Questions? (212) 986-0989
"It is one thing to study abroad, learn about a culture and see the sights. It is quite another thing to go beyond the temporary, visiting tourist status and collaborate with a community that will receive you as one of their own."
The Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies: Focus in International Service-Learning & Leadership (MAIS) program integrates rigorous academic study with substantive volunteer service in two nations, giving students opportunities to test theoretical knowledge through hands-on, practical experience in different cultures.
The MAIS program prepares skilled professionals to take on leadership roles in agencies serving the needs of diverse populations on the local and international levels. Special focus is placed on understanding service and leadership in international settings, where the laws, traditions, economies, and social institutions differ from those in the U.S.
The program begins at Portland State University (PSU), in Portland, Oregon, one of the most civically-engaged universities in the United States, for summer and fall course work and service placements. For the spring term, each student chooses to serve and learn at either the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica, or at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Mexico. (English language proficiency is required for the entire program; students choosing Mexico must also demonstrate Spanish language skill.) All students return to PSU for the summer and fall terms. The program takes 18 months to complete.
Though service is a required part of the program, academic credit is not given for the service. Rather, the service becomes an important resource for learning about the culture and its social institutions, and is used along with reading, class lectures, discussions, and other experiences in preparing the papers and assignments for the courses.
The MAIS program is an experiential learning program that blends the study of intercultural communication, social issues, service delivery, and inclusive leadership approaches with active engagement in service. IPSL partners with universities and agencies in the U.S., Jamaica, and Mexico, to give students varied perspectives on their intercultural and international experiences and studies.
The curriculum is designed so that students can gain capacity for intercultural engagement and a set of competencies in providing service and leadership for agencies and programs providing social services to diverse populations. The threads of serving, leading, learning, and reflection are woven throughout the program so that students are consistently given opportunities to test theory with practice and to reflect on their experiences serving in the community.
The program begins in July 2009 in Portland with intensive instruction in intercultural communication theory and practice at the internationally-known Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication. Students then participate in an intensive orientation seminar, learning about the theory and practice of service-learning and experiential learning in general, and being introduced to some of the practical issues of the program.
During the fall 2009 quarter at PSU, students serve in the Portland community; engage in structured reflection on their service, including an analysis of their host agency; and learn techniques and ethics of qualitative research, linking with a potential thesis advisor. They also take course work in inclusive leadership and service-learning.
In January 2010, students move to Jamaica or Mexico to continue their studies, engage in service, and live in a homestay with a local family. Students again reflect on their service and analyze their host agency, this time in a different culture and nation. Students take courses that help them understand the social, cultural, political, and historical realities of their host nation, and work on their research with assistance from a local adviser and through distance learning with PSU.
In summer 2010, all students return to Portland, where they continue their studies and engage in another service placement. They remain in Portland through the fall 2010 quarter, continuing to serve and to work on their theses while taking a capstone seminar together as a cohort. An elective in a special area of focus may be possible during this term.
PSU awards credit for the demonstrated academic learning done at the Summer Institute for Intercultural Communication and recognizes all studies completed in Mexico and Jamaica. Upon successful completion of the program, students are awarded the Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies from Portland State University.
In Portland, students will have opportunities to serve in agencies that serve diverse populations, both domestic and international, in areas such as refugee resettlement, special education, international disaster relief, community services, public health, and environmental restoration.
In Jamaica or Mexico, areas of service include education, health care, and community development. Students have served with international organizations such as Habitat for Humanity and the International Red Cross, as well as with smaller, local organizations such as the YMCA, educational institutions, prisoner rehabilitation initiatives, and homes for young single mothers. The service may be direct human care such as assisting orphans or the disabled, or it might draw upon and develop organizational and leadership skills, such as designing educational programs for children or assisting in the development, implementation, or running of social service programs of all kinds.
While in Portland, you may choose to live in a dormitory, a private apartment, or a homestay. In Mexico or Jamaica, you will live in a homestay with a local family, who introduces you to family life in the culture and provides some of your meals.
Check back in November 2008 for details on tuition & fees. Details on Financial Aid & Scholarships >>
Applications will be available in November 2008, and may be submitted through PSU. Check back for more details. Applications are due February 1, 2009.
More details on the program will be posted here in November 2008. Feel free to contact IPSL at (212) 986-0989 or info@ipsl.org to discuss details of the program and the application and financial aid processes. We welcome your inquiries.
