MSU Study Abroad Programs

MSU Study Abroad Programs provide IAH courses that incorporate the experiential learning experience.

For a current list of IAH courses in MSU study abroad programs visit Current IAH Study Abroad Courses.

For course descriptions of current IAH courses in the Study Abroad Program, visit IAH Study Abroad Course Descriptions.

For successful examples of IAH courses offered in Study Abroad Programs, click one of the following:

• IAH 211B: Area Studies: Asia
• IAH 231B: Human Conflict and Moral Issues

Guidelines for IAH courses in Study Abroad Programs

• All IAH courses offered through study abroad programs must be interdisciplinary and discrete in content from other course offerings. Instructors may not give credit for both an IAH course and a disciplinary course using the same syllabus (i.e., IAH courses may not be cross-listed with other departmental alpha-codes).
• All syllabi must be reviewed by CISAH each year before enrollment is opened for the course. Those courses developed prior to Spring 2007 must be submitted to CISAH to ensure that the courses are consistent with the Guidelines developed for IAH courses in 2007 (updated in 2008) and adhere to the MSU Code of Teaching Responsibility.
• Language instruction cannot be counted as part of the contact hours for an IAH course. No percentage of the grade may be allotted to language learning. While some courses may include instruction in a foreign language, the language learning is complementary, not the primary focus. With this in mind, students should not be graded on their competence of a language other than the language of instruction. Discussions may be held in a language other than English, but course-based instruction of the language will not occur.
• All IAH courses offered through study abroad programs must include a minimum of 56 contact hours, including classroom time and experiential activities. CISAH recommends that such programs be at least 4 weeks in length. Experiential activities must be directed or guided. When it is not possible to direct or guide the IAH course at an experiential site, students must be given clear objectives and/or study guides.
• The substantial proportion of course instruction is to be delivered by the instructor of record. Portions of classroom instruction may be led by guest lecturers, provided those lectures contribute to the content of the course and the course's learning outcomes.
• Instructors of record must hold a terminal degree in order to teach IAH on study abroad programs.
• When an IAH course is offered as part of a study abroad program, at least 60% of the instruction must take place abroad. IAH courses should not include significant online instruction unless it is for an on-campus portion of the course.
• Starting US2009, students taking IAH courses as part of a study abroad program must meet all pre-requisites for the course. Specifically, fulfillment of the Tier 1 writing requirement is a prerequisite for IAH A-courses (#201-210), and completion of the IAH A-course requirement is a prerequisite for IAH B-courses (#211-241). Upon appeal by IAH program faculty, CISAH may consider waiving the prerequisite on the basis of extenuating circumstances.