NIU students who are tired of studying science and math here can have a chance to study abroad through NIU’s office of International and Special Programs.

This office offers a wide variety of courses which students from anywhere in the country can study through NIU in several different countries.

In the fall and spring, the length of classes is similar to NIU semesters. During the summer, classes meet for six weeks with a less structured format than the spring and fall. There are also weekly field trips to historical, literary and cultural sites.

NIU professors teach the courses for the summer program, but the fall and spring programs use foreign faculty.

Asdrid Raiser, research associate for International and Special Programs, said the cost varies according to the program.

Many of the fall and spring programs cost around $3,000. Anne Sauter, secretary to the dean of the International and Special Programs, said the summer programs range from $1,000 to $3,000, but usually do not include airfare.

Anyone can apply, but usually the student must be at least a sophomore with a 2.5 grade point average. “It depends on the program,” Raiser said. She said the program is very popular, since about 300 students participate each year.

Jim Findley, a finance and computer science student at NIU, participated in the summer program. He had an internship in Egypt two years in a row. “I had a good feeling about it or I wouldn’t have gone back. It was an eye-opening experience to go to a Third World country,” he said.