 |
- Year or semester undergraduate (bachelor) exchanges
- Need to improve your English? MSSU is for you! MSSU's great ESL program will accept students with TOEFL scores as low as a 420.
- Wide range of fields of study – great for technical students – including:
- Industrial Engineering Technology
- Computer Aided Drafting and Design Engineering
- Criminal Justice and Computer Forensics
- Computer Science
- Communications
- University-wide dedication to global learning and international education
- Movie theatres, restaurants, and a large shopping mall just one kilometer from campus!
- Take a photo tour!
“For people who like to get into the real American lifestyle, there are a lot of opportunities to meet people here.” - Christian Dahmen from Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany to Missouri Southern State University, academic year 2004-05
About MSSU |
- Total Student Enrollment: 5,785; from 37 states and 26 countries.
- Area Population: 50,000 (Joplin), 350,000 (Metro Area)
- Majors: 100+ degree options
Missouri Southern State University (MSSU) is a state-supported, comprehensive university with an emphasis on quality education. Since 1990, Missouri Southern State University has pursued an international approach to undergraduate education through its Institute of International Studies.
The university sits on the former site of the 230-acre Mission Hills dairy farm. On-campus buildings include facilities for classes, concerts, theatrical productions, and athletic events. The university also offers library resources, television broadcasting studios, a 24-hour radio station, and a weekly student newspaper. Other facilities include an international resource center and modern language laboratory and a Learning Center offering peer tutoring.
Missouri Southern was one of 13 U.S. colleges and universities included in Internationalizing the Campus 2004: Profiles of Success at Colleges and Universities, a major report published by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, for its international themed semesters. The report showcases U.S. colleges and universities that are making innovative, wide-ranging efforts to integrate global approaches to teaching.
“I enjoyed studying at Southern because the town is nice, small and quiet. The people in and outside the school are nice and friendly, and I've made a lot of great friendships here." - Dwayne, 2005 student from the British Virgin Islands
Academic InformationESL options through the International English Program:
- The International English Program (IEP) offers full-time intermediate and advanced English language courses.
- Students who have TOEFL scores between 420-520 may study ESL full-time in IEP courses for one semester and may enroll in regular MSSU courses the second semester.
- Advanced English speakers may enroll in ESL courses through the IEP in addition to some regular MSSU courses.
- A minimum TOEFL score of 520 is required to take a full load of regular university courses at MSSU.
- IEP students participate in conversation partnerships, community activities, reading groups and language supported community volunteer work.
- Find out more about ESL with the International English Program!
The Best Departments for ISEP Students:
Communications:
- Electronic media and/or designing and writing for journalism
- Speech communications
- Public relations
- Speech and theatre
- Many student clubs as well as opportunities to contribute to the on-campus newspaper, magazine, radio station, and television station
Computer Information Sciences:
- Information Technology
- Information Systems
- Computational Mathematics
- Bioinformatics
- Computer Forensics
- Website Administration
- Network Systems Administration
Criminal Justice and Computer Forensics (Course catalog / Virtual tour)
- Academic training coupled with exposure to "real world" practical training in areas including law enforcement, juvenile justice, corrections, private and corporate security, loss prevention, conservation, insurance investigation, probation and parole, child abuse investigation and victim services.
Industrial Engineering Technology (IET)
- Computer Aided Drafting and Design Engineering Technology
- Students gain hands-on experience on state-of-the-art equipment.
Fields of Study:
School of Arts & Science:
Art • Biology • Chemistry • Communication • English • Environmental Health • Foreign Languages • Geography • Geology • History • Mathematics • Music • Paralegal • Philosophy • Physics • Political Science • Preprofessional • Social Science • Sociology • Theatre
School of Business Administration: Accounting • Business Education • Entrepreneurship • Finance & Economics • General Business • International Business • Management • Management Technology • Marketing
School of Education: Kinesiology • Psychology • Teacher Education
School of Technology: Aviation • Computer Aided Drafting & Design-Computer Graphics Design (CADD) • Computer Aided Drafting & Design-Engineering Technology (CADDET) • Computer Assisted Manufacturing Technology (CAMT) • Computer Information Science • Criminal Justice • Dental Hygiene • Design Manufacturing • Health Science • Industrial Technology Education • Law Enforcement • Manufacturing Information Management Systems (MIMS) • Medical Technology • Nursing • Paramedic • Pre-Engineering • Preprofessional • Radiologic Technology • Respiratory Therapy
“The professors at MSSU are pretty cool! Professors in Germany are very distant, but there is a really close relationship with professors at MSSU. The classes are small with maybe twenty people in a class” - Christian Dahmen from Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany to Missouri Southern State University, academic year 2004-05
Student Life
   |
Housing and meals:
- ISEP students live on campus with about 550 other students in the university’s residence halls. The campus is safe, clean, and beautiful, with 24-hour security
- Accommodations may be traditional double rooms, where bathrooms are shared among 6 people on the hall. There are also suites, which are designed for about 4 people and include 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, small kitchenette, and living room area. All are air-conditioned.
- Each room includes extra-long twin beds, desks, wardrobes, night stand, mini-blinds, cable TV hookup, and internet access. Some living room furniture will be provided for suites. Telephones may be provided upon request. There are laundry facilities in each building and the entire campus has wireless internet.
- ISEP students have the opportunity to experience the real American lifestyle by staying with host families during the winter break.
- Students have access to the nearby Student Life Center, which contains exercise facilities, a recreational area (pool, table tennis, etc.), arcade, computer lab, TV lounge, laundry room, and study lounge.
- The cafeteria is located in the Student Life Center and provides many choices with its all-you-can-eat buffet.
- There is also a gourmet coffee shop located on the lower level of the Spiva library.
Having fun:
MSSU students have a wide variety of options for fun activities, both on campus and in the city of Joplin.
- Each year, MSSU features a country with entertaining and academic events. Fall 2006 will be the France Semester and will feature numerous guest speakers, concerts and other cultural events, a film festival, an international symposium, and an academic conference titled "From Paris to the World."
- Over 90 student organizations and clubs exist at the university:
- International students at MSSU frequently get involved in the International Club, which takes trips and excursions over spring break, visits places of historic importance throughout the state of Missouri, often goes canoeing or camping, etc. Once a month students are invited to the home of an international family in the community for a specific type of cuisine.
- Another popular organization is the Campus Activities Board (CAB), which helps plan and organize many social events, concerts, lectures, and other recreational or educational activities.
- There are a variety of music and theatre productions performed at the school.
- Many students enjoy attending sporting events such as American football, basketball, soccer and baseball. They take advantage of the indoor track in the athletic center as well as the workout facilities in the Student Life Center.
“I had a great time at MSSU. The university and campus is great! The buildings are really new. There are a lot of international students, even for a small university.” - Christian Dahmen from Justus-Liebig-Universität Giessen, Germany to Missouri Southern State University, academic year 2004-05
ISEP Coordinator |
Stephanie Davis Goad is the MSSU ISEP Coordinator. She became the International Student Advisor and Exchange Program Coordinator on January 1, 2003. She has also been the Web editor for the Missouri Multicultural Network and the National Center for International Education since September 27, 2000. She built a Web site for the Missouri Multicultural Network, an information resource for Missouri immigrants, and maintains the site for the National Center for International Education. She graduated from Missouri Southern in 1997 with a bachelor's degree in mass communications with an emphasis in print journalism and completed 13 hours of Spanish. Upon graduation, she secured a position with The Joplin Globe, where she worked for three years as a reporter of news, features, food and business stories, and coordinated the newspaper's annual recipe contest. In December 1999, Stephanie started working as a content editor for Hookup.com, the Internet division of 28-year-old Hook Up, Inc. in Joplin. In February 2000, she was promoted to managing editor of Hook Up's two Web sites, became the company's director of public relations and gained experience in advertising and marketing. In 2004 she graduated from Missouri Southern with a bachelor's degree in Spanish. She has traveled to China, Mexico, Chile, Spain and Malaysia to visit partner institutions and work on exchange agreements.
Find out more about the staff at the the Institute for International Studies at MSSU.
About Joplin, Missouri! |
Joplin: “The Midwest at its very best”
- Joplin has a unique and pleasant blend of the wholesome charm of a small rural town and an impressive host of amenities generally characterized by much larger cities.
- The fourth largest metro area in Missouri, Joplin routinely ranks high as one of the best places in the United States in which to live, work and raise a family.
- Positioned along the historic Route 66, Joplin has successfully merged a rich history with a modern, progressive economical, education and cultural environment resulting in meaningful and dynamic opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
- The city boasts recreational activities such as canoeing, bowling, golfing, swimming (indoors and outdoors), athletic clubs, etc. Visitors can enjoy 23 different city parks with 933 acres of Ozark land. Restaurant choices are immense. The town offers a diversity of ethnic cuisine such as Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Italian, Indian and Thai.
- Joplin’s lively interest in cultural activities includes history, arts, concerts, theater and dance. George A. Spiva Center for the Arts features a continuous rotation of famous exhibits, a regional focus gallery, and art instruction for both children and adults.
About the Area:
- Joplin is located in southwest Missouri in the "four corners" region encompassing Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas. At the edge of the Ozark Mountain region, Joplin has a current population of 46,000.
- Outdoor activities are abundant! Nearby are eight major lakes, numerous clear-water streams, and a number of entertainment and vacation attractions. Missouri has a wide variety of tourist attractions to get you moving along bike paths, rivers, and caves for outdoor adventures.
- Branson, Missouri, dubbed the "Live Music Capital of the World", is less than two hours away. With more than 40 theaters and over 100 shows, Branson has more theaters with live entertainment than anywhere in the United States