Global Scholar Exchange Program

What is the Global Scholar Exchange Program?

The Global Scholar Exchange program offers an amazing opportunity for you to explore and immerse yourself in a new country and culture. Earn a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies and spend a semester abroad studying global media and systems at the prestigious Catholic University of Portugal (UCP) in Lisbon.

The Global Scholar Exchange program fosters international and intercultural collaboration between Kent State University and Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon while students gain global experience working with Portuguese graduate students and faculty in the two-year collaborative program.

Begin exploring the Global Scholar Exchange program today. Enhance the value of your master's degree and empower your future!

Eligibility

Students must be enrolled in the graduate program.

Students must not be under contract for a teaching assistantship or for a graduate assistantship during their semester abroad.

Program Costs

Students pay Kent State tuition throughout the program, even while studying abroad at the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon.

Housing Costs

*Housing fees MUST be paid in advance of the semester abroad (i.e., by Spring 2015 for a Fall 2015 semester abroad)

Students are responsible for their own housing costs, meals and additional expenses throughout the program. Students will reside at the City of Lisbon Foundation Student Residence facility. The facility features computer and study rooms with wi-fi, living and dining rooms, individual lockers, full kitchen, microwave, refrigerator, freezer and laundry area. Students will share space with the rest of the American student cohort.

Rent for the shared space is extremely affordable, as low as $225 a month per person (based on four-person occupancy). More information on final housing costs will be available upon request and is dependent on exchange rates and the final count of students in each apartment.

Program Structure and Curriculum

While in Lisbon, Kent State students will take courses taught in English with UCP professors. Because the American and Portuguese credit-hour systems differ, Kent State graduate faculty will advise students on their course loads prior to registration. Courses at UCP last eight weeks (mid-October to mid-December) and meet Wednesdays through Fridays in the late afternoon.

First Semester:
Students from both cohorts remain at their home institutions.
(e.g., Fall 2014: Students remain at their home institutions.)

Second Semester:
Portuguese students arrive at Kent State and take courses with the School of Communication Studies cohort. (e.g., Spring 2015: UCP students study at Kent State.)

Third Semester:
Kent State students study abroad in Lisbon and take courses with the Catholic University of Portugal cohort. (e.g., Fall 2015: Kent State students study at UCP in Lisbon.)

Fourth Semester:
Students finish remaining courses and capstone projects at their home institutions. (e.g., Spring 2016: Students finish remaining courses and capstone projects at their home institutions.)

Courses include:

Media Programming Strategies
Digital Gaming
Communication and Leadership
Cultural Industries: Theory and Practice
Media, Society and Culture
Television Studies
Information Society, Knowledge and Culture

Safety and Responsibility

The School of Communication Studies encourages students to act as representatives of their department, University and country while they study abroad. Students are required to sign a Waiver of Responsibility with their application for the study abroad portion of this program.

Travel.State.Gov provides information about international travel, health and safety, entry/exit requirements and country-specific information. The State Department also provides recommendations for students who are studying abroad.

Near Campus

Campo Grande Garden
Major highways and city access points
Portela Airport
Several universities
Libraries
Museums
Parks
Public transportation

Program Contact

Mei-Chen Lin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator
mlin@kent.edu