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University of Minnesota: MSID Thailand (Outgoing Program)

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Fact Sheet:
Fact Sheet:
Area of Study: Art, Education, Environmental Studies, Health - Population Health/Community & Global Health, International Relations Experience / Activity Type: Classes, Field Study, Internship
Credit type: Apply for transfer credit Minimum GPA: 2.5
Class Eligibility: Junior, Senior Housing Option: Homestay
Number of Credits: 12+ Host: External Program: Provider Organization
AACSB accredited: NO Global Exchange Lehigh (GEL): NO
Click here for a definition of this term Global Engineering Consortium: NO
Program Description:
MSID Thailand
 
 


MSID—International Development in Thailand

Study international development in Thailand, the only southeast Asian country not colonized by European powers and a hub for manufacturing, agriculture, and tourism. You’ll also contribute through an internship or research project with a nonprofit organization while you are there. Explore the complexities created by issues such as environment, globalization, public health, and social justice.

Academics

  • Program type:
    Combine classes at an MSID study center with an extended internship or research project
  • Level:
    3,000–4,000 level courses
  • Term:
    Fall semester, spring semester
  • Prerequisites:
    2.5 GPA; juniors and seniors
  • Courseload:
    You are required to take 16 credits for fall or spring semester. Add 4 credits for optional language pre-session.

Faculty

Mark A. Ritchie, Ph.D., Executive Director
Mark has lived in Thailand for more than 20 years, working with local communities, international development work, as well as international education. Originally from the United States, Mark studied the transition of agrarian rural communities in Northern Thailand, and has been involved in project evaluation and assessment, participatory development research, and training of local communities in Asia. He founded ISDSI with his wife, Dana E.C. Ritchie, 15 years ago, and is currently working on empowering local communities through international education.

How to Apply

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About This Program

Learning from experience is the core of Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID). The program puts you in direct contact with the social and economic realities of actual communities and of people working within them to address complex problems. Through classes, field trips, and an extended internship or research placement, MSID strives to establish a continual dialogue linking experience with theory and critical analysis. Learn more about the MSID mission and educational philosophy.

Homestays are an integral component of the learning experience, and often a highlight for participants. Your family provides not only housing and most meals, but is also an important connection to Thai culture. Most students live with two host families—one during the classroom phase and a second one during the internship/research phase.

Delve into hands-on learning in Thailand. Spend seven weeks engaged in coursework in Chiang Mai, followed by six weeks working as an intern or conducting a research project. The internship and research experience is the cornerstone of the MSID program, and may be where you will learn the most. Your placement will be with an agency engaged in grassroots work related your selected track, and will immerse you in the social realities of the poorer strata of the population.

About the Learning Abroad Center

About Learning Abroad Center," change the first paragraph to this: The Learning Abroad Center in the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance is the University of Minnesota's comprehensive resource for study, intern, community engagement, research, and volunteer experiences worldwide.

The Learning Abroad Center is a leader in providing innovative international learning experiences that expand and redefine the world for a diverse population of students, colleagues, and staff. The Learning Abroad Center staff and University of Minnesota faculty and staff participate in numerous leadership opportunities and serve on the advisory boards of organizations who provide and/or support education abroad programs. Through collaboration and individual attention, the Learning Abroad Center continues to promote empowerment, development, understanding, and responsibility in the global community.

A variety of program options--more than 180 programs in 50 countries--have been developed to address the diverse needs of students. Programs vary in length, level, academic focus, teaching format, language requirements, cost, and degree of independence demanded of the participant.

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