MSU students who hope to study abroad but want a taste of it before committing to an entire semester will have another option.

A new week-long program in Nicaragua will be offered through the MSU Office of Study Abroad starting in the spring. It will broadly cover Nicaraguan political and ecological aspects. It runs during Spring Break from March 6-14 and is open to all students, regardless of major or class rank.

"The key idea behind the program is to expose students to as many different ecosystems and as much of the country's culture as possible," said Jerry Urquhart, an assistant professor in the Lyman Briggs School of Science.

The program begins on the dry, western side of Nicaragua, which borders the Pacific Ocean. Students will visit an active volcano, Masaya, and local towns and coffee plantations.

Next, they will travel to Bluefields, a city along the Gulf of Mexico. Bluefields is an Afro-Caribbean community, similar to the Bahamas or Jamaica.

During the week, students will spend time at peasant farms and explore local sections of rainforests.

The final days of the trip involve traveling back to the Pacific coast, where students will visit a cloud forest high atop the dormant volcano, Mombacho. A cloud forest is a high-elevation rainforest that gets most of its moisture from the clouds covering them.

Urquhart said the program is unique because its short duration allows students the opportunity to study abroad without missing part of the academic year.

And students interested in U.S. foreign policy will be attracted to the diverse political history of the Western Hemisphere's poorest country, Urquhart said.

Cindy Chalou, assistant director of the Office of Study Abroad, said the brevity of the trip is unique.

"What we're exploring for the first time are brief programs that allow students who want to test the waters in a safe environment for a brief period of time," she said.

Chalou said it's important to provide additional alternatives to traditional study abroad programs.

"We want to provide another option for students so they don't graduate saying they missed out on studying abroad because it didn't work into their schedule," Chalou said.

She added that the program could be helpful for non-traditional students, such as those who are parents, because they could benefit from a shorter program.

Offering a program in the middle of the semester makes for a more integrated experience, Chalou said, because it allows students to earn credit rather than just taking a week-long vacation.

Adrienne Putrow said she was planning to volunteer for a Habitat for Humanity trip to Mexico, but she didn't have enough volunteering hours.

The no-preference freshman said the Nicaraguan program could provide a good alternative.

"I like the idea of an alternative to traditional Spring Break trips," Putrow said. "It's more noble than just going somewhere to get drunk."

Students interested in the new program can attend an informational meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday in room C-104 of Holmes Hall.