The Abbey Program
A New School of Thought
A semester in France!
Experience the Abbey
The Abbey
The Abbey has been waiting for you the last 1,000 years. Set in the heart of France in the beautiful Loire Valley, The Abbey’s ancient campus will welcome you and change your life. A resident campus with its own chapel and historic gardens, The Abbey is a new school of thought in global learning.
The Location
Known all over the world for natural beauty, vineyards and the many chateaux dotting its landscape and lining its mighty rivers, the Loire Valley, located near Paris, long served as a refuge for French aristocracy and its royal families. More recently, the Loire Valley has become France’s most popular summer travel destination. Our campus is located in the heart of this region, in the town of Pontlevoy. Less than 30 kilometers from the three great chateaux of the valley, Pontlevoy and The Abbey are just a two-hour train ride from Paris.
The Semester
Spend a college semester enhancing your education through hands-on, interactive and engaging study with a dynamic collegiate faculty whose passion is your educational growth. The Abbey offers formal classes, service-learning projects and host family opportunities. Europe becomes your classroom as you explore an ancient and ever-changing world of new ideas. With the exception of its French courses, The Abbey’s curriculum is entirely taught in English.
Whether relaxing at a café with the locals, eating your first French croissant or enjoying a weekend in Paris, The Abbey makes your dreams of studying abroad come alive. Created by The University of Southern Mississippi Office of International Programs, in partnership with universities and colleges from across the United States, The Abbey offers globally-minded undergraduates the chance to pursue their dreams of becoming, as Socrates put it, a “citizen of the universe.”
Housing and meals
All students are housed at The Abbey, the beautiful campus in Pontlevoy. Students share triple rooms. The program cost includes lunch Monday-Friday. Students enjoy the chance to venture out into the community to purchase other meals, or prepare meals with their new friends in the kitchen on site.
A Learning Experience
The Academic Program
The Abbey offers its participants a program with many unique advantages and exciting opportunities.
-
Courses at The Abbey are taught in English.
- Students may choose from a variety of freshmen and sophomore courses required by most universities for graduation, and take advanced seminars in humanities or social sciences.
- All courses will give students the opportunity to work intellectually and geographically beyond what they could ever do in a traditional course at their home institutions, including taking part in a required academic week in Paris.
- Students take full academic loads between 12 and 18 hours, which transfer as Southern Miss credit.
- Field studies, regular essays, lectures, films, discussions, independent research and travel are all critical components of the curriculum.
- Students may also take French language courses at all levels.
Calendar
The Abbey Program is a semester-long program that takes place from early February to the beginning of May, including a two-week travel break in the middle of the semester.
Faculty
Dr. Douglas Mackaman, professor of history at The University of Southern Mississippi, is the director of The Abbey Program. Faculty come to The Abbey Program from Southern Miss and institutional members of The Abbey consortium.
Experience the culture
Special Excursions
The Abbey Program offers students a week of living and learning in the heart of Paris around the midpoint of the academic semester. While there, students will use the streets, museums, cafés and parks of the city as an ever-changing set of classrooms. Additionally, the program travels to Normandy to explore the D-Day landing beaches and the marvelous Bayeux tapestry. Housing, transportation and other required elements of these excursions are included in the programs’ price.
Unique Programs
The Abbey Program provides students with unique opportunities to immerse themselves in European culture through three of our extracurricular programs.
-
The Community Service Learning Program gives students opportunities to embrace the dynamics of service learning as they adjust to being in a new culture and learn to see their own citizenship in increasingly global and sophisticated terms. The Abbey’s Service Learning challenges may include English language tutoring, a food drive and other student-organized initiatives.
- The Ambassador Series and its weekly events will bring students into contact with cultural events, artistic trends and social movements active in the European Union.
- Held on The Abbey campus and in neighboring towns, the series will build bridges between The Abbey community and its European neighbors. Topics and themes will change each semester based on recommendations and programming choices made by Abbey students, staff and faulty.
- The Vision Quest supports the holistic learning mission of this program by helping to organize personal growth and academic exploration during students’ independent travel time. Vision Quest is required of all students.
Funding your experience
Abbey Program Costs
See Application Form for details on Program Costs.
Financial Aid
Financial Aid for qualified students may be applied to the cost of the Abbey Program.
Students are advised to begin their financial aid process well in advance of payment deadlines.
For more information regarding financial aid, contact Melissa Ravencraft in the Office of International Programs at 601.266.5009 or melissa.ravencraft@usm.edu; or your own institution’s Financial Aid office.
Important Information
Eligibility
Minimum program eligibility requirements include the completion of at least 14 semester hours with an overall 2.0 GPA and clear academic standing. Prior knowledge of French is not necessary.
Application Procedures
Please return the completed application form and $250 deposit to:
The University of Southern Mississippi
The Abbey Program
118 College Drive # 10047
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
See application form for program deadlines.
All non-Southern Miss students, send an official transcript to the address above.
Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as space is limited.
Applications of qualified candidates will be accepted on a first come, first serve basis.
Consortium University Students
For more information
If you are a consortium university student, please check with your home study-abroad office for information concerning fees and payment.
For more information on The Abbey Program, contact
Dr. Douglas Mackaman, Director
The Abbey Program
118 College Drive # 10047
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Phone: 601.266.6809
E-mail: douglas.mackaman@usm.edu
Jessica Lamb, Coordinator
International Programs
118 College Drive # 10047
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Phone: 601.266.6809
E-mail: jessica.lamb@usm.edu
The University of Southern Mississippi
Office of International Programs
118 College Drive # 10047
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
Phone: 601.266.4344
Fax: 601.266.5699
www.usm.edu/ip
International Center, Room 401
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – noon and 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
top
|
xxxx
xxxx
xxx
xxxx
xxx
