While studying in Scotland, students will have the chance to visit famous landmarks such as Eileen Dolan Castle.
Imagine living in a castle, taking a wide range of courses and being minutes away from the largest city in the country.
These experiences are being made possible for students in the new Experience Scotland program provided through Murray State’s Office of Study Abroad.
Robyn Pizzo, education abroad adviser, said the Scotland program started as a way for students to have an affordable study abroad option in an English-speaking country.
“This program is great for students who want to study abroad and experience a new setting without going too far out of their comfort zone,” Pizzo said.
Students live in Dalkeith, Scotland in Dalkeith Palace, which was built in the early 18th century.
Experience Scotland is offered as a semester program and through summer programs, which are divided into three modules.
Each module lasts for three weeks and provides students with three credit hours.
Shannon MacAllister, sophomore from Auburn, Ky., said she chose to participate in the Scotland program this summer to be able to see where her family comes from, and also to gain more independence and freedom.
“I feel like this program will give me the ability and confidence to travel alone,” MacAllister said. “It is a life skill that I think will become valuable to me in my future.”
She said the experience will help to make her more marketable in the future to potential employers.
Kathy Callahan, a professor in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, said she is excited to see the educational opportunities that will be available to students through the new program.
“They will see what it means to live in a different country and learn more about their own country through comparison,” she said.
Callahan said students will get to meet people with different points of view, opinions and experiences than their own, which can add to their educational experience.
“Study abroad programs such as the Scotland program are a great way for students to get involved and learn more about themselves,” she said.
Some of the courses offered through the program include introduction to philosophy, religion, magic and witchcraft, women’s studies and introduction to art.
Callahan said the courses are selected two years in advance to allow students to be able to plan their schedules to best fit their academic goals.
Students are required to take a globalization course during the program, to help better understand the culture and their surroundings.
Pizzo said this is an interesting time for students to travel and experience Scotland, since this year its citizens are voting on possibly becoming independent from the United Kingdom.
“Americans can feel a lot of empathy for the situation,” Pizzo said. “It will be interesting to see this perspective and to be able to view how the citizens feel about this important issue.”
Pizzo said the cost of the semester program is similar to the cost of going to Murray State for a semester.
The average scholarship awarded to students is $2,000 and the minimum scholarship awarded is $500.
The application and scholarship deadline for the Experience Scotland and all spring, summer and fall programs is Jan. 31.
Story by Rebecca Walter, Staff Writer
