Students study abroad on ship

Landlovers need not apply to the University of Pittsburg's Semester At Sea program that takes students out of the traditional classrooms and into the cultures of 11 different countries.

Nearly 600 students from 250 colleges and universities across the nation take part in the Semester At Sea program each semester.

Students take one semester to travel to countries including Canada, Vietnam, Morocco, while taking classes aboard the S.S. Universe Explorer, a cruise liner that doubles as a "floating university." Three University students are enrolled in this semester's program.

"Students have had a very rich, cultural and positive experience through the program," said Aparajita Mazumder, director of International Programs in Engineering for the University.

Mazumder said students enroll in courses in social sciences and humanities disciplines, which take advantage of the coinciding cultural experience.

"Classes are taught from the international perspective," said Paul Watson, director of Enrollment Management for Semester At Sea. "Students capitalize on the cultural experience in such courses as world music and comparative religions," he said.

Students in the program generally take four courses, which transfer from the University of Pittsburgh to the University of Michigan as 12 credit hours. But some schools refuse to accredit the courses.

Among these schools is Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., which only recently decided to reject the Semester At Sea credits.

Johns Hopkins "thought students would have a better cultural experience in one place," said Ruth Aranow, Johns Hopkins coordinator for study abroad. Aranow said Johns Hopkins doesn't accept the credits in order to discourage students from taking

part in the program.

Watson said he strongly disagrees with the school's approach, adding that "some schools think study abroad should be based in one country, but they are simply misinformed."

Many smaller schools also may discourage students from joining the program, Watson said, because it could create a loss in tuition.

"Its a shame," said Johns Hopkins senior Fred Seguritan, who took part in the fall '98 trip. "They don't think it's academic enough. They think it's just a tour.

"Really, it was the best learning experience of my life," Seguritan said. "I felt I understood enough of the culture of each country in five days."

LSA senior Jennifer McGivern also spent the fall '98 semester aboard the S.S. Universe Explorer. "A lot of kids did screw off and party all the time," McGivern said.

"I definitely don't think the classes are as rigorous as here, but it depends on what you made of it," said McGivern. "It just makes sense to study Hindu Art when you're traveling to India."

But, Engineering senior Derek Sloane stressed the trip's cultural - not academic - impact.

"It was one of the best things I've ever done in my life," said Sloane, who attended the program along with McGivern.

"All the countries we went to, all the things we saw, really opened my eyes," Sloane said.

12-10-99