Discover

On this page, you will learn about…

  • schedule for the trip
    • when do we leave and return?
    • will there be a group flight?
    • where will we stay?
    • what kinds of things will we do?
  • courses offered
    • what course options will I have?
    • do the courses match my major?
    • what are they like?
  • cost of the trip
    • what is the program fee?
    • what other expenses are there?
    • when are payments due?
    • what’s happening in Queenstown?
    • so, what’s the total cost?
    • where should I look for scholarships?
  • faculty
    • who is the program director?
    • who teaches the classes?
    • how many faculty go on the trip?

 

Schedule

When do we leave and return?

Everyone will leave the USA on…

  • June 9, 2026

Everyone will be back in the USA on…

  • July 9, 2026

You can find details about the “preferred” international flights on the Prepare page.

Will there be a group flight?

We will not have a required group flight for this trip. I will pick a “preferred” international flights, and I’ll send you the information so you can purchase tickets for that flight on your own. However, if you need to travel on a different flight (e.g., you want to leave from Los Angeles), you may travel separately as long as you arrive at the same time or before the “preferred” flight.

Click here to see more details about Plane Tickets on the Prepare page.

Where will we stay?

We will spend the first few days exploring the North Island. Our first night will be in Rotorua (about 2.5 hour drive from Auckland)…

Our first week of class will be held in Wellington, the capitol of New Zealand…

On the trip from Wellington to Christchurch, we’ll stay a night in Kaikoura (whale watching tour!)…

For about a week, we will be in Christchurch, NZ…

The last week of class will be in Dunedin, home of University of Otago…

One long weekend, we’ll tavel to Tekapo and Hooker Valley, at the base of New Zealand’s tallest mountain…

The last few days of the trip will be in Queenstown, NZ…

All accommodations are subject to change.

What kinds of things will we do?

Besides all the fun we’ll have in class, we’ll have some great adventures…

Learn more…

The following brochure and calendar will give you an idea of the activities and schedule. All plans are subject to change.

Courses

What course options will I have?

All students will take two courses: one from the 8:30 set and one from the 10:30 set…

8:30 am (Set 1) choose one course from…

  • ENG 2306 World Literature
    • focusing on writers of New Zealand
    • taught by Dr Clay Butler
    • Distribution List: Literature in Context
    • we’ll read a who-done-it murder mystery novel (Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh) and a young adult novel based on Maori culture (Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera). The rest of our readings will be short stories and poems
  • FDM 1309 Introduction to Film
    • explores representative masterpieces of cinema
    • taught by Dr Jim Kendrick
    • Distribution List: Fine Arts & Performing Arts

10:30 am (Set 2) choose one course from…

  • ENG 3378 Travel Writing
    • focusing on the events and reflections from our trip
    • taught by Dr Clay Butler
    • Everyone says after a trip like this that they wish they’d kept a journal and recorded more of their experiences and thoughts. That’s what this class will do. You’ll keep a daily journal and write 4 essays about what you’re doing in NZ and how it’s impacting you
  • FDM 4340 Media & Society
    • examines impacts of the media upon society, responsibilities of the media, and restraints imposed upon them
    • taught by Dr Jim Kendrick
    • Distribution List: Communication and Media
  • HIS 3350 War & Memory in New Zealand
    • examines the impact of story-telling on the experience itself.
    • taught by Dr Stephen Sloan
    • You’ll get to interview New Zealand veterans about their experience and the way it changed them

Do the courses match my major?

These courses work surprisingly well with many different majors. Be sure to check with your advisor to be sure these courses are a good fit for you.

ENG 2306 World Literature…

  • every major in the College of Arts & Sciences, Social Work, and Nursing major needs one course from the Literature in Context distribution list
  • every BBA major needs one course from the Literature requirement. For students who have already taken another literature course, such as ENG 2310 American Literary Cultures, then ENG 2306 can count toward one of their Communication Options (section 2b)
  • every Computer Science major needs an ENG Literature course
  • every Engineering major can replace the GTX 2302 with ENG 2306
  • every TED Secondary English and Middle English major needs ENG 2306
  • many BS and BSed majors list ENG 2306 under their Research, Writing, and Literature requirement

FDM 1309 Introduction to Film…

  • every major in the College of Arts & Sciences needs one course from the Fine Arts & Performing Arts distribution list

ENG 3378 Travel Writing…

  • every ENG and PWR major has this course listed on their major
  • every BBA major can take this for one of their Communication Options (section 2a)
  • every TED Secondary English major needs 9 hours of upper-level ENG courses
  • for everyone else, many degrees require more upper-level (3000 or 4000) courses than required to complete a major. This course can satisfy one of your “upper-level electives”

FDM 4340 Media & Society…

  • every major in the College of Arts & Sciences needs one course from the Communication and Media distribution list

HIS 3350 War & Memory in New Zealand…

  • every HIS major can count this toward major requirements
  • for everyone else, many degrees require more upper-level (3000 or 4000) courses than required to complete a major. This course can satisfy one of your “upper-level electives”

Learn more…

  • for syllabi, please contact the professor

Cost

What is the program fee?

  • $3,250  (for 2026)
  • this fee covers many expenses while in NZ…
    • all lodging
    • all transportation for group excursions
    • all tickets, passes, etc. for group excursions
    • some of your meals

What other expenses are there?

  • summer tuition
  • summer school fees
  • international airfare
  • visa & IVL (International Visitor Levy)
  • most meals
  • Queenstown activities
  • souvenirs

When are payments due?

  • a deposit of $1,000 is due when accepted to the program and is the only way to secure a place on the team. The deposit is non-refundable if you later change your mind about the trip. However, the amount will be refunded in full if the whole trip is cancelled by Baylor (as in the case of a worldwide pandemic).
  • the remainder is due in May when summer school tuition is due.
  • all payments are made using the regular “e-bill” system.

What’s happening in Queenstown?

At the end of the trip, we’ll spend 3 full days in Queenstown. It’s the winter adventure capitol of New Zealand with lots of fun things to do: snow skiing, ziplining, touring a glacier-fed lake, and much more. The program fee covers our transportation to and from Queenstown, and our lodging while we’re there, but everyone will pick their own adventure and only pay for the ones they want. Relaxing, drinking hot tea, and enjoying the scenery is also a premiere option.

Here are a few of the options and estimated costs:

So, what’s the total cost?

  • Here’s an estimate… (for 2026)
3,250 Program Fee
2,200 Airfare – Houston/NZ (estimated)
1,000 Spending Money (meals, laundry, etc.)
125 Visa & IVL (International Visitor Levy)
600 Queenstown (optional activities)
9,300 Summer Tuition (estimated, based on 6 credit hours)
300 CGE Study Abroad Fee ($50/credit hour)
100 CGE Administrative Fee
16,875 Total Cost
  • exact amount of summer tuition can only be determined by the Cashier’s office

Where should I look for scholarships?

Summer study abroad is certainly expensive. Fortunately, there are some resources that can help.

  • Check with Baylor’s financial aid office to better understand options with the scholarships you already have. Some scholarships can be applied to summer school (taking classes with Baylor in New Zealand is considered summer school). Also, some scholarships are provided over any 8 semesters. If you are planning on graduating a semester early, that extra regular semester may be transferable to a summer semester. Talking to the financial aid office will help you know what options are available for you
  • Learn all you can about the study abroad process and options, especially meeting one-on-one with a study abroad advisor to talk about your specific situation
  • Baylor has a generous internal scholarship to help students pay for study abroad. While awards are given based on financial need and academic merit, every study abroad student is encouraged to apply. Learn more on the Glennis McCrary Goodrich Scholarship page
  • Are you a First Generation college student? Baylor has special study abroad scholarship just for you. Learn more on the First Abroad Fellows page
  • Are you a member of Sigma Tau Delta (the English honor society)? Members studying abroad can apply for Summer Program Scholarships.
  • Baylor’s study abroad office has a list of “outside” scholarship. Investigate and apply to all that you can
  • BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) students are invited to apply for a free flight to New Zealand to study abroad through Go Overseas
  • Education New Zealand has contributed funds to the Gilman Scholarship (administered by the US State Department) to fund scholarships for students studying in New Zealand
  • Education New Zealand has contributed funds to Fund for Education Abroad to increase scholarships for students studying in New Zealand
  • You can also search the Education New Zealand site for additional scholarship opportunities

Learn more…

Faculty

Who is the program director?

  • Dr Clay Butler  is a Senior Lecturer in Linguistics at Baylor University, where he has taught since 2001. He has extensive experience leading students abroad, including a past program in Peru where students immersed themselves in the Spanish language and culture while exploring sites such as Machu Picchu and Lake Titicaca.

    Dr. Butler earned his BA from Baylor in 1988 and his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 2001. Before joining academia, he spent 12 years in computer programming for banks and hospitals, experience that sharpened his problem-solving and organizational skills. He and his wife also served for a year and a half in Ulan-Ude, Russia, where they taught English and helped start a new church, deepening their cross-cultural perspective.

    At Baylor, Dr. Butler and his wife served for 10 years as Faculty-in-Residence in Martin Hall, investing daily in student life and mentoring. They are parents of four children, including three Baylor graduates. They’re also proud grandparents already dreaming about the Baylor classes of 2044, 2046, and 2048.

    As a professor, Dr. Butler combines a love for literature, language, and culture with a deep commitment to student success and well-being. He will be teaching:

    • ENG 2306 World Literature: New Zealand
    • ENG 3378 Travel Writing

Who are the other faculty?

  • Dr Stephen Sloan leads the Institute for Oral History. He is also a professor in Baylor’s Department of History, specializing in U.S. history post 1941, environmental history, public history, and the American West. He holds a doctorate in public history and U.S. history from Arizona State University. Sloan organizes research projects, leads community oral history workshops, directs grants and contracts, and conducts field interviews. He has won several awards for his publications and projects, including the Elizabeth B. Mason Oral History Project Award for the “Survivors of Genocide Oral History Project” and the Oral History Association Book Award for the co-edited Listening on the Edge: Oral History in the Aftermath of Crisis.

    In 2024, Baylor University recognized Dr. Sloan as the Cornelia Marschall Smith Professor of the Year, and he was also named a Big XII Faculty of the Year.

    In addition to offerings in oral history, Dr. Sloan teaches several history courses, including American Environmental History, US History since 1877, US in Global Perspective, The Cold War, and The Vietnam War.

    He will be teaching:

    • HIS 3350 War & Memory in NZ