An In-Depth Look at LIU Global

Caitlinepstein415/ September 15, 2017/ Asia, Europe, Latin America, Oceania, Study Abroad/ 1 comments

An In-Depth Look at 

            For years, I imagined myself at a prestigious college, pursuing an International Relations major in large lecture halls by day and studying in my adorably decorated dorm room by night. Little did I know that instead of a large university, I would be pursuing a Global Studies degree in a dozen different cities with a group of less than 30 students.

In November of 2016, I had applied to 11 colleges. But the pamphlet I received in the mail from LIU Global sent all of my preconceived ideas about college and my future out of the window. If you know me at all, you know I don’t make any decision without doing heaps of obsessive research. What I turned up in my studies astounded me, and I put in my application right off the bat. Knowing the program only accepted a maximum of 40 students a year daunted me and assured my mother that there was no way her daughter would be leaving the country for college. Fortunately for me (and unfortunately for my mom) I was accepted, and with a large scholarship to boot! Now, to give a breakdown of just what drew me to this school:

The Global Studies Degree Program

Every LIU Global Student takes on a Global Studies major with curriculum composed of three kinds of coursework: Area studies and fieldwork, Global Studies core courses, and the student’s choice of minor(s).

Minors include Arts & Communications, International Relations, Entrepreneurship, and Spanish.

For several years now, I have known that I wanted to pursue a major in either Global Studies or international relations, so the fact that LIU Global solely offers the Global Studies major is perfect rather than limiting for me. On top of my major, I hope to complete minors in International Relations, Arts & Communications, and Spanish.

A Yearly Breakdown

Year 1

  • A full year in Heredia, Costa Rica, a town 10 km north of the capital, San Jose
  • Full immersion in the culture through living with a host family
  • Weekend “field trips” around the country on the weekends and longer “field trips” to the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica and neighboring countries Nicaragua and Panama
  • Intensive Spanish courses
  • Intriguing courses such as Globalization in Contemporary World Fiction, Central American and Caribbean Studies, and Foundations of Global Studies: The Environment and Human Culture
  • A week-long service learning project in the fall and a two-week fieldwork project in the fall

Read a reflection of my freshman year here

Year 2

Fall Semester:

Spring Semester:

 Year 3

Students have a choice of taking part in the Australia Program or the China Program, which are both year-long, or *a split of both programs for one semester each*. Below is a breakdown of each year-long program.

*** I fully planned to do a full year with the LIU Global China program. I went to China in the Fall, and started my second semester in Taiwan before our China plans were derailed by the coronavirus. After two weeks in Taiwan, I joined the Australia program for the Spring semester. ***

China Program

  • A full year based in Hangzhou, China; a city only an hour train ride from Shanghai
  • A learning center located on the Zheijang University campus, which is within walking distance of West Lake, an UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • On-campus housing at the International Student Building
  • Day trips to local villages, community organizations, businesses, and heritage sites
  • Field experiences in China: Beijing and Shanghai in the Fall and a trip to the Yunnan, the western province of China adjacent to Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar in the Spring
  • Two weeks at the start of the Spring semester in Taiwan and Hong Kong
  • Intensive Mandarin classes
  • Courses such as Modern Chinese History, Ethnic Minority Studies, and Chinese Society and Change

Asia-Pacific Australia Program

  • A full year based in Byron Bay, Australia
  • A focus on how we can promote economic development without destroying the planet’s ecosystems
  • Rented beach houses for students in Byron Bay
  • International field experiences in Fiji and New Zealand in the Fall and Bali, Indonesia in the Spring
  • Field experiences in Sydney and local towns near Byron Bay in the fall and field experiences in Melbourne, Brisbane, an island in the Great Barrier Reef, the Outback, and nearby towns in the Spring.
  • Volunteer and internship opportunities
  • Courses such as Race, Power, and Indigineity; Multimedia Storytelling for an Interconnected World; and Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Sustainable Development

 Year 4

Fall Semester – International Research and Internship Semester

  • Choice of location in destinations such as any of the LIU centers – Costa Rica, Australia, China, or Spain; or partner organizations in Indonesia, Bosnia, Fiji, Morocco, etc. These are recommended locations, but students can make a case for just about anywhere with a reasonable level of safety
  • Completing the first stage of a senior thesis
  • A professional internship
  • A self-designed “special studies” program developed in consultation with advisors

Spring Semester

  • A full semester at LIU Brooklyn in New York City, NY
  • Completion of a senior thesis through work with faculty and mentors
  • An internationally oriented internship
  • Opportunities to enroll in LIU Brooklyn classes or participate in independent studies
  • An excursion to Washington, D.C.

 

FAQ’s

Now that I have broken down the school by year, I can do my best to answer questions I have gotten from almost everyone I have spoken to about the program.

  • Do students get typical breaks?

Yes, global students get a winter break and a summer break that are as long as breaks that typical college students take. They do not, however have major U.S. holidays like Labor Day, Thanksgiving, etc. off as programs operate on the schedule of the country in which it operates.

  • How many students are there?

Class size varies per year. My freshman year cohort started with 27 students and fluctuated throughout the 4 years. I graduated with a cohort of about 15 students.

  • Is it safe?

Upon arrival in a new country, students receive health and safety information, and all students fill out a form listing emergency contacts prior to departure. Program directors also keep a close eye on U.S. State Department travel warnings in regards to field trips and the primary program. In the case of medical emergencies, center directors are on call 24/7 to assist students with receiving medical attention. Beyond that, students are encouraged to be aware of their surroundings and exercise common sense.

  • Where do students live?

Over 4 years, Global students live with host families, and in apartments, university housing, and even a beach house.

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