New Study Abroad Program Heads Down Under

"Walkabout" --- an Australian aboriginal initiation rite involving a journey through unknown territory --- has been given new meaning by the Office of International Programs. Walkabout Down Under, the College's newest study abroad program, offers students of all majors a semester-long program at four Australian universities.

"Walkabout Down Under was developed in conjunction with four excellent Australian institutions of higher learning," says Rachel Cullenen, assistant director for study abroad in the Office of International Programs. "The goal is to give students the chance to experience four very different regions of the country in one semester."

La Trobe University is just outside of Melbourne, the cultural hub of Australia. Griffith University has several campuses in and near Brisbane on Australia's east coast. Murdoch University is located in Freemantle, outside Perth, on the west coast. The University of Tasmania is in Hobart, on the island of Tasmania, south of the mainland. Students in the Walkabout Down Under program will take one course at each institution.

"Participants commit to the full four-block semester," Cullenen says. "That way they can focus their energy on one course at a time and more deeply understand the material. Students in the Walkabout program will earn 16 credits, four for each block."

Following each block is a travel break, which gives students the opportunity to relax and explore. The Walkabout program has the option of a fifth course, which can be taken for two to three credits and consists of a travel experience with an academic component. In accordance with Australian semester dates, the period of study for fall 2003 will run from mid-July through mid-November, with an additional three weeks added for block five.

Sophomores, juniors, or seniors with a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 3.0 and in good judicial standing may apply for the Walkabout program online at www.ithaca.edu/oip/walkabout_application.pdf. The application deadline is April 1. Tuition, room and board, airfare, and other fees are equivalent to a semester at Ithaca College.

Courses for the fall semester are listed below. Additional courses will be offered in future semesters.

Block One -- Griffith University
"Contemporary Australian Literature"

Block Two -- La Trobe University
"The History of Indigenous Australia"

Block Three -- University of Tasmania
"Environmental Studies: Wilderness and Sustainable Development"

Block Four -- Murdoch University
"Spinning Yarns: Media and Message in Australia"

Block Five -- Murdoch University
Optional travel block

In addition to Australia, the Ithaca College Office of International Programs offers study abroad programs in England, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Scotland, Spain, and the Dominican Republic. Other study abroad opportunities exist through various affiliated programs, bringing the total number of possible destinations to more than 50.

For more information on Walkabout Down Under, contact the Office of International Programs, 274-3306 intlprog@ ithaca.edu, or visit .