• Immerse yourself in Swedish life and culture.
• Explore an environmentally friendly, politically-neutral, friendly, English-speaking country.
• Experience intercultural, intrapersonal, interpersonal, international, and non-verbal communication in a foreign environment.
• Reflect on and express your experiences in a writing style common to the communication studies field while getting upper division credit.

City FACTS

Uppsala is one of the largest cities in Sweden with the feel of a university town.  It is home to Scandinavia's largest church, the Domkyrka (Uppsala Cathedral).  Uppsala’s central park, Stadsskogen, stretches throughout town, and the Fyris River (Fyrisån) flows through the city.  Experience Midsummer Day, the longest day of the year with twenty-two hours of sunlight, and see Viking burial mounds in Gamla (old) Uppsala.  Stockholm, the nation’s capital, is only a 45-minute train ride away.

Campus FACTS

Uppsala is home of Uppsala University, the oldest center of higher education in Scandinavia. With programs in humanities, social sciences, medicine, and science and technology, international students from 50 countries have come to study in Uppsala.  The university has 13 student nations, comparable to sororities and fraternities, each representing a geographical region of Sweden where students eat, drink, dance, and work while going to school.

Eligibility Requirements

• ENGL 1B with a C or higher
• Completed core GE
• Passed the WST
• Have upper division standing
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 2

Academic Program

Throughout this six-week course, you will develop an advanced proficiency in college-level writing, while using appropriate contemporary research strategies and methodologies to communicate effectively to both specialized and general audiences.  Through autoethnography, specifically, we will explore writing as both a means of developing knowledge (i.e., writing is a way of learning) and a means of expressing knowledge (i.e., writing is a way of showing that you’ve learned something). 

Over the 21 days of the course in Uppsala, Sweden, you will be visiting cultural landmarks, experiencing the culture, and engaging in the lifestyle of living abroad.  Several days will involve local field trips, activities, and assignments that are meant to stimulate your creativity and enrich your experience in novel and unexpected ways.  In short, this course is designed to change the way you think about and engage in writing.

Program Overview

Class will meet on campus at San Jose State University for one week starting June 2.  The class will travel to Stockholm, Sweden on June 7 to arrive and travel by train to Uppsala, Sweden on June 8.  Students will be staying in student housing with access to showers and a communal kitchen for three weeks.  Transportation will be provided for excursions that are not local, otherwise students will be able to walk or rent bicycles, as is customary to the local culture.  Students will be meeting for class two hours a day, four days a week for three weeks.   Cultural events will be set up during the week for students to participate in as part of the course, and cultural excursions on the weekend, including participation in Midsummer Festivities (June 21 and 22) and a trip to Finland (June 13, 14, and 15) will be encouraged.  Students will check out of their rooms and leave from Stockholm, Sweden on June 28 to arrive in California on June 29.  Classes will resume at San Jose State starting on June 30 and will be completed by June 11.

Safety, Visas, and English

Sweden is a pretty safe country with a relatively low crime rate, and medical facilities in Sweden are comparable to those in the United States. Americans visiting Sweden are advised to take the normal safety precautions that travelers take when visiting a foreign country.
Students only need a valid passport to travel to Sweden if they stay for less than three months.  Students must make their own arrangements to obtain a valid passport well in advance of travel. International students must make sure to obtain additional valid permissions to travel internationally and return to the U.S.
For the most part, Swedes speak English and are happy to do so with those who need help getting around.  Swedish literacy is not required for the class itself, but for a richer experience, students might want to pick up a Swedish dictionary to use while getting around.

Program Leaders

Daniela S. Tanner is an instructor in the Department of Communication Studies at San Jose State University.  She has studied abroad in  Paris, France and Uppsala, Sweden and wants to share the experience with others.  With a love for writing and inspiring that passion in others, she is interested in the details and subtleties of people.  She also teaches critical thinking and public speaking at SJSU.

Program Dates

Monday, June 2, 2008 - Thursday, June 5, 2008 on campus at SJSU
Saturday, June 7, 2008 - Saturday, June 28, 2008 in Uppsala, Sweden
Monday, June 30, 2008 - Thursday, June 10 on campus at SJSU

Application Deadlines

Application deadline is March 3, 2008
Notice of acceptance into the program March 14, 2008

Application Form

Estimated Costs

SJSU Special Session Tuition (3 units, $250 per unit)	$    750
Airfare (approximately)	$ 1,300
Program fees, housing, meals, transportation, class materials and tours	$ 1,950
Estimated Total	$ 4,000
These estimated costs do not include personal expenses as this varies among different participants. Information Meetings If you would like to learn more about the program, the instructor, about Uppsala, Sweden, or if you have any questions, please attend an information meeting.

Contact us at the Study Abroad Office, Clark Hall, Room 543 Tel  (408) 924-5931 Fax (408) 924-5976
or send us an email