Mobility, Society, and Governance in North America
Notre Dame, Indiana
Location
Notre Dame is situated just north of South Bend, Indiana, a city of 100,000 people located 90 miles east of Chicago and 120 miles north of Indianapolis. Many cultural activities are available in the area and open countryside is not far away. Art, music, and theater enthusiasts will find plenty of exciting shows at South Bend’s Morris Performing Arts Center and the University’s Debartolo Performing Arts Center. Sports lovers have a huge array of Notre Dame sports to root for and the opportunity watch minor league baseball in South Bend. The more active can get involved in a wide range of intramural sports, take a trip down South Bend’s Olympic kayaking course, or bicycle along the St. Joseph River. In addition to taking part in the city’s active social scene, students often take advantage of day trips to nearby larger cities or other attractions. Opportunities include professional sports games, amusement parts such as Six Flags or Cedar Point, time at the sand dunes of nearby Lake Michigan, or even a visit to the local Amish communities in northern Indiana. Whatever one’s interest, there is likely an outlet for it at Notre Dame or in relatively close proximity.
The University of Notre Dame
"Nowhere else but Notre Dame." This familiar phrase to those who study, work, and live at the University exemplifies the myriad of unique and diverse opportunities available to those who are part of the University community. Since its founding in 1842 by Rev. Edward F. Sorin, CSC, Notre Dame has grown to become one of the world’s premier Catholic institutions of higher learning. While proudly continuing its Catholic heritage, with the founding Congregation of Holy Cross priests and brothers still serving and leading the University, Notre Dame seeks to engage people from all faiths and backgrounds, creating a vigorous and lively academic environment where further exploration and discovery is the norm.
There are many traditions at Notre Dame—one of the more famous is the football team. A football Saturday here is an experience like no other, and even for those not as interested in the sport, there is a sense of belonging and enjoyment that comes from taking part in the day. Another prominent tradition here is commitment to service. Through organizations such as the Kellogg Institute for International Studies and the Center for Social Concerns, many at the University are committed to improving the lives of others around the world, whether through rigorous academic research that highlights human needs or through direct service, such as domestic and international immersion trips during academic break periods.
The University of Notre Dame expects excellence in every area of University life. From academics to research to well-equipped buildings and classrooms, Notre Dame does all it can to ensure students and professors have the most and best scholarly opportunities possible. The beauty of the campus is breathtaking, with two lakes, wooded areas, spacious quads, and aesthetically pleasing buildings interspersed with—such as the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the 14–story Hesburgh Library with its 132–feet–high mural depicting Christ the Teacher, and the University’s beautifully renovated 128–year–old Main Building with its famed Golden Dome—are among the most widely known university landmarks in the world.
Above all, Notre Dame excels in its community spirit. Though elite institutions of higher learning sometimes give rise to a stressful or an overly competitive environment, at Notre Dame one can expect this to be tempered by communal life. Drawing from the University’s Midwest roots, people are the central focus of all endeavors, and friendly smiles and hellos are commonplace on campus. Residence hall life, shared by four out of five undergraduates, is a true testament to the University’s family-like atmosphere. Additionally, the University’s strong alumni network is a hallmark of the Notre Dame experience, and students are frequently amazed to find the supportive alumni clubs and networking possibilities all over the US—and the world.
Program of Study
A select number of students can participate for one semester in the program Mobility, Society, and Governance in North America, a consortium of six colleges and universities. The fall semester begins in early August and runs through mid-December; the spring semester from the beginning of January until early May. The program is open to students who want to study in the Colleges of Arts & Letters (humanities and social sciences), Science, or Engineering, and who are proficient in English language.
The main objective of the MSG-NA program is to create a group of young professionals and researchers endowed with a comparative and transnational vision of the processes that characterize the NAFTA region, in the hope that this vision will allow them to find innovative solutions to the challenges facing the three countries of North America. Students in the MSG-NA Notre Dame program will benefit from the strengths at the University of Notre Dame in the functioning of U.S. Democracy, the operation of Latin American democracies, Multicultural Relations and “Latino” Studies, and economic history and regional trade integration.
The MSG-NA program focuses on four sub-topics: Border and Environmental Management, Democratic Process and Institutional Reform, Immigration, Cultural Identities, North America after NAFTA (paying particular attention to economic and social welfare). A major part of the academic work in the MSG-NA program consists of taking 4 courses related to the four sub-topics. Students must choose 3 out of their 5 courses from the approved course bank or must have alternative courses approved by the Project Director. Additionally, each student will be assigned a faculty advisor that will strive to include the student in research activities and professional internships. Students in the MSG-NA program will become a part of a virtual community with the other students participating at each of the partner institutions. Finally, students in the program will have the opportunity to participate in an a summer workshop in Mexico.
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Eligibility for the Program
Students may apply for study in Arts & Letters, Science, or Engineering. Students must maintain a 2.5 GPA with a “B” or better in English language courses. The application deadline is October 15, 2009 for the spring '10 semester and March 1, 2010 for the fall '10 semester.
Additional Information
There is much more we can tell you — about this location, vibrant religious, cultural and recreational life of this community...about the student housing, transportation, health care and much, much more. It is, after all, the details that make this program so appealing. Interested? Just click here for additional information.
