SCHOOL OF Humanities (SOH) juniors will have a chance to go on a Junior Term Abroad (JTA) as early as next semester.
Students can opt to go to Japan, France, Spain, Malaysia, the United States, Australia, Germany, or Belgium for the SOH JTA, said Dean Ma. Luz Vilches, Ph.D.
“If a university wants to show that it can be in par with the rest of the world, then having student exchange programs would be a normal thing to do,” she said.
The preparations for the SOH JTA began last year, when Vilches was on leave. “Dr. [Benilda] Santos did the facts and figures to prepare for this, so the actual working of it happened this year,” said Vilches.
There are currently SOH juniors whose papers are under processing for their JTA.
SOH is the second to have a school-wide JTA program, after the John Gokongwei School of Management (JGSOM).
Requirements
Vilches said that anybody can go abroad, but it is the “experience of engaging in learning” in other universities that matters in the SOH JTA.
A Quality Point Index of 3 is required for juniors who will apply to the SOH JTA. Students can choose to pay the tuition fees in the University, or in the university in their country of choice.
As of press time, Vilches said there are seven slots open in French universities. Six Spanish universities have also agreed to the program. Three to four slots are available for universities using English as the language of instruction. Unlimited slots are available in Australia for the latter fee-paying option.
No tuition aid is available for scholars yet since this is still the pilot program. Vilches said, however, that setting up a funds campaign is part of the goal for the SOH JTA.
Global competitiveness
“I’d like for [Ateneans] to be able to see their humanities education beyond the very narrow window,” said Vilches. Humanities majors have many opportunities in the Ateneo, she said.
SOH majors agreed that the JTA will open doors to enriching their learning outside the University.
“It’s a good program to be able to have learning experiences abroad, because the humanities programs there are good,” said Carina Bianca Maria Guerrero (III AB Lit Eng).
Jean Carlo Oshima (III AB IS), who had experience living abroad, said “[Studying abroad] makes you internationally capable and opens you to possibilities.”
Mercedes Monica Tiosejo (III AB Lit Eng) said that SOH should prepare students for the JTA. “Even the advanced language classes cannot prepare [us] enough for the academic level [other countries use].”
“I would love to go, if only we had the money,” said Karla Patricia Placido (II AB Lit Eng). She said, however, that the JTA is a good idea, especially for European Studies majors.
“We may get new insights while in the JTA. For me, hindi lang siya acad thing eh (it is not only an academic thing),” Placido added. “I think it’ll let you grow, be a more well-rounded person.”
