to students pursuing research projects while abroad during the summer session or the academic year.