Language Requirement: None
Academic Standing by Program Start: Sophomore
Location: Oceania, New Zealand
GPA: 2.5

Program Overview

By utilizing New Zealand's rich cultural, societal, and environmental backdrop, this program will deepen students’ journalistic and communication skills, broaden their cultural perspectives, and prepare them for the complexities of navigating in a globally interconnected world. New Zealand, with its unique blend of indigenous Māori culture and a modern progressive and open society, presents a range of unique opportunities to study issues related to journalism, cultural identity and international communication. Through a blend of theoretical understanding and practical application, this program aims to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of communicating in an increasingly interconnected world, with a special focus on New Zealand's role in social media and in developing digital media—and media literacy—skills honed through the lens of content creation, and consumption, in New Zealand.

You will visit local and national media centers, and digital outlets to explore New Zealand media culture, as well as cultural excursions to locations such as the Hobbiton Movie Set, Waikiki Island, the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and a vineyard to explore the growing Sauvignon Blanc industry.

This program supports the following goals:

  • Experimental Learning. Students will get hands-on experience in a culturally unfamiliar environment. This will help gain a deeper understanding of global issues and the parallels with life and work in the PNW and USA, such as issues related to climate change, identity and indigenous communities, as well as inclusivity in media and storytelling.
  • Core Skill Development. Intercultural dialogue and exchange can help students develop critical soft skills such as communication, adaptability, and intercultural competence, and students will have the additional perspective into writing, and digital and international/global media and in the Global South.
  • Career Readiness. Practical skills in cross-cultural communication, content creation and international media analysis, will equip students for post-graduate employment.
  • Global Perspectives. Emphasizing cultural sensitivity and the ethical representation of diverse communities in global media aligns prepares students to contribute positively to a media landscape that values and represents diverse perspectives.

Dates and Deadlines

 
Term Year Program
Deadline		 Arrival Date Departure Date
Summer 2025 3/15 Mid August Mid September

This program has a rolling admission application process: GEO staff (and the program faculty leader, if applicable) will complete a review of the application materials of complete applications in the order that they are submitted (“first come, first serve”). Decisions about acceptance will be made shortly after you submit a complete application. There are some programs that fill fast, some even before the deadline. Students are encouraged to complete applications and commit to programs early.

Acceptance is based on a holistic review of your application.  This includes a review of your GPA, transcripts (including courses taken and in-progress), any additional requirements or prerequisites (see section "Additional Requirements"), and the short statement. Some programs require a letter of recommendation from a faculty that is not the program's faculty leader. If a letter of recommendation is required, you will find more information in your GEO application portal.

Faculty-Led Scholarship Opportunity

Applicants to this program are eligible for program-specific scholarship funds. Award recipients are chosen based on academic merit, financial need, and overall quality of their essay. Individual awards range from $500-$1,500. To be considered, apply to the GEO General Scholarship by the advertised deadline for the term you will be abroad. Students who apply will automatically be considered for all available funding within the General Scholarship, including this program's scholarship funds.

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

This program offers two distinct and complementary courses.

  • J 488: Social Media for Journalists. Substitutes J 480 for PR majors and J 463 for Journalism majors.
    • This course will equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate and leverage social media platforms for news gathering, storytelling, audience engagement, community building, and personal branding. Emphasis would be placed on creativity, ethical considerations, the impact of social media on public discourse, and the role of digital platforms in representing diverse cultures and voices, particularly in the New Zealand context.
    • Please note: J majors (J, JAD, JMS, and JPR) must take the courses for a grade.

 

  • J 488: Food Journalism in New Zealand.

    • As part of this, students will explore the essential skills required to report, write, edit and promote food-related content. They will also examine the ethical, legal, and social responsibilities that food journalists contend with, and how this sits within the wider field of journalism and communication.

    • “J,” “JAD” and “JMS” students can petition the SOJC to have it count toward the 400-level Core Context B requirement. It would also be eligible for MEST minors. It would be major elective credits for JPR majors.

    • Please note: J majors (J, JAD, JMS, and JPR) must take the courses for a grade.

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Faculty and Staff

Professor Damian Radcliffe is the Carolyn S. Chambers Professor in Journalism, a Professor of Practice, an affiliate faculty member of the Department for Middle East and North Africa Studies (MENA) and the Agora Journalism Center, and a Research Associate of the Center for Science Communication Research (SCR), at the University of Oregon.

He is a globally recognized expert on digital trends, social media, technology, the business of media, the evolution of present-day journalistic practice, and the role played by media and technology in the Middle East. Alongside holding the endowed Chambers Chair at the University of Oregon, he is also a three-time Knight News Innovation Fellow at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, an Honorary Research Fellow at Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies (JOMEC), and a Life Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). In spring and summer 2023 he was a Visiting Fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, his alma mater.

Housing Description

Housing in Auckland is designed to help you experience the local culture of New Zealand by living with a host family.  Daily interactions with the host family afford cultural nuances that could otherwise be overlooked. Homestays are carefully selected and are located within walking distance of, or near local bus lines to class. Linens, towels and light laundry are provided by your host.

Immerse yourself into the daily life and routine of the household and experience New Zealander cuisine and food culture as host families prepare all of your meals.