SPI Frequently Asked Questions

You will need to complete an online application, email us a scan of the I.D. page of your passport (international applicants only), and pay a $50 application fee.

No, you will need to complete a new online application and submit a new passport scan (international applicants only).

Please see the costs chart on our website.

This fee covers the cost of coffee breaks, class supplies, Horizons Luncheons, and other expenses not normally incurred during the regular semester classes. Everyone needs to pay this fee for each course taken.

Domestic applicants should pay the application fee online through the online application. After you click submit on this application, you will be directed to a page with payment instructions. For more payment information, please see our Payments and Refunds webpage.

The application fee is nonrefundable. We do provide refunds of your paid course fees, minus a processing fee, the cost of any visa-related postage, and a wire transfer fee if required.. For more specific refund information, please see our Payments and Refunds webpage.

 SPI does offer several scholarships to help those with financial need. Although there are a few larger scholarships, the majority of our funding is offered as matching grants, to cover the training and lodging of one session if a participant is able to pay all travel expenses and all of the fees for at least one other session.

 In addition, SPI offers one fully-funded fellowsing – the Winston Fellowship - each year. This fellowship is for international or US indigenous individuals.  It covers all expenses, including international transportation, for up to three sessions of training at SPI.

 Please note that before any monetary consideration is given, a complete application, including the $50 application fee, must be received.

 For information on all scholarships and the Winston Fellowship, click here. 

No, many people come for just one or two sessions.

Only one course may be taken per session.

The knowledge and skills you will receive during the class are very similar whether taken for training or credit. One of the major differences between the two is the amount of work required for the course. Those taking courses for credit will have additional readings, writing assignments, and projects that are not required for training participants.

 Another difference is the cost. Taking courses for credit costs significantly more than taking courses for training.

In addition, the majority of SPI financial assistance is only available for training fees. Those who take courses for credit are not eligible for most SPI Scholarships or the Winston Fellowship.

Yes, we do provide a limited residency option that allows students to take SPI courses towards a Master of Arts in Conflict Transformation, a Master of Arts in Restorative Justice, or several Graduate Certificates. Please note that while all courses for the graduate certificates can be taken through SPI, in order to complete a masters of Arts, a student will have to spend at least one spring semester on-campus.

 Please note that taking courses for credit does not automatically enroll you in an MA or GC program. If you are interested in getting a Masters degree or graduate certificate you will need to apply separately through the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. For more information see the web at https://emu.edu/cjp/grad/ or email cjpadmissions@emu.edu.

It is possible for you to take a course for graduate credit and transfer it to another university, but this is up to your home university. You should verify with your university that the class you are taking can be transferred as some have limitations on the number of transfer credits and/or transferring core courses.

Our classes are a combination of persons taking the classes for training and persons taking the classes for credit. Those taking the classes for credit will meet with their instructor during the week to receive information that outlines the additional for-credit responsibilities, which will include required reading, and may include written assignments and or a final project.

After the course is over you have until October 1, 2019 to complete all of the assigned course work (Note: EMU full-time students must complete their work by August 20, 2019). Click here to learn more about taking courses for academic credit.

 Course materials will be distributed via Moodle online and/or in your classroom on the first morning of class. Syllabi can also be found under each course listing. Required texts for courses can be purchased at the University Bookstore or read on reserve at EMU’s Hartzler Library.

International participants taking courses for training will want to apply for either a B-1 visa or a J-1 visa. Those taking courses for credits must have a J1 visa.  Those who are accepted into the MA program must have an F1 visa.

The B-1 visa can be used at SPI to take courses for training under the B1 category “participate in a short-term training”. Click here for more information.  

The J-1 visa is an exchange visa that can be used at SPI to take courses for training or for academic credit. It is a time specific visa that allows entry before your course begins and exit no later than 30 days after your last course.. Participants who are taking courses for academic credit will be required to enter the US on a J-1 visa (or an F1 visa if a matriculated student).

It is sometimes easier to get a J1 visa (instead of a B1) and it is sometimes possible to make expedited visa appointments if you are applying for a J1 visa and there is no visa appointment before your course begins.  The J1 visa also comes with an additional cost of $220 for a homeland security check and the cost to courier documents to you.  More information on this visa can be found here, http://j1visa.state.gov/.

Please note: you cannot arrive on a B-1 visa and decide during SPI that you want to take courses for credit. If you think it is at all possible that you are going to want to take classes for credit or switch to credit, you must enter on a J-1 visa. More information on this visa can be found here,  https://j1visa.state.gov/programs/short-term-scholar.

Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) is located in Harrisonburg, in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Please note that there is very little public transportation between EMU and the nearest international airport, located about 120 miles away. To get to campus, you may need to request an SPI pick-up, hire a taxi, rent a car, or use your own car. We provide some travel Information on our webpage.

 Megabus has recently started travel between Washington, DC, Dulles International Airport, and Harrisonburg, VA. Please check the megabus website to see if the times of travel will work for you.  You will need to make your way from the drop-off point in Harrisonburg to EMU’s campus, approximately four miles away.

SPI on-campus lodging is located in the Hillside Suites at 1381 College Avenue, Harrisonburg, VA 22802. Once you arrive at Hillside, locate a Community Assistant, who will be able to check you into your room. If you are arriving in the evening, we will gladly send you the Community Assistant phone number, so you can contact them once you arrive. More information on SPI arrival and departure.