Study Abroad

Degrees & Programs

Study abroad for a semester or summer and have the best experience of your life! At MNU, we partner with organizations to provide a rich menu of study abroad educational opportunities.

For questions or additional information, contact the Pioneer Trek Office at egzehr@mnu.edu.

Learn more about short-term travel and mission experiences by clicking the Pioneer Trek button:

PIONEER TREKS

How to get started with a Study Abroad program at MNU:

Check all of the Study Abroad programs that look of interest to you.
Contact the Pioneer Trek Office, for an initial planning appointment at egzehr@mnu.edu.
Work with your academic advisor to determine which semester would be best for your degree program to Study Abroad.
Work with your academic advisor to determine how the Study Abroad classes will fit into your degree program, ensuring an on-time graduation. This is the most critical step!
Work with MNU Registrars Office to register for credit.
Work with MNU Bursars office on how funding for your program will work.
Make sure you have a current passport.
Begin checking on travel plans and flight information; all travel costs are in addition to tuition costs.

Nazarene Affiliated Institutions

Through MNU’s connection with various Nazarene academic organizations, students can connect with programs in Korea, Ecuador, and Manchester, England.

MidAmerica Nazarene University has entered into an agreement with IBI of Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. IBI is a CCCU-endorsed organization, providing students an opportunity to participate in a summer program of study in international business and economics. The ten-week summer program is normally taken following completion of the junior year, and includes periods of residence in key locations in Asia as well as coordinated visits to major political, business, and economic centers of Europe. This program provides the student a minor in International Business. Successful applicants are normally required to have completed at least one full year of economics (macro and micro), and at least one semester each of accounting, marketing, and management. Minimum GPA: 2.75/4.0. Additional information is available through the MNU Business Administration Department.

Study abroad in Ecuador with total immersion in a Spanish language program. Live with Latin American students in the Nazarene Theological Seminary in Quito, Ecuador. Participate in service events, travel to the Galapagos Islands, an active volcano, and the Amazon jungle.

Apply to study at Nazarene Theological College for a semester in religion and humanities courses where academic excellence and professional ministry skills training are integrated within a context of broadly Wesleyan-Holiness spirituality.

Study in Cheonan City, South Korea for a semester. MNU students have the opportunity to participate in the study of business and culture through a partnership program with Korea Nazarene University (KNU). Students travel to and attend courses in Korea at KNU during the traditional spring semester. While there, students are exposed to enough international experience to earn an 18 credit minor in International Business from MNU. Students are eligible for institutional scholarships that do not require a presence on the Olathe campus. Check with the MNU Business Administration Department for more information.

The purpose of this program is for MNU educational students to complete 4 weeks of their student teaching requirement at an accredited Costa Rican school and at the same time take Spanish classes with CALL (Christian Academy of Language and Learning), a ministry of the Nazarene Seminary of the Americas, for up to 8 hours per week. Students would live on the SENDAS campus for 4 weeks, working at local schools and studying at the Seminary with CALL. Check with the MNU Department of Education for more information.

Council of Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) Global Education

Through MNU’s affiliation with CCCU GlobalEd, you can enjoy opportunities in the Middle East and at Oxford.

We are thrilled to be accepting applications for the L.A. Film Studies Center (LAFSC) program for the Spring 2024 semester.

The L.A. Film Studies Center (LAFSC) officially relaunched on the ground, in Los Angeles for the spring of 2023! Olivet Nazarene University will again be administrating and partnering with the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) under the same consortium agreements between CCCU and member institutions as last spring and prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Faculty and staff for LAFSC are industry professionals returning from previous semesters as faculty, staff or alumni. Similar to the spring 2022 semester, the courses will parallel those that were offered at LAFSC prior to the pandemic with some minor updates for relevance to changing practices and trends in the industry in order to accommodate sending institutions who have built LAFSC into their degree tracks.

Get real-world music industry experience at The Contemporary Music Center in Nashville, Tennessee. CMC is a semester long, 16-credit hour program that prepares college age students for careers in the entertainment industry, challenging them to live out their faith as Christ-followers. Thirty students live, work, and create music together in a facility with 24/7 access to world-class gear. Faculty are music industry pros who keep the program relevant and practical. The “Final Exam” is a week-long Road Tour at the end of the semester.

3 Tracks – No Prior Experience Needed- All Majors Welcome:

Artist Track

Business Track

Technical Track

Live and study in the beautiful and renowned city of Oxford. A semester at Scholarship and Christianity in Oxford (SCIO) utilizes expert tutors, offers endless scholarly resources, grants access to the Bodleian library, and more. We invite you to walk the same paths and study in the same places as some of the greatest scholars in history.

Join one of the premier universities in East Africa to study and live alongside Ugandans and other students from the continent. Through classes, internships, and living with Ugandan families or peers, USP@UCU provides opportunities for students to authentically engage people, culture, and contemporary realities in Uganda in ways that challenge them to be active participants in Christ’s claim on all aspects of life.

Just 15 miles from the capital city of Kampala, Uganda Christian University is situated in the bustling town of Mukono that will quickly become home. Along with trips throughout Uganda, students also participate on a 10-day study tour to neighboring Rwanda.

Students in the Uganda Studies Program at UCU choose from one of the following academic emphases:

Social Work Emphasis (SWE)

Global Health Emphasis (GHE)

Interdisciplinary Emphasis (IE)

Contact Us

MidAmerica Nazarene University
Christian Ministry and Formation
2030 East College Way
Olathe, KS 66062-1899

Office Hours
Mon. – Fri. 8:00am – 4:00pm

Phone – 913-971-3443

Dr. Abby Hodges

Vice President for Academic Affairs

PhD; Organic Chemistry, Yale University
MS; Organic Chemistry, Yale University
BS; Chemistry, Denison University

Dr. Hodges began her career in higher education at Azusa Pacific University as a chemistry professor from 2008 to 2014. She then moved to MNU where she taught and in 2018 was appointed Chair of the Department of Natural, Health, and Mathematical Sciences. From 2022-2023, before accepting the Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Hodges was the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Hodges’ career research has focused on protein folding and protein engineering, and she has mentored over twenty students in these research projects. She has also furthered the MNU first-year experience program and chaired the General Education committee for five years. Dr. Hodges was recognized as the MNU Faculty of the Year in 2021.

Dr. Hodges lives in Olathe with her husband Ryan and two boys.

Dr. Jon North

President

EdD; Ethical Leadership, Olivet Nazarene University
MBA; MidAmerica Nazarene University
BA in International Development, MidAmerica Nazarene University

Dr. Jon D. North was elected the sixth president of MidAmerica Nazarene University in 2025 and is the first alumnus of MNU to hold this position.

Before he was elected president, Dr. North served MNU as the senior vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the MNU Foundation. Over the past 15 years, his leadership has elevated the university’s landscape. Under his direction, the MNU Foundation’s assets quadrupled, laying a strong financial foundation for the future.

He also spent 17 years with Heart to Heart International, a global humanitarian aid organization based in the Kansas City metro. As an active member of the Kansas City community, Dr. North serves on various non-profit and community boards.

Dr. North and his wife, Faith, are both MNU graduates, as are their four adult children and two daughters-in-law. The Norths live in Olathe and are active members of Central Church of the Nazarene in Lenexa, Kansas.

Darrel Anderson

Vice President for Finance

Master of Accountancy, University of Missouri
BA in Business Administration, MidAmerica Nazarene University

Darrel Anderson brings a wealth of strategic finance, budget development and cash flow management to his role as MNU’s Vice President for Finance. Anderson has more than 30 years of public and private experience. He has held the CFO position at a variety of companies, including his position as the CFO for the State of Indiana’s Department of Revenue. Anderson’s interest in finance began at MNU, where he earned his undergraduate degree in business administration.

He and his wife reside in Olathe.

Lisa Hood

Vice President for Strategic Expansion

MLA; Psychology, Baker University, 2015

Lisa Hood has been with MNU since 2015, previously serving as School of Professional and Graduate Studies director of business partnerships and community relations.

As vice president, Hood provides leadership for the SPGS strategic growth initiatives and recruitment along with student services and support systems.

Her career prior to MNU includes positions at two other universities. She served at the Institute for Professional Development and Helix Education assigned to Baker University and worked as associate director of admissions at both Avila University and Baker University. She holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Emporia State and a Master of Liberal Arts with a concentration in psychology from Baker University. In addition to her current responsibilities, Hood teaches sociology courses at MNU.

Hood and her husband, Joe, live in Olathe. They have two college-aged daughters.

Mr. G. Todd Garrett

Vice President for Institutional Advancement

MEd; MidAmerica Nazarene University
BA; Physical & Health Education, MidAmerica Nazarene University.

Mr. G. Todd Garrett serves as the Vice President for University Advancement & Athletics. Mr. Garrett has served MidAmerica Nazarene University with distinction for nearly three decades, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to our Christian mission and remarkable success across multiple roles.

As a 1994 MNU graduate, Mr. Garrett began his professional journey as an educator in the Olathe Public Schools before returning to MNU as the Head Baseball Coach from 1998 to 2006. His career has progressed through increasing levels of responsibility, including Director of Athletic Development, Director of Development & Corporate Partnerships, and, most recently, Director of Athletics since January 2017.

Todd and his wife, Karen, are both MNU graduates, as are their two adult children and their daughter-in-law. The Garretts live in Gardner, Kansas and attend Life Church of Overland Park, Kansas.

Daniel Rincones

Vice President for Student Development

MA, LPC, SATP MA; Counseling, 2015, MidAmerica Nazarene University
Post-graduate Certificate; Sexual Addictions Treatment Provider, 2017, MidAmerica Nazarene University
BA; Bible, Theology and Religion, 2009, MidAmerica Nazarene University

Daniel began his career in student development as a resident educator and assistant chaplain at MNU. He also served as youth pastor at Christ Community Church of the Nazarene in Olathe from 2008 to 2013.

Daniel served as director of residential life beginning in 2015 and transitioned to dean of students in 2020 before being named vice president in 2021. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Counselor Education at MNU and serves local clients as a licensed professional counselor.

“I am thrilled about the opportunity to continue my work with MNU students,” Daniel says. “Our mission of creating a transformational experience in the lives of today’s students is more important than ever as they navigate young adulthood and societal issues while they earn their education.”

Rincones and his wife, Kylee, a licensed professional counselor employed by the Olathe School District, reside in Olathe.

University Cooperative Program

Advantages of the MNU & K-State Cooperative Program:

Exposure to graduate-level courses not offered at MNU
Opportunity for an accelerated pathway for a master’s degree from K-State Olathe
Access to additional professional development resources offered through K-State

To qualify for program entry at MNU students must:

Be a junior or senior at MidAmerica Nazarene University
Be majoring in biology or similar field
Maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher
Have the recommendation of MNU faculty

To qualify for program entry at K-State students must:

Complete a minimum of 75 hours of undergraduate degree prior to applying for program
Complete a minimum of 90 hours of undergraduate degree prior to attending K-State classes
Provide a short essay detailing why the student wants to participate in the advanced sciences program
Complete the application process

Other restrictions and qualifications may apply. For more information visit https://olathe.k-state.edu

For additional information, contact Jill Speicher at jspeicher@mnu.edu

University Cooperative Program

Advantages of the MNU & Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences partnership program:

Students spend 3 years at MNU and 4 years at KCU
Requirement for Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is waived
Students graduate with a degree from both institutions (B.S. from MNU and D.O. from KCU)
The Program is available at both Kansas City and Joplin campuses

To qualify for entry into the program at MNU students must:

Enter the program at MNU at the beginning of the freshman year through the application process
Have a minimum ACT score of 28
Participate in community service
Have a dedication to the field of osteopathic medicine
Meet regularly with the MNU pre-professional committee

To qualify for program completion at KCU students must:

Complete all General Education requirements at MNU
Complete a minimum of 99 hours of course work at MNU
Maintain an overall GPA of 3.25
Maintain a science coursework GPA of 3.5
Participate in KCU-Com’s weeklong Summer Learning Enhancement Program
Complete the following course with a grade of “C” or higher at MNU:
- Biological Sciences 12 hours
- Chemistry 13 hours
- Biochemistry 3 hours
- Physics 8 hours
- English Composition 6 hours

Other restrictions and qualifications may apply.

For additional information, contact Rion Taylor at rgtaylor@mnu.ed