J-Term at Drake

For three weeks in January, between fall and spring semesters, many Drake students take on a focused learning experience in a small-group setting. They can immerse themselves in anything from Chinese to theatre to avian biology to leadership without the distraction of other classes.

Drake’s January Term (known on campus as J-Term) offers diverse options that can take place here on campus, a road trip away, or on another continent. You could study cold war films or build a robot on campus, or explore Gothic horror literature in Great Britain, play math games with children in a hut in Ghana, study education in Finland, or serve a high-poverty area of Belize.

J-Term is a great opportunity to explore new experiences that would be otherwise tough to fit into a packed schedule. You can study an interesting topic, volunteer, learn a skill, or take a big step out of your major area (such as learning an artistic skill or putting on a fully staged musical theatre production).

Offerings are also varied according to level of study; you can meet an Areas of Inquiry requirement that’s been tough to schedule, or take on an advanced course in your major that is uniquely structured for an intensive learning environment. Student participants in J-Term must be in their second year of college or beyond.