Academics

Academic Program

SIT semester programs include the following components: one-week orientation, intensive language study, homestay (in urban and rural areas), thematic seminar, field methods seminar, independent study project (last month of program), and program evaluation.

Islam, Diaspora Communities, and the EU
Gain an understanding of the complex issues of cultural integration facing Muslim Diaspora communities in Europe today. Tremendous demographic shifts throughout Europe have altered the European social landscape, greatly increasing the visibility of Islam. Now numbering upwards of 20 million by some estimates, those comprising the Muslim Diaspora in Europe range from recently arrived immigrants to citizens whose families have been living in the region for generations. The integration of Muslim Diaspora communities has become one of the greatest challenges facing Western European society and the European Union.

From the program base in Utrecht, students explore issues including Islam in a European context, the Netherlands and policies of "tolerance", and policies of the European Union. Lectures and seminars are complemented by educational excursions, including visits to Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Antwerp.

A two-week module based in Istanbul, Turkey will examine themes from a Turkish perspective. Topics can include secularism and the EU, economic factors in migration, Turkish political reform, identity politics, and the division within Turkey regarding EU membership. There will be particular focus on the challenges Turkey faces in EU accession.

All students take the following courses:

• Islam, Diaspora Communities, and the EU Seminar.
• Language Study: Arabic.
• Field Study Seminar.
• Independent Study Project.

A listing of courses and syllabi can be found at:   Coursework: Islam, Diaspora Communities, and the EU.

Registration and Credits

Students participating in this program will be registered at the University of Oregon and will receive UO credits for courses taken on SIT programs. Students' course work will be reviewed and evaluated by appropriate academic departments at the UO. Students must keep everything pertaining to the independent study project.

Students are responsible for making sure that the courses they plan to take abroad will meet major and minor requirements. Students are advised to consult with their academic advisor about their plans to study in this SIT program.

Course Equivalencies

Courses in this program are approved on a periodic basis. The attached course equivalency shows the most recently approved courses. Courses that do not appear on this sheet will be approved for UO credit.

SIT Equivalencies

Host Program Website

For general information on SIT Study Abroad:  http://www.worldlearning.org/323.htm

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