The College of Charleston is now offering an International Scholars Program, which is designed for students who are committed to finding solutions to critical global issues and who want to be comfortable moving between different cultures and languages. The first class of International Scholars will enter the College as freshmen in fall 2012. The program is a partnership between the Honors College and the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs.

Admission to the International Scholars Program is highly competitive. Students must have strong SAT and ACT scores, be ranked in at least the 95th percentile of their high school graduating class, and have an average unweighted GPA should be 3.8 or higher.

High school seniors may apply to the International Scholars Program as part of the application process for admission to the Honors College. Only high school seniors who have been accepted into the Honors College will be considered for the program.

“The International Scholars Program offers some of the top students in the Honors College the opportunity to design their own interdisciplinary academic experience,” says John Newell, dean of the Honors College. “These students come to college with a strong foreign language background, rigorous high school coursework and a desire to apply a specific area of academic interest to the global arena. Their insight into international issues leads them to be strong contributors to class discussions and to take initiative across campus to advocate for the global community.”

Students who are accepted to the program will develop a clear and comprehensive understanding of global issues and international perspectives. They will study abroad during the month of May at the end of their freshman year with a professor who is affiliated with the International Studies Program. The focus of May Away is on several global issues that students explore in a variety of international settings. The experience will give International Scholars a more informed perspective on other cultures and peoples.

International Scholars are required to have two majors, one of which is international studies, and complete a three-year language requirement. They will also study or intern abroad during their junior and/or senior years and receive a substantial stipend for this program, and they may apply for additional funding from the Center for International Education.

All International Scholars will meet regularly with mentors who have worked with the State Department or been executives with an international company. They will use the experiences they have had while living and working all around the world to guide students as they develop wide-ranging and international perspectives. Mentors include: a former general counsel for Coca-Cola Greater Europe, a former vice president of MBNA/Bank of America in London, a former Foreign Service officer and a former deputy chief of mission for India, among others.

David Cohen, dean of the School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs explains, “Among the issues that will challenge our citizens in the future are trade, migration, human rights, climate change, and a shift in wealth from West to East. Our International Scholars will emerge from this program as leaders who have the knowledge and skills needed to make a difference at home and abroad.”

For more information, contact Douglas Friedman at friedmand@cofc.edu or visit http://intlscholars.cofc.edu/.