Study Abroad

Why not travel the world while earning credit towards your diploma or degree? North Island College offers you the chance to participate in an International Exchange Program that will count for credit towards your NIC studies – and you will pay the same tuition fees you do at home.

The Study Abroad programs allow students to broaden their perspective by immersing themselves in the social, economic and political environment of another country. Participating students develop valuable intercultural skills and build lasting friendships and professional relationships with people from around the world.

Many NIC program areas offer study abroad opportunities, including Business Administration, Fine Arts, Nursing, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Social Sciences and Humanities. Depending on the program, exchanges take place in the fall, winter, or spring terms.

The available study abroad opportunities change frequently, so please be sure to contact the Study Abroad Coordinator for your program area to discuss your eligibility and options for exchange before submitting your application.

Before departing for study abroad experiences, students must attend a pre-departure workshop hosted by the International Education Office. Students will receive advice and assistance regarding travel, insurance, accommodation, and related issues.

Why Choose to Study Abroad?

Apart from the opportunity to study and live in an exotic locale, you will also:

• See the world, and experience a different culture. You will gain a broader perspective through exposure to another country’s culture, climate, institutions and worldview;
• Get a better job. Improve your employment prospects as a result of having lived and studied internationally;
• Improve your language skills. Students on exchange in Mexico will take their courses in Spanish, and those on exchange in France will take their courses in French. Students on exchange in Germany and Poland usually study in English, but they will have plenty of opportunities to study the German and Polish languages.
• Receive full academic credit for the courses you take while on exchange.

 

Study Abroad Opportunities

Business Administration and Tourism & Hospitality Management Programs

• Types of Exchange Opportunities
• Who is Eligible
• Where Can I go?
• Partner Institutions
• How to Apply

Types of Exchange Opportunities

DESHM

DESHM (Developing Environmentally Sensitive Hospitality Managers) is a project under which hospitality, tourism and business students from North Island College can attend a college or university in Mexico or the United States for 8 to 16 weeks. North Island College students will have the opportunity to participate in an exchange program with one of four international partner institutions and receive full academic credit towards their diploma or degree. The focus of the project is to develop an awareness of the issues of environmental and cultural sustainability as they relate to the hospitality and tourism industry. Students on DESHM exchanges take courses and complete projects concerning the environmental sustainability of the tourism and/or hospitality industries. Participating students will be required to take at least one course in this area while on exchange. Check out the DESHM brochure for more information.

DESHM exchanges are primarily for students in NIC’s Tourism and Hospitality Management Program, Adventure Tourism Program, and Business Administration Program. Students in other NIC programs will be considered for exchanges if they have the necessary background to undertake the required coursework at the host institution.

Interparse

Under the Interparse Project, Business Administration students study for a term at a host university in Poland, Germany, or France. In addition to full term exchanges, some students in NIC’s Globalization and International Business course will spend three weeks at a European host institution working on an import/export project immediately following the term work. Large numbers of students are exchanged among the European countries every term, and NIC students who go on Interparse exchanges say that one of the things they enjoy most is getting to know students from all over Europe.

Exchanges under the Interparse Project are primarily for students in NIC’s Business Administration Program. Students in other NIC programs will be considered for exchanges if they have the necessary background to undertake the required coursework at the host institution.

The Interparse and DESHM projects are made possible by the financial support of the Government of Canada through the International Academic Mobility Program, administered by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

Reciprocal Tuition Waiver Agreements

NIC works with partner institutions in several countries to provide opportunities for students to study abroad for one or two terms while remaining registered as a student at NIC. Students pay tuition fees at NIC and earn NIC credits for courses taken abroad at host institutions. Similar numbers of students from the partner institutions study at NIC.

Who is Eligible?

The Interparse and DESHM projects are supported by the Government of Canada under its International Academic Mobility initiative. To be eligible for an exchange under either of these projects a student must be:

1. between 15 and 30 years of age when selected for the exchange;
2. a North Island College student;
3. a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or a person who has been granted refugee status in Canada;
4. legally entitled to work in Canada; and
5. not in receipt of employment insurance (EI) benefits.

The age restriction does not apply to exchanges under reciprocal tuition waiver agreements.

 

Where Can I go?

Program	Host Institution	Location	Language of Instruction	Contact
INTERPARSE: International Trade Education in Partnership with Small and Medium Sized Enterprises	Warsaw School of Economics	Warsaw, Poland	English (also Polish, German, & French)	Nick Robinson
	Université Paris 13	Paris, France	French
	International School of Management	Dortmund, Germany	English (also German)
DESHM: Developing Environmentally Sensitive Hospitality Managers	Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán	Merida, Mexico	Spanish	Deborah Forsyth
	Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua	Chihuahua Mexico	Spanish
	Utah Valley University	Orem, United States	English
	Kapiolani Community College	Honolulu, United States	English
German DAAD Scholarship for Visiting NIC Exchange Student	International School of Management	Dortmund, Germany	English (also German)	Nick Robinson
Reciprocal Tuition Waiver Agreements	Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México	Mexico City	Spanish (Spanish language studies for English speakers may be an option)	Nick Robinson
	International School of Management	Dortmund, Germany	English (also German)
	Warsaw School of Economics	Warsaw, Poland	English (& Polish, German, French)

 

Partner Institutions

• Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Poland
• Université Paris 13, Paris, France
• International School of Management, Dortmund, Germany
• Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
• Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Mexico
• Utah Valley University , USA
• Kapiolani Community College, USA
• Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico

 

How to Apply

Prior to preparing an application, it is important that you meet with the Study Abroad Coordinator for your program area to learn about the current available opportunities. The following will give you an idea of the materials you will be expected to prepare when you are applying for an exchange.

Your application will consist of:

1. A completed Expression of Interest form
2. A statement of interest. This is one printed, single-spaced page, indicating why you are applying. You may wish to describe what you hope to gain from an exchange, what you have to contribute, how supportive your family is, etc.
3. An unofficial transcript
4. A resume, and
5. A letter of support. This letter may be from an instructor, an employer, or someone else who knows you well. It should not be from one of the instructors in North Island College’s Business Administration or Hospitality Management Departments as these people will be consulted directly as part of the selection process, and it should not be from a relative.

Submit your completed application package to:

For the Interparse Project and to Study Abroad Under Reciprocal Tuition Waiver Agreements: Nick Robinson Interparse Coordinator North Island College 1685 South Dogwood Street Campbell River, BC V9W 8C1 tel Mon. & Wed. 250 923 9758 (M&W) tel Tue. & Thu. 250 334-5000 ext 4125 (T&T) fax 250-923-9703 nick.robinson@nic.bc.ca

For the DESHM Project : Deborah Forsyth DESHM Coordinator North Island College 1685 South Dogwood Street Campbell River, BC V9W 8C1 tel 250 023 9765 fax 250-923-9703 deborah.forsyth@nic.bc.ca