Msida, Malta
Summer Study Abroad Program
IMPORTANT NOTICE: 2023 Malta program canceled. Check back in September 2023 for updates on 2024!
Approved by the American Bar Association, the Malta program features international and comparative law courses taught by faculty members from the sponsoring schools. It is open to students in good standing at ABA-accredited United States law schools who have completed one year of full-time study or its equivalent in part-time study.
On the islands of Malta, rich historical traditions combine with modern European sensibilities to provide a unique setting for the study of international and comparative law. In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, south of Italy, Malta lies at the crossroads of Eastern and Western civilizations and sea routes.
Questions?
Malta’s History
Malta’s rich history stretches back thousands of years. Archeological sites yielded Neanderthal teeth from about 40,000 B.C., and still standing today are remnants of Neolithic temples from the fourth millennium B.C., before the pyramids in Egypt. The Apostle Paul shipwrecked on Malta in 60 A.D. and brought Christianity to the islands. In later centuries, Malta was invaded and controlled by the Byzantine empire, the Arabs, the Germans, the French, and finally the Spanish, before Emperor Charles V granted the islands to the Knights of St. John in the 1500s. For more than 260 years, the Knights ruled Malta, building massive walled fortress towns that survive today and contrast with modern developments along the coastline. In 1798, Napoleon conquered and plundered Malta, but the population rose up and with the help of British, drove the beleaguered French from the island. The British occupied the island peacefully for more than 150 years, until Malta’s independence in the 1960s.
Malta Today
Today the islands are very much a part of modern Europe, with bustling shopping and business districts and large luxurious resort hotels. The islands offer natural terrain full of contrasts: from gently sloping beaches to dramatic cliffs and hidden coves along the coastline; and from rolling hills to sprawling fields of vineyards in the island’s interior. Malta is a member of the European Union. For general information about Malta, please visit the website www.visitmalta.com.
Classes are held at the University of Malta Msida.
Students participating in the Malta program make their own housing arrangements. An Internet search for “apartments in Malta” yields links to several agencies that can provide assistance in finding rental properties to meet individual student housing needs and budgets. Links to available properties and traveler reviews of specific properties through sites such as Trip Advisor or AirBNB.com can provide valuable insight as to the quality and amenities to expect. Bus service on Malta makes transportation fairly simple and students may purchase monthly Tallinja card bus passes online to save on transportation costs at www.publictransport.com.mt/en/tallinja-card
Transportation:
Arranging airline reservations and transportation to and from Malta is the student’s responsibility. Several airlines serve Malta through European hub cities, such as Amsterdam, London, Rome, Frankfurt, and Paris.
Accessibility:
Facilities in Europe are not as accessible to individuals with disabilities as American facilities are. Individuals with special needs should contact the program at WMorrow@stcl.edu.
The sponsoring schools may cancel the summer program in the event of compelling circumstances, including unrest or instability in the host country or insufficient enrollment.
If, during the course of a program, a U.S. State Department Travel Warning or Alert is issued for Malta, students will be notified promptly of the warning and given an opportunity to withdraw from the program. If students withdraw as a result of such a warning or if the program is terminated, students will be refunded fees paid to the program prior to the date of termination or withdrawal within twenty (20) days of withdrawal.
In the event of cancellation, all monies, including the $200 application fee, would be returned within 20 days after the program is canceled. Individual courses in any program may be canceled if they are under-enrolled. The $200 application fee is non-refundable unless one is not accepted into the program or the program is cancelled.
Responsibility and Modifications:
The sponsoring schools will not be responsible for personal injury or for loss or damage to personal property. Students are expected to maintain or obtain medical insurance coverage for accidents or illness that may occur during their participation in this program, including repatriation expenses.
The sponsoring schools reserve the right to change any aspect of the program which circumstances make necessary or desirable. Participants will be notified of material changes or cancellation of the program. Student and faculty conduct in the Prague program is governed by the rules on attendance, plagiarism, and sexual harassment of South Texas College of Law Houston. Any student who has questions about any aspect of this policy should contact the program director or Assistant Dean Wanda Morrow at South Texas College of Law Houston.
Admission is open to any law student at an ABA-accredited law school who is in good academic standing and who has completed the first year of full-time study or its equivalent in part-time study.
Applicants should submit:
- An online application for admission along with a $200 application fee payable to South Texas College of Law Houston; and
- A letter of good standing from his or her law school stating that credits earned in the Prague program will transfer towards his or her J.D.
Should an application not be accepted, South Texas College of Law Houston will return this application fee within 20 days. The application fee will be applied to the tuition and program expenses such as orientation, closing dinner and visits to courts and governmental agencies.
2023 Malta program canceled. Check back in September 2023 for updates on 2024!
Study Abroad Q & A
Complete the application and pay the application fee online using the URL from the program brochure or website. We will verify good standing or request Letters of Good Standing for South Texas College of Law Houston students. If you plan to receive Financial Aid for the study abroad program, stop by the Financial Aid office first to schedule an appointment to speak to a counselor about your aid eligibility and requirements to receive aid.
“A Letter of Good Standing will be issued only if a student has made satisfactory arrangements for settlement of his/her account and is not considered at Academic Risk. No student may become a visiting student at another ABA-approved law school at any time such student is on Probation or under Special Academic Supervision.” In addition to the academic status requirements, South Texas College of Law Houston students must also have completed at least 30 semester hours at the end of the semester immediately preceding enrollment in the study abroad program.
The minimum GPA requirement is 2.7 cumulative GPA and 30 STCL Houston semester credit hours.
You will need a current, valid passport to travel abroad. Passport expiration date must be valid for at least 6 months after your entry.
Visit the website https://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html for complete details on obtaining a passport.
Unless your existing medical insurance policy covers you while overseas, you will need to purchase a separate policy to cover medical emergencies, including coverage for medical evacuation or repatriation expenses should it become necessary. Several companies offer this type of insurance and it is relatively inexpensive.
In the South Texas College of Law Houston-sponsored summer programs, grades earned will transfer as letter grades and will be averaged in the student’s cumulative grade point average.
Students regularly enrolled at South Texas College of Law Houston may receive credit toward graduation by taking courses as a visiting student at another ABA-approved law school, or in a study abroad program, by obtaining advance written approval on a form available in the Student Services Office. The Registrar in conjunction with the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs must approve the student’s overall plan and each course to be taken prior to the student registering at the other law school. A Letter of Good Standing will be sent to the other law school only if a student has made satisfactory arrangements for settlement of his or her account and has a cumulative grade point average of 3.000. No student may become a visiting student at another ABA-approved law school at any time such student is on Probation or under Special Academic Supervision. See the Student Handbook for complete rules regarding visiting other schools for academic credit. If approved to visit another ABA-approved law school, all grades received as a visiting student or at a study abroad program not sponsored by South Texas College of Law Houston are recorded on a pass/fail basis and are not included in the student’s cumulative grade point average.
Prague, Czech Republic – Students make their own housing arrangements in Prague. The International Programs staff will assist in identifying possible housing options upon request.
The Higher Education Act (HEA) of 1992 mandated that a student can receive financial aid for study abroad if the student is enrolled in a program approved by the home institution. Moreover, the student would be eligible to receive “grants, loans, or work assistance without regard to whether the study abroad program is required as a part of the student’s degree.”
Types of financial aid:
Federal Direct Student Loans
A student attending an approved study abroad program while enrolled at STCL Houston can borrow a Federal Direct Unsubsidized and/or Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan. A student must complete the FAFSA and be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible.
STCL Houston Scholarships
Institutional Scholarships such as the Dean’s Merit are not available for study abroad.
National Scholarships
The National Security Education Program (NSEP) and the Fulbright Program funded by the Federal government have grants and fellowships for graduate students for study and research overseas. Students should be aware that government organizations in other countries such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offer funding opportunities.
Amounts are budgeted to cover tuition, fees, books, round-trip coach airfare, housing, personal and miscellaneous expenses. Apply directly through the financial aid office at your law school to determine aid eligibility and requirements.
The Prague program has several long weekends built into the program for travel. Please see the program’s calendar for specific dates available for weekend travel. Consult your financial aid counselor to see if aid for that type of expense is awarded.
If you plan to travel within the United Kingdom or Europe on long weekends or before or after the program, it could be a worthwhile investment. Consult your financial aid counselor to see if aid for that type of expense is awarded.
Generally, you will be notified within two or three weeks of your application being submitted or after grades from the preceding semester are recorded (whichever is later). Some programs may wait until the application deadline has passed and process the applications in batch.
Once the application deadline has passed and you have been notified of your acceptance into the program, you can begin making your travel arrangements. Early booking can often result in substantial savings. However, financial aid proceeds are not available sooner than 10 days prior to the start of the program, so you will need to pay for your tickets in advance and be reimbursed when financial aid proceeds arrive. We strongly recommend that you consider purchasing trip insurance for your airline tickets in the event that world wide events necessitate a change in your travel schedule.
If the State Department issues a Travel Advisory or Warning for an area where a STCL Houston program is being held, students will have the opportunity to withdraw from the program and receive a full refund of tuition paid. However, students would be responsible for non-refundable airfare and housing expenses as we cannot reimburse those expenses, which is why trip insurance is highly recommended.
For more information, click here: Travel Advisories
You are responsible for purchasing your airline tickets for travel. If you arrange a group of 10 or more who want to travel together, you may find discounted tickets through a consolidator. Often these types of tickets are non-refundable, so again, look into trip insurance.
The courses are designed to be of academic rigor comparable to what you would experience in similar courses taken on the STCL campus. Most programs require written examinations for each course.
STCL Houston normally charges a flat tuition rate based on a set number of hours and you are required to take the courses as set forth in the program materials. Enrolling in less than the full amount of credits offered may have a significant impact on financial aid eligibility. You should contact the program director and your financial aid counselor if you want to take less than the required number of credits. The program director will have the discretion to allow an exception under certain circumstances.
Orientation attendance is MANDATORY. However, Program Director has discretion to grant exception due to extenuating circumstances.
