India Field School

India Field School 2024

Photo by Sally Haney

A long-established field school, the MRU India Field School offers an immersive experience supported by MRU facilitators and several key partners in India and Calgary. Whether practicing yoga in Rishikesh, playing cricket with youth from an ashram in Haridwar, visiting the Taj Mahal in Agra at dawn, or the Ganges River at dusk, our shared goal is to be in reciprocal and dynamic relationships with all involved. Our long-time partners include Lovely Professional University, the Sri Ram Ashram, and our newest partner, the Akhanda Yoga Institute in Rishikesh. We appreciate the support we get from MRU's Iniskim Centre staff, who help us to better navigate this intercultural experience.

Field School participants will have the experiences of staying at the Ashram, the Akhanda Yoga Insittute, and at Lovely Professional University. Participants will get to experience life and community at these locations and will have the opportunity for a number of culutural visits including:

The Taj Mahal
The Golden Temple
The mountain city of Dharamsala
The Hindu holy city of Haridwar on the River Ganges
India's historic capital city: New Delhi
....and more!

For additional field school details and information all interested students should review the India Field School Guide at https://www.manula.com/manuals/shaney/india-field-school-guide/3/en/topic/introduction.

Program Dates

April 22 - June 17, 2024

April 22 - 25, 2024 - Mandatory Block Week 1 at MRU in Calgary
April 28, 2024 - Travelers MUST be in India by noon local time on April 28 so this usually requires leaving 2 days prior
May 23, 2024 - Travelers may either fly home from Delhi to Calgary, or, book some independent travel
June 8, 2024 - Travelers must be back in YYC on this date
June 10 - 14, 2024 - Mandatory Block Week 2 on campus at MRU
June 17, 2024 - Public showcase includes mandatory presentations on-campus at MRU

Participants must be available for all components of the field school.

Note: Itinerary and dates are subject to small changes. Please confirm dates and details on the India Field School Guide. Participants should not book airfare until they have been been told to do so by the field school instructors.

Course Credit

Participants will be enrolled in the following two courses for the field school. Both courses have GNED designation.

INTS 3330 - Community Development Field School (3 credits) (GNED Cluster 3, Tier 3)

COMM 3501 - Intercultural Communication (3 credits) (GNED Cluster 4, Tier 3)

Interested students should confirm their ability to use both courses for credit with their academic advisor prior to joining the field school.

Information Sessions

Interested students are invited to attend an information session.

Tuesday, September 26	4:00 - 5:00 p.m.	Room: O218
Wednesday, October 18	4:00 -5:00 p.m.	Room: O218

Additional information sessions may be scheduled. Students who are not able to attend the session are encouraged to contact the field school instructors (listed at the bottom of the page).

Application Process

Before applying for a field school, students should ensure they have familiarized themselves with the general field school requirements and policies.

To apply for the India Field School, submit the following by the application deadline:

Field School Application Form (with all requested and supporting documents attached in PDF format)
A short essay of approximately 400 words that addresses the following questions:
- Why do I wish to go to India in the spring of 2024?
- What are my goals?
- How do my reasons relate to my academic growth, my professional growth, and my personal growth?
- Include two references at the end of this essay, including (a) An academic reference form Mount Royal - name and email; and (b) A personal reference - name, contact information and how they know you.

Application Deadline

Applications are ongoing.

The next application deadline is: Monday, October 23, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.

Program Costs

India Field School Program Fees - $3,923.00

The India Field School Program Fees cover accommodation during the program in India, most meals, local transportation,all field school activities/excursions/entrance fees, instructor travel costs, contingency fee, and MRU administration fee.

Program fees are payable according to the payment deadlines as outlined in the table below:

Upon Acceptance	$500
December 4, 2023	$1,712
March 1, 2024	$1,711

*Initial program fee deposit is non-refundable and secures the participant's place in the program. Possibility of refund of subsequent deposits due to withdrawal from the program will be assessed and determined at the time of withdrawal according to the field school refund policy.

Program fees do not include course tuition or additional student expenses.

MRU Tuition & General Fees

MRU tuition and fees for INTS 3330 & COMM 3501 (6 credits total) are in addition tot he program fees and will be assessed on to each student's account in April, 2024. They are payable to MRU by the spring 2024 fee payment deadline.

These spring courses representing full-time study are student loan eligible.

Additional Student Expenses

Students are responsible for all additional expenses not included in the program fees such as return airfare to India, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, immunizations, travel health and medical insurance, passport, India Visa, some meals, snacks and incidentals, travel essentials, personal spending, costs during student's independent travel time, etc.

Estimates of additional costs are available at the Information Sessions.

Financial Assistance

Successful field school applicants will receive a $1,000.00 grant from the MRU International Student Mobility Award to use towards the costs associated with the India 2024 field school. Further information about this and other financial assistance options will be provided to successful applicants.