Study Abroad Main  > NDSU Sponsored Programs > MCTS

Study abroad in Middelburg, Netherlands

MCTS
http://www.ucmo.edu/mcts

(Most information on MCTS website still reflects location of Maastricht. 
Information should be updated soon.)

*Please note: Program has now moved from Maastricht to Middelburg, Netherlands.  For the Fall 2008 semester, spots are limited to 25 students total for MCTS program in Middelburg. Please ask study abroad advisor for more information.  

Organized by over 20 universities from across Europe, Mexico and the United States, MCTS brings faculty and students together in a central location to form a unique, interactive international learning community. Two semester-length study abroad programs are offered each year, with courses focusing on a comparative, multi-disciplinary approach to transatlantic and global issues. Classes are offered on a three and a half week basis, with students taking one course at a time. Field trips and travel opportunities take advantage of the Netherlands' central location which provides easy access to many of Europe's major cities and cultural areas.

About the city
Middelburg has about 50,000 people and is located near the coast in the southernmost part of the Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland.

Information on the city of Middelburg:  http://www.middelburg.nl/internet/engels/default.htm

The MCTS Program Structure
The MCTS program is housed on the campus of the Roosevelt Academy, an honors college of Utrecht University. Each teaching semester is divided into three intensive modules of three and one-half weeks. Students normally attend for a semester of 12-14 weeks; faculty members teach for a minimum period of three and one-half weeks. There are several courses available in each block, and each student will select one course offered by the Roosevelt Academy in addition to one course during each of the three blocks offered by the MCTS program.  Students select courses from these options for a total of four courses per semester. Time is provided between blocks to allow for student travel and movement of faculty.

Faculty members teach one module and are encouraged to work with their colleagues in integrating their courses to maximize student exposure to different perspectives and teaching strategies. Field trips into the surrounding environs are used to supplement and enrich classroom instruction.

Benefits of the Program
For students:   the possibility to participate in a unique, international educational program, and to move from a monocultural to a global perspective; the opportunity to establish international relationships, both personal and educational; the chance to live in the center of Europe with all of the travel and cultural benefits that attend the location; and to experience an informal and relaxed atmosphere with small class sizes.