ACM Programs
ACM Botswana: University Immersion in Southern Africa
Spring semester (early January to mid-May)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 25 students
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, & seniors
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM Botswana program is expressly designed for students with interests in politics, political economy, economic and social development, public health, and environmental studies. Housed at the University of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana’s capital, the program is offered each spring semester, and combines formal class study with site visits to places in and around Gaborone and an independent research project (for credit). Classes include Setswana language, a course taught by the ACM faculty director, and an elective course at the University of Botswana.\
ACM Brazil: Semester Exchange Programs
Fall semester (late July to mid-December) & Spring semester (mid-February to mid-July)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, & seniors with prior experience in Portuguese or another Romance language (Spanish, Italian, French) required.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM Brazil: Semester Exchange programs are available to students from the 14 colleges in the ACM consortium. For each ACM student who participates, a Brazilian student will spend a semester at the corresponding ACM campus, creating a two-way student exchange. There are two distinct exchange program options available to students looking to spend a semester studying in Brazil: a Liberal Arts & Sciences exchange program at the Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora (UFJF) and an Environmental Studies exchange program at either UFJF or the Universidade de Brasilia (UnB). For the Liberal Arts & Sciences option, students have the opportunity to take classes in a variety of subject areas in the arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences, as well as intensive Portuguese language. The Environmental Studies option is open to students of any major, but the program is specifically focused on environmental studies. Students participating in the Environmental Studies option will be named “ACM-Brazil FIPSE Environmental Fellows,” and a limited number of scholarships are available for the fellows.
ACM Chicago Program: Arts, Entrepreneurship, & Urban Studies
Fall semester (early September to mid-December) & Spring semester (early February to mid-May)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, & seniors
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM Chicago Program engages students academically, professionally, and personally with this dynamic city. The primary areas of emphasis in the program are Arts, Entrepreneurship, and Urban Studies – students have the opportunity to explore one of these topics in depth, or participate in classwork and projects across these disciplines. The program offers an innovative mix of academic work, including an internship, independent study project, common core course about the city of Chicago, and a variety of seminars focused on the arts and creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, and urban studies and social justice. Students are able to explore the vital issues facing cities and the people who live and work in them, while digging deeper to relate these issues to their personal lives, education, and career aspirations.
ACM Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences, & Humanities
Spring semester (late January to mid-May)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 25 students
Eligibility: Juniors, seniors, and advanced sophomores with prior background in Spanish language required.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The spring ACM Costa Rica program has given students a privileged window onto these developments since the program’s founding in 1964. Based in San José, only blocks away from the Universidad de Costa Rica, the program takes full advantage of the resources and scholars of that institution, while reaching out to local and international NGOs and investigators throughout the country to facilitate student research in science and the humanities. Students spend a month in San José at the beginning and end of the program to polish their Spanish and their research plans, and to analyze their data and write their final papers. In the middle of the program, students fan out to the four corners of the country (and its mountains, and two coastlines) to carry out independent field research under the supervision of an advisor with experience and contacts in the student’s chosen field. Students with urban interests or whose data is best gathered in the capital city may remain in San José. Students will spend approximately two months working on their research project.
ACM Costa Rica: Language, Society, & the Environment
Fall semester (late August to early December)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 25 students
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, & seniors with prior background in Spanish language required.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
Since 1974, the fall ACM Costa Rica program has prepared students to explore Central America and beyond through an intensive and extremely effective Spanish language program, as well as coursework and experiences that further develop language skills, while deepening understanding in particular fields of student interest. Field trips within Costa Rica give students an appreciation for the country’s astounding biodiversity, and for the cultural and historical elements that contribute to the nation’s distinct path within Central America. A highlight of the program is a three-week experience of rural life in Costa Rica, where students live with campesino families and participate in a service learning project, while making great strides in Spanish proficiency.
ACM Florence: Arts, Humanities, & Culture
Fall semester (late August to early December)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 35 students
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, & seniors. A background in art history, studio art, modern languages, or the humanities is recommended.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM Florence program seeks to give students the ability to read a city, by immersion in Florence's extraordinary legacy of Renaissance art and culture. Students learn how to view Italian architecture and works of art in situ and how to understand them in the contexts in which they were created. In addition to a required Italian language course, students choose from course offerings in Renaissance art history, Italian culture, and studio art. Offered each fall semester, the program begins in late August with an academic orientation comprised of a four-week intensive Italian language course, lectures on aspects of contemporary Italy, and introductory meetings with background readings for the elective classes. With the exception of the Italian language course, all courses are conducted in English. Florence itself is the laboratory for the program, and site visits are an integral part of the courses. The program also includes two weekend excursions, typically to Venice and Rome.
ACM India: Culture, Traditions, & Globalization
Fall semester (early August to late November)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 20 students
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, & seniors.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The fall ACM India program, located in Pune, is designed to provide students with an overview of these many aspects of Indian culture and society today. The program begins in mid-August, with a three-week orientation, in which students begin an "Introduction to India" core course, study Marathi language intensively, and draw up a plan of research for their independent study projects. The regular term begins in early September, where students continue the core course and Marathi language, choose an elective course, and begin to carry out their independent study projects. In each of the courses, classroom learning is augmented by weekly activities outside of the classroom, and students are also encouraged to volunteer with local organizations. The program organizes several program-sponsored overnight excursions to sites in and around Pune, while a one-week break in October provides opportunities to travel further afield in India.
Fall semester (mid-September to early February), fall semester with cultural practicum (mid-September to mid-March), spring semester with intensive language (late-February to late-July), & full academic year (mid-September to late July)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) & Earlham College
Eligibility: Preference is given to students who will be participating in their third year of college. Selection is competitive and a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required. Some background in Japanese language required.
Application deadline: January 15
Established in 1963, the Japan Study program is one of the oldest and most comprehensive programs in educational exchange and development linking colleges and universities in the United States and Japan. Based at Earlham College, Japan Study links member colleges of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) and the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) with those of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan. Japan Study enables students to become international citizens as they explore Japan in depth, build language skills, and experience Japanese culture. Living with a Japanese family, taking courses at Waseda University, and participating in a cultural practicum/internship offer different windows for experiencing and understanding the complex society of contemporary Japan.
ACM London & Florence: Arts in Context
Spring semester, 15-week option (early February to May) or 18-week option (early January to May)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 20-25 students at each site
Eligibility: Sophomores, juniors, & seniors.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM London & Florence: Arts in Context program offers students a singular opportunity to live and study in two of the world’s most important and exciting cultural capitals. This interdisciplinary program focuses on the arts that have made these two cities central to the heritage of the West: the visual arts, on the one hand, in architecture, painting, sculpture; and the literary arts, on the other, in theatre and literature. Students will live and study in two urban environments that have continued to fascinate visitors and scholars alike for their ongoing vitality over many centuries. While they learn about the past and how each city came to foster such extraordinary creativity in the arts, students will become temporary residents of a living, thriving urban environment. Students will see how each city works, day to day, even while they investigate how each city has functioned in the past as an artistic center. By traveling its cityscape, patronizing its theatres, visiting its museums, its public spaces and marketplaces, students will develop a sense of the ongoing vitality of both London and Florence. Each city will become for students a living laboratory, a text to be read and understood.
Students enrolled in the 18-week option start the semester with a 3-week program of intensive Italian language instruction in January. They remain in Florence for an additional 7 weeks (10 weeks, in total). After a one-week break, they move to London for 7 weeks. Students enrolled in the 15-week option choose to start in either London or Florence in late January. They spend 7 weeks in the first location, have a one-week break, then spend 7 weeks in the second location. While in Florence, they take the standard Italian language class, but not the additional intensive class.
ACM Newberry Seminar: Research in the Humanities
Fall semester (early September to late December)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 20 students.
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors interested in pursuing serious research in the humanities and humanistic social sciences.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM Newberry Seminar offers motivated and mature students a tremendous opportunity to do independent study and research while working closely with professors and scholars in one of the world’s great cities. Fall semester participants write a substantial paper on a topic of their choice, based on research in the rich primary collections of the Newberry Library. They work closely with faculty members and a select group of colleagues in a seminar that provides context and guidance for their research. In some cases, the paper qualifies as a senior or honors thesis. In all cases, the fall seminar gives participants significant research experience that prepares them for graduate study, professional education (such as law school), or other careers. Each year, the fall seminar is taught by a team of two visiting faculty members, with a focus on a specific theme in the humanities. Themed short-term seminars, offered in the winter and spring, include class meetings and a shorter paper, providing a similar experience of independent research and writing.
ACM/GLCA Oak Ridge Science Semester
Fall semester (late August to mid-December)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) & Denison University
Eligibility: Upperclass majors in astronomy, astrophysics, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, geology, mathematics, and physics. The program is primarily designed for seniors, but juniors who give evidence of the capacities demanded at Oak Ridge are encouraged to apply. Applicants should have grade-point averages of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, both overall and in their majors.
Application deadline: March 1
The Oak Ridge Science Semester (ORSS) enables students to join ongoing investigations at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in research areas as diverse as astrophysics, cell biology, DNA sequencing, genetic mutagenesis, parallel computing, robotics, toxicology, and much more. In their research, ORSS student participants use the sophisticated resources available at the Laboratory, including supercomputers, state-of-the-art electron microscopes, lasers, and analytical instruments such as a fourier transform mass spectrometer and a scanning tunneling microscope. Participants in this fall semester program join one of the research groups at ORNL, with a scientist from the ORNL staff serving as a mentor. This research experience, using the Laboratory's sophisticated resources, is the core of the program. Students are expected to contribute significantly to the design and methodological approach of their research activity, and often find this the most demanding and rewarding experience of their college careers.
ACM Mexico Summer Program: Service Learning & Language Immersion
Six weeks, typically in early June to mid-July, with an option for an additional two-week extension
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Eligibility: Students from any college or university (including recent graduates)
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM Mexico Summer Program: Service Learning & Language Immersion is one of two short-term summer programs open to current students and recent graduates. This six-week program (with the option to extend to eight weeks) takes students into the heart of Mexico City, where they will be immersed in Mexican culture and Spanish language. A key component of the program is placement in a non-governmental organization (NGO) for the duration of the program. There will be a variety of organizations available to work with, and students will be actively engaged in service learning work with their specific organization. Local program staff will work with students prior to arrival and at the beginning of the program, to help determine the NGO placement.
ACM India Summer Program: Service Learning & Language Immersion
Six weeks, typically in early June to mid-July, with an option for an additional two-week extension
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Eligibility: Students from any college or university (including recent graduates)
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM India Summer Program: Service Learning & Cultural Immersion is one of two short-term summer opportunities open to current students and recent graduates. This six-week program (with the option to extend to eight weeks) takes students to Pune, India, where they will be immersed in Indian culture. A key component of the program is service learning work with a non-governmental organization (NGO) for the duration of the program. There will be a variety of projects available, in both urban and rural settings, and students will be actively engaged in service learning throughout their time in India.
ACM Tanzania: Ecology & Human Origins
Fall semester (mid-August to mid-December)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 21 students
Eligibility: Juniors and seniors with prior course work in the natural or social sciences are eligible. Recommended: background in the field methods of anthropological, archaeological, biological, ethnographic, or geological studies.
Application deadline: March 15 (internal Luther application process must be completed by March 1)
The ACM Tanzania program is designed specifically to take advantage of this unique combination of resources. It is offered each fall semester, and the focus of the program is paleontology, cultural anthropology, and savannah ecology. It combines rigorous classroom instruction at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) with extensive field courses and field work in northern Tanzania. At the heart of the program is a field practicum in the natural and social sciences, intended to give students training and first-hand experience with the design, implementation, and reporting of inquiry in the field. In the program director’s research methods course, taught by a visiting faculty member from an ACM college, students are guided in the development of their field practicum projects, studying research design and data-gathering skills appropriate for fieldwork at or near the Tarangire National Park site. Courses in Kiswahili, Human Evolution, and the Ecology of the Maasai Ecosystem, taught by UDSM faculty, provide students with the background and linguistic preparation necessary for their time in the field.
ACM Urban Education: Student Teaching in Chicago
Fall semester (early September to early December) & Spring semester (mid-January to mid-May)
Program sponsor: Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM)
Enrollment: Maximum of 20 students
Eligibility: Participants must have approval for student teaching from their college’s Education department.
Application deadline: February 15 (fall semester) & August 1 (spring semester)
On the ACM Urban Education Program, students engage in an urban student teaching experience with support and guidance — both inside and outside the classroom — to foster their learning and growth as teachers. First established in the early 1960s, the ACM Urban Education Program has had a long tradition of engagement with Chicago schools and the city’s education community. Each fall and spring semester, students develop their professional skills as they work alongside mentor teachers in Chicago schools. In the weekly seminar, they connect educational theory to their experiences teaching in the classroom. The program emphasizes collaborative learning, as students conduct an ongoing and informal discussion with a network of peers who share similar situations in their teaching placements. Program participants also have extensive opportunities to enjoy the city’s tapestry of cultures and people. Program field trips include neighborhood explorations and excursions to cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Mexican Art, the DuSable Museum of African-American history, the Chicago History Museum, and the People’s Music School.