Off-Campus Studies

Council for Christian Colleges and Universities

Trevecca Nazarene University is one of the members in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, a Washington D.C.-based organization which was founded in 1976. Students benefit directly from Trevecca's involvement in the CCCU through participation in culture-shaping programs. A partial description of each program as presented by CCCU is listed below. Eligibility requirements and detailed program descriptions are available at www.bestsemester.com. Trevecca generally assigns credit as recommended by the individual programs. Some offer specific course credits; others offer variable credits. While Trevecca works with other institutions in the offering of these credits, matters related to approval, acceptance of coursework, the assignment of grades, and course titles and descriptions are determined by Trevecca personnel and must be in compliance with Trevecca's policies and procedures.* Application materials and information on these programs can be secured from the Center for Student Development. Completion of Trevecca application materials should be prerequisite to processing the online application available on the BestSemester web site. Because of the nature of these programs, students are advised to work with the financial aid office to determine whether or not aid is available to them for a particular program.

*Note: When the possibility of 18 credit hours is indicated, enrollment requires prior approval of the program and the home campus.

American Studies Program

Since 1976, the American Studies Program has served as an experiential learning laboratory for students committed to connecting their faith to public affairs. Nearly 500 of ASP's 3,000+ alumni have returned to work in the DC metro area in a variety of professional fields—private and public, for-profit and non-profit. In addition to an internship and Leadership and Vocation course, students apply to either the Public Policy track or the Strategic Communication track. The Public Policy track equips and supports students in their analysis of a pressing public policy issue; each student produces original research by engaging area experts and practitioners off-site and in the classroom as they investigate the local, national and global factors that influence policy-making in Washington, D.C. The Strategic Communication track engages Washington, D.C.-based organizations and communication professionals to explore the role of strategic communication in achieving organizational goals; field-work activities explore current best practices in communicating critical organizational messages to key internal and external constituents and stakeholders. ASP students earn 15-16 semester hours of credit.

Australia Studies Centre

The Australia Studies Centre (ASC) is offered in partnership with Christian Heritage College (CHC), a CCCU affiliate member in Carindale, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. The ASC is designed to integrate the firsthand observation and study of Australian culture, history, religion, politics and indigenous cultures together with experiential service learning and formal instruction in Christian Studies, Business, Ministries, Social Sciences and Education and Humanities. Every student is required to take "The View from Australia: Issues in Religion, Politics, Economics & Cultural Values" and required to select either "Australian Aboriginal Cultures" or "Indigenous Cultures in Australia & Aotearoa (New Zealand)." Additionally, students choose two units from CHC's offerings in Christian Studies, Business, Ministries, Social Sciences, Liberal Arts, or Education and Humanities. Students live with Australian families and volunteer with local community service providers. Trips vary by semester but may include excursions to the Australian Outback, Aboriginal Communities and New Zealand. ASC students earn 16 semester hours of credit.

Contemporary Music Center

The Contemporary Music Center provides students with the opportunity to live and work in the refining context of community while seeking to understand how God will have them integrate music, faith and business. The CMC offers three tracks: Artist, Business and Technical. The Artist Track is tailored to students considering careers as vocalists, musicians, songwriters, recording artists, performers and producers. The Business Track is designed for business, arts management, marketing, communications and related majors interested in possible careers as artist managers, agents, record company executives, music publishers, concert promoters and entertainment industry entrepreneurs. The Technical Track prepares students for careers in live sound, concert lighting and studio recording. Students within each of the tracks receive instruction, experience, and a uniquely Christ-centered perspective on creativity and the marketplace, while working together to mount and execute a week-long tour at the end of the semester. Each track includes coursework, labs, directed study, and a practicum. CMC students earn up to 16 hours of credit.

Latin American Studies Program

Based in San José, Costa Rica, the Latin American Studies Program introduces students to a wide range of experiences through the study of the language, literature, culture, politics, history, economics, ecology and religion of the region. Through living with local families, students become a part of the day-to-day lives of Latin Americans. Students also take part in a practicum/internship and travel to nearby Central American nations. Students participate in one of four concentrations: Latin American studies (offered both fall and spring terms); advanced language and literature (designed for Spanish majors and offered both terms); international business (offered only in fall terms); and biological science (offered only during spring terms). Depending on their concentration, students travel to nearby Central American nations. LASP students earn 16-18* semester credits.

Los Angeles Film Studies Center

Founded in 1991, the Los Angeles Film Studies Center trains students to serve in various aspects of the film industry with professional skill and Christian integrity. Each semester, students live, learn and work in one of the primary film and television production centers in Los Angeles. LAFSC seeks to prepare students for placement in the mainstream Hollywood film industry, ideally in decision-making positions, with a Christ-centered vision to dynamically influence film content, production processes, and interpersonal relationships. In addition, LAFSC aims to develop advocates to advance an informed and discerning approach to understanding the media and an appreciation and support for the work of peers in Hollywood. LAFSC students earn up to 16 hours of credit.

Middle East Studies Program

Based in Amman, Jordan, this program offers students the unique opportunity to become immersed in the complex, modern Middle East. Under the guidance of a staff with over 30 years of experience living in the region, students live together in a close-knit community and explore the diverse religious, social, cultural and political traditions of Middle Eastern peoples through interdisciplinary seminars. Students also earn up to 6 credits of advanced Arabic language and serve at local organizations with the opportunity to earn intercultural internship/practicum credit throughout the semester. During the program’s substantial travel components (recently including Israel/Palestine, Islamic Spain, Morocco, and Turkey), students participate in homestays and discover the diversity and dynamism of Middle Eastern cultures by experiencing their foods, customs, schools, neighborhoods, and places of worship. At a time of change in the Middle East, MESP empowers and equips students to relate to Muslim, Eastern Christian, and Jewish peoples in a guided and Christ-centered approach. MESP students earn 15-18* semester hours of credit.

Oxford Summer Programme

The Oxford Summer Programme pairs students with Oxford University professors to do intensive scholarship in the oldest university in the English-speaking world. During the four-week programme, students hone their research and writing skills and delve into their chosen disciplines, occasionally traveling the United Kingdom to explore the relationship between Christianity and the development of the British Isles. Seminars and tutorials (one-on-one mentorship sessions with expert Oxford scholars) feature specialized topics in the areas of English language and literature, history, art, science, philosophy, and theology. The programme is structured for rising college sophomores, juniors, and seniors, as well as graduate and seminary students, non-traditional students, teachers, and those enrolled in continuing education programs. OSP students earn up to 6 hours of credit.

Scholars' Semester in Oxford

The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford is specifically designed for students seeking an academically rigorous and robust experience. As official Registered Visiting Students of Oxford University, students study within Oxford’s acclaimed tutorial pedagogy to receive weekly, one-on-one instruction from a faculty composed of widely published authors, historians, former international ambassadors, and other celebrated scholars. Students choose from hundreds of subjects within the disciplines of Classics, English Language and Literature, History, History of Art, Modern Languages (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Russian), Musicology, Philosophy, Psychology, or Theology, and earn access to Oxford’s 119 libraries featuring 11 million books and outstanding electronic resources. SSO also offers 18 thematic or integrative concentrations including Gender Studies, Film Studies, Philosophy of Science, and more. If choosing to return for a second term, students write a substantial thesis on a topic of their choice. Applicants are generally honors students and must have at minimum a 3.7 GPA to be considered for the programme. SSO students earn 17 semester hours of credit for a semester and may complete two semesters of the programme.

Uganda Studies Program

The Uganda Studies Program immerses students in local communities, Ugandan campus life, and a broad range of cultures and places within Uganda and Rwanda. Students choose to live either with a host family for the semester or on campus at Uganda Christian University (UCU), an international affiliate member of the CCCU located 15 miles east of the capital city of Kampala. Students forge meaningful relationships with their Ugandan peers, faculty members, and host families while exploring issues such as poverty, cultural expressions of Christianity and missions, and the reconciliation between the realities of East Africa and their Christian faith. Students enroll in one of three tracks: General Studies Emphasis (GSE), Global Health Emphasis (GHE), or Social Work Emphasis (SWE). Students in the Social Work Emphasis (SWE) participate in an MSW-guided Junior-level or Senior-level Social Work Practicum (up to 400 practicum hours) at a variety of sites, including Compassion International and locally founded aid organizations, approved in consultation with the CSWE. Global Health Emphasis (GHE) students take advanced global health courses and participate in the Cross Cultural Practicum at a health-related organization to engage broader issues of international aid, development, and public health. General Studies Emphasis (GSE) students select from a variety of UCU electives including languages, health, religions, literature, and politics, and may also choose to receive practicum credit through service at Cross-Cultural Practicum sites in a variety of fields. USP students earn 13-21* hours of credit.

Army ROTC

All university students in the Nashville area may participate in the Army ROTC program at Vanderbilt University. While Vanderbilt serves as the host university, students enrolled in other area colleges and universities are not charged additional tuition to take military science courses. Grades are transferred back to each university and added to the student’s transcript. A Trevecca student who has successfully completed requirements for a Trevecca bachelor's degree program and successfully completed the Army ROTC program at Vanderbilt will receive a commission in the Army, as well as the degree from Trevecca.

Students who are enrolled full time at Trevecca may take Army ROTC courses at Vanderbilt University, and if credit is received for the coursework, transfer the credit to Trevecca. A Trevecca student who has earned a minimum of 18 credit hours in military science courses will have his/her graduation requirement of a Trevecca minor waived.

Students who participate in the Army ROTC program from area schools receive all benefits, privileges, and compete for scholarships on the same basis as full-time students enrolled at Vanderbilt University. Upon graduation, there is an active duty or reserve forces duty (Army Reserve or National Guard) obligation.

Army Officer Education (Army ROTC)

The Army Officer Education Program (ROTC) is a sequential and progressive academic program that provides pre-commission training for college-educated men and women who desire to serve as commissioned officers in the active Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard. As the Army’s largest commissioning source, it fulfills a vital role in providing mature young men and women for leadership and management positions in an increasingly technological Army. Admission is open to both men and women who meet mental, moral, and physical qualifications.

Training goes beyond the typical college classroom and is designed to build individual confidence and self-discipline, instill values and ethics, and develop leadership skills. The course load consists of one course per semester. Each succeeding year will address course topics in greater depth as students receive feedback on their leadership style and assume positions of greater responsibility within the program. Graduates are commissioned as Second Lieutenants. Upon completion of training, all commissioned officers will have follow-on employment in the Army Reserve, National Guard, or active duty. Educational delays may be granted for graduates who desire to pursue advanced degrees.

Scholarships. Students can earn merit scholarships in several ways. High school seniors can compete for three- and four-year scholarships through a centrally managed board. The application window opens during the summer prior to applicants’ senior year. Scholarships also can be awarded through the Army ROTC through a local on-campus scholarship board. All students are eligible to compete for scholarships. Scholarship students receive financial benefits that cover the cost of full tuition scholarships each year, an annual $1,200 book allowance, all uniforms, and a monthly tax-free stipend beginning at $300 for freshmen and increasing to $500 for seniors. All students enrolled in the Army ROTC program are provided textbooks and uniforms at no expense. Contracted non-scholarship students also receive the monthly stipend from $300 to $500 depending on the academic level. For more information, see the Web site at www.goarmy.com/rotc.

Summer training. Students have the opportunity to attend several training events over the summer:

• Cadet Leader Course — This five-week leadership exercise at Fort Knox, Kentucky, is a commissioning requirement. This course is normally completed between the junior and senior years. Travel, room, and board are provided free, and cadets are paid approximately $700.
• Cultural Understanding and Language Program (CULP) Internships — Students are encouraged to spend a semester, special or summer session in academic studies abroad if feasible. Special incentives are available to further attract qualified students to these valuable programs.
• Cadet Troop and Leadership Training Internships (CTLT) — CTLT Internships are leadership development opportunities for students who are placed with military organizations throughout the world to gain perspective and understanding of the role of the military officer.
• Cadet Professional Field Training (CPFT) — Airborne, Air Assault, Mountain Warfare, Robin Sage (US Special Forces), Helicopter Flight Training, and Sapper.

Other training opportunities exist for qualified applicants who are interested.

Commissioning and career opportunities. A commission in the U.S. Army is a distinctive honor earned through hard work, demonstrated commitment, and a desire to serve the nation. Post-graduate military education, usually starting within six months of graduation and commissioning and continuing through the officer’s service career, begins with the basic officer leadership course that qualifies new lieutenants in their specific branch of service. Education delays are available for critical specialties requiring postgraduate civilian education such as law and medical degrees.

For more information, visit www.vanderbilt.edu/Army/ or telephone the Enrollment Officer at 615-343-7616 or 615-322-8550.