The Study Abroad Program at the University of Arizona is continually evolving and adding new programs to provide a life-altering experience through hands-on learning for students.

One of the new programs at the UA is the Mod Rockers and Paris Goes Pop program. 

According to Bailey Lee, program manager of Study Abroad, it is the first program specifically made for fashion minors.

The 2019 program was a one month trip to London, Bristol, Bath and Paris, said student Mish DeCarlo, who went on the trip this year. It was also found, in DeCarlo’s case, that it was cheaper even with travel arrangements to take the month long course abroad instead of staying and studying on the UA campus.

According to DeCarlo, the program was a hybrid course. Some of the students enrolled for credit stayed here in Tucson and completed the curriculum through online studies. A big goal was for study abroad students to go out into the field, as a day-lab, and report back to the students online. 

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This course studies the cultures of fashion and how it has evolved and continues to impact modern day ideas.

“From the Edwardian look of Carnaby Street and King Row to the impeccable bespoke tailoring of Saville Row,” the UA Study Abroad website said, “we will explore the Roman antiquities, which surround the Fashion Museum of Bath, England and ‘carry on’ to the haute couture houses in Paris. Then we shall look forward to learning about the effortless Paris street style.” 

DeCarlo discussed how there was an assignment that was all about what they were packing for the trip. They were asked why they chose to pack certain items, what professional attire is and what their choices were rooted in. This brought up a whole new perspective and hands-on lesson about fashion for the students.

“They had us only bring a carry-on suitcase, because they wanted to train us to, like, travel as fashion buyers. So just constantly being on the go but still being professional,” DeCarlo said. “The online kids’ objectives were to critique our insight and a little bit of research behind why they were suggesting things.” 

The Mod Rockers and Paris Goes Pop shows how students are able to immerse themselves in the world of fashion while also applying it to their own lives. This new Study Abroad program provides an enriching experience for those who want to take their education to the next level.

Although studying abroad in Kyoto is not a new program for the UA, the Daily Wildcat spoke with a first-time study abroad student who experienced what it was like to study in Asia. 

It takes place on a campus in Japan where students stay in dorms while pursuing their studies. They take two courses. One was food studies, and the other covered religion, according to Rylan Pugliese, who participated in the program this past summer. 

“Most of the trip was spent exploring Kyoto. So we could go to temples and shrines and actually get to see religion and see culture instead of just learning about it in the classroom,” Pugliese said.

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Pugliese is an East Asian Studies major in which she studies the Japanese language. The trip provided a place of full immersion into a country and language that is not her native. She got practice talking with locals and got used to speaking Japanese in a way that could never have been offered on the main campus at the UA.

By completely losing herself in another culture of food, religion and language, Pugliese was able to change her life by just studying abroad.

The Study Abroad Program at the UA offers a full immersion experience of learning that no other program can. They are constantly adding new programs and improving the old ones to endorse the dreams of students from all sorts of majors.

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