• Academics

    The Odyssey Program

    You learn more when you do more! Through the Odyssey Program, Hendrix’s signature engaged learning program, students complete at least three Odyssey experiences in at least three of six categories. Odyssey credits can be earned through self-designed and proposed experiences, participation in pre-approved co-curricular activities, and successful completion of pre-coded courses or course modules.

  • Odyssey Info Hub

    Current students, faculty, and staff should visit the Info Hub for forms, upcoming Odyssey events, and other information. 

  • Odyssey Categories

    Global Awareness

    Explore other cultures through Global Awareness Odysseys in the U.S. or abroad.

    For example: Participate in Hendrix-sponsored study abroad programs; take a study tour of the rainforests of Costa Rica; travel to Peru on a mission trip; join a biology excursion to the American Southwest or the Everglades.

    Service to the World

    Tackle social, environmental, and spiritual needs through Service to the World Odysseys on campus, in the community, across the country, and around the world.

    For example: Participate in a mission trip or internship; take a service-learning course; volunteer with various organizations and agencies; complete a service project.

    Professional and Leadership Development

    Professional and Leadership Development Odysseys include internships and other professional experiences, as well as leadership roles in campus, community, or professional life.

    For example:  Tutor or mentor other Hendrix students; complete a leadership or service scholarship program; serve as a Resident Assistant; co-captain an athletic team or lead a student organization.

    Undergraduate Research

    Dig deep into specific topics that grab your interest through Undergraduate Research Odysseys in any academic area.

    For example: Present your results at national and regional academic conferences; have your work accepted for publication in an academic journal.

    Artistic Creativity

    Let your creativity shine in art, music, dance, drama, or creative writing through Artistic Creativity Odysseys.

    For example: Participate in a music performance group or take music lessons; take a course in photography, painting, or sculpture; play a major role in a theatrical production

    Special Projects Odysseys

    Special Projects Odysseys offer endless possibilities to create new ways to explore interests beyond your major.

    For example: Create a business plan for competition through the Hendrix Center for Entrepreneurial Studies; complete an independent study project; design a multidisciplinary Odyssey experience that reflects your special interests and talents

  • Sample Odysseys

    Through the Odyssey Program, Hendrix students have pursued everything from undergraduate research and internships to service and civil rights projects.

    Sami_Kennedy

    Sami's Undergraduate Research Odyssey

    Sami Kennedy's research Odyssey at the Biomedical Research Institute of New Jersey was an eye-opening experience. For one thing, she saw that in biomedical research "it's actually common to learn through mistakes." She says, "I gained an incredible amount of knowledge in one summer. Most importantly, I discovered I really love research."

    Sami Kennedy
    Berkeley Heights, New Jersey
    Biochemistry and molecular biology double major with a minor in medical humanities

    Robert_Durante

    Robert’s Artistic Creativity Odyssey

    Hendrix's exclusive partnership with Italy's Accademia dell'Arte gave Robert Durante the chance to merge his love of theatre with his desire to study abroad. He says, "I studied Commedia dell'Arte, an Italian style of improvisational theatre. I also learned how to create (by hand!) the leather masks that are used in Commedia performances."

    Robert Durante
    Kingwood, Texas
    Theatre arts major; psychology minor

    Annie_Vogt

    Annie's Professional and Leadership Development Odyssey

    During Annie Vogt's internship in the Neonatology Department of Columbia Presbyterian's Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, she saw how doctors and families process decisions that impact extremely preterm infants born with serious impairments. Medicine, ethics, and religion all come into play. She says she was able to observe "the way doctors function in high-stress situations and how they communicate with families."

    Annie Vogt
    Falmouth, Maine
    Religious studies major with a chemistry minor

    Asli_Ahmed

    Asli's Global Awareness Odyssey

    Asli Ahmed expanded her global awareness right in the U.S. heartland by immersing herself in the Minneapolis Somali refugee community. She used ethnographic research techniques, including interviews, to document her on-site experience with this understudied population. She says, "I began to see the real difficulties of assimilating in a country that is so different from your central beliefs."

    Asli Ahmed
    Little Rock, Arkansas
    Psychology major; religious studies minor

    Nate_Drahn

    Nate's Service to the World Odyssey

    A talented pianist, guitarist and violinist, Nate Drahn used music to spark forgotten memories in those suffering from dementia and similar afflictions. He volunteered for a summer at a residential care facility, playing for "anyone and everyone." He discovered that "People can progress from utter confusion to incredible clarity within the course of one song."

    Nate Drahn
    Lopez Island, Washington
    Psychology

    Adelia_Shiffraw

    Adelia's Special Projects Odyssey

    Inspired by a similar Hendrix trip in 2010, Adelia Shiffraw designed and led (in concert with Dean of Students Jim Wiltgen) a civil rights Odyssey road trip. She and 10 other students visited landmark civil rights sites and retraced the footsteps of the Selma to Montgomery marchers, a highlight for Adelia, who says, "I think, 'What if this march had not happened? What kind of life would I be living today?'"

    Adelia Shiffraw
    Little Rock, Arkansas
    Psychology major with a religious studies minor

  • Odyssey Grants

    At Hendrix, we don't want funding issues to limit our students' intellectual adventures. Odyssey grants provide support for projects that require additional funding. We also provide $1,000 toward travel expenses for students when they make their first research presentations at state, regional or national conferences.

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