You can go to class, study, share your faith with a fellow student, and snorkel a coral reef all in the same day. If you like the idea of taking a semester to study on a tropical Pacific island and leaving behind a spiritual legacy, read on!
Guam, a Micronesian territory of the United States contained on one main island, was a Spanish colony from 1668 until 1898. After the Spanish-American War in 1898, America took possesion of the territory. With the exception of a two-year and nine-month period of Japanese rule during World War II, Guam has been part of the United States. The normal resident population of Guam is around 160,000 but can swell to twice as much during during the tourist season. More than one million tourists from Japan, the Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, and Malaysia visit Guam each year.
100% of the students studying in Guam speak fluent English, so the opportunities to engage students in conversations about Jesus are abundant. Students from the other Micronesian nations of Palau, Northern Marianas, Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Nauru, and Kiribati converge with students from Guam to study at the University of Guam (UOG) and Guam Community College (GCC), both located in Mangilao.
The ministry team of national staff members and student leaders wholeheartedly invite you to join them in reaching students with the gospel!
You will be studying at the University of Guam. It is a fully accredited member of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges that also accredits all public and private universities in California and Hawaii.
All courses are taught in English. You should expect the level of your courses to be fairly similar to the instruction you receive in the United States. You will be able to take around 15 credit hours of course work. UOG has a wide range of courses available but is especially strong in the biology department, especially marine biology with the extensive “laboratory” bordering the campus.
You can go for a spring or fall semester, even a year. Approximate dates for the fall semesters are August 15 to December 10. For spring semesters, they are January 20 to May 12. View the UOG academic calendar page.
Ministry at UOG actually looks pretty similar to what Cru staff and students do on American campuses. Students in the Pacific Islands are very open to the gospel. You will be working alongside local ministry staff and students to share your faith with the hope of reaching every pocket of UOG’s campus with the gospel. The opportunity to leave a spiritual legacy is great!
You will live in a student residence on campus. The dorm room rates per semester run about $1000-2000 depending on the amenities you choose.
No. 100% of the students studying in Guam speak fluent English and all classes are taught in English.
Tuition: The University of Guam is part of the National Student Exchange (NSE). The NSE is a non-profit consortium of nearly 200 accredited, baccalaureate-granting colleges and universities in the United States, its territories, and Canada. If your college is a NSE member, you would be paying the SAME PRICE or LESS for tuition than if you were at your home university for the semester. Check this list and scroll down to see if your school is a member of the NSE consortium then talk to your school’s study abroad office for a tuition price quote. One of two options will be your tuition cost: 1) the same tuition rate at your home university or 2) the resident tuition rate for UOG at $190/credit hour. If your university is not part of the NSE consortium, you still have the option to study at the University of Guam. You would be paying the non-resident tuition rate of $457/credit hour.
Housing: On-campus housing is a fairly standard price. There are no meal plans on campus, so if you live on campus, you will be cooking for yourself in a kitchen area or eating at the campus food court as if you lived off-campus.
Travel: A round trip ticket to Guam typically runs about $2000-2500.
Other fees and expenses: Administrative fees ($269/semester) and books are additional to above costs. Since you’ll be in the U.S., you will be covered by your family’s health insurance. No need for any additional insurance.
This is the same process as transferring to another nearby university for a semester and then transferring back. It is even easier if your school is part of the NSE. Your study abroad office can help you with the process of transferring credit and making sure your classes transfer back to your home university before you go.
There are two application processes. One is working with your study abroad office to enroll at UOG. For fall semesters the UOG enrollment deadline is June 1, and for spring semesters, the deadline is November 10.
The other is applying to be a Cru student leader at UOG through Cru Study Abroad.
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