BCSA consortium member profile: Simon Fraser University

With widespread evidence of the personal, academic, and societal benefits of students completing study abroad programs, BCCIE is profiling members of the British Columbia Study Abroad (BCSA) Consortium.

The BCSA Consortium is a group of BC post-secondary institutions that work together to encourage students to gain international academic experience by offering short-term study abroad programs across disciplines and countries around the world.

Simon Fraser University is our second profile.

SFU’s Field Schools

Open to anyone 19 years or older, with 30 units of post-secondary education, SFU’s field schools can be described as an extended field trip, or an off-campus delivery of SFU courses for a group of 10 to 20 students. Most field schools are full term programs, directed by an SFU instructor, consisting of 9 to 12 units of selected courses.

Students undertake a combination of coursework, assignments, and field studies intended to integrate learning with the location. Generally, programs begin at an SFU campus and then continue overseas. Students pay a program fee which covers most of the in-country costs of the program. In 2019, SFU’s Field Schools include Amsterdam, France, Greece, Prague, and Scotland.

“I am profoundly touched by the experience I had in Greece. Whether it was in the classroom, on a field trip, or adventures during our free time, the experience connected me with history in a way I never thought possible. It challenged me mentally, physically and emotionally,” says Karlie Tessmer, a 2017 SFU Field School participant.

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