The Mediterranean Basin

Athens, Florence, Rome, Venice
Transform your winter break into a whirlwind of discovery and culture in Italy and Greece!
 

January Term corresponds to Winter Break. It starts at the very end of December and goes until about January 15. On this experiential Study Tour, you'll travel through some of Europe's most interesting cities with a group of peers, while earning credit for one course.

 

Students will build visual literacy in the history of art and archaeology, as well as examine philosophical literature of the Mediterranean Basin from Antiquity to the Middle Ages.

 

This trip will cultivate students' abilities to synthesize cultural, historical, political, and social information as it relates to the visual arts.

The Experiential Learning component consists of a series of site visits guided by academic experts from IAU, in addition to expert local guides and faculty in the fields of History, Art History, and Archaeology.

 

This trip is capped at 30 students. Early application is recommended. Admissions are rolling, so you can apply anytime! 

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Program Details

The Mediterranean Basin

 

  • Cultural visits and guided travel in 5 cities & 2 countries (list above).
  • Travel with a group of peers and professor/professors.
  • Curated on-site activities tailored to the study of the Mediterranean Basin.
  • Field study & guest lectures.
  • Visits to major cultural and historical sites, such as Delphi, Mycenae, Athens Acropolis, Pompeii, Rome's Colosseum, Uffizi Gallery, and many more.

Includes visits to the following cities:

  • Athens, Greece
  • Rome, Italy
  • Florence, Italy
  • Venice, Italy

View the itinerary: The Mediterranean Basin

 

Some course readings and videos may need to be completed prior to your trip’s departure date. Before your trip start date, you will receive emails advising on you any readings or videos you need to complete before departure.

 

ASA reserves the right to cancel programs due to low enrollment. Students should consult with ASA before making travel plans or purchasing airfare. Itineraries, syllabi, and professors are tentative and subject to change. 

 

Course Information

All students will take the same interdisciplinary course, worth 3 US semester credits, and taught by the professor or professors traveling with you. Simply select the course code you want to receive credit for, and get course transfer pre-approval from your home institution beforehand.

  • Archaeology 385: Greek and Roman Archaeology
  • Art History 385: Ancient and Medieval Classical Art and Architecture
  • Cross Cultural Studies 385: Cultural Identities in Mediterranean Europe
  • History 385: Ancient and Medieval Mediterranean Cultural History
  • Religious Studies 385: From Polytheism to Monotheism: the Early Christian Period in France, Italy, and Greece

Course Syllabus

Credit Information & Eligibility

Language Requirement: None. Classes are in English.

 

Possible U.S. Credits: 3 semester credits (1 course). Classes are taken with other American students.

 

Final Transcript: Issued by IAU College.

 

Eligibility
  • Minimum GPA 2.50 (Students with a GPA between 2.20 and 2.49 will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Students with a GPA of 2.19 or lower will not be considered.)
  • Language requirement: None
  • At least 17 years of age
  • Must have graduated from high school
  • Transcript from most recent institution attended (unofficial is ok). If you have attended more than one institution, please submit a transcript from each institution.
  • ASA Application. To start a new application or continue an existing application, click here.
  • Scan of your valid passport that does not expire sooner than 6 months after the day you plan to return home from abroad. If you don’t have a valid passport, confirmation of an expedited passport application is required before you can be accepted into this program. Please submit your passport application by expedited service if you do not have a valid passport.

Costs & Dates

Program pricing and important dates.

Program dates are subject to change. Although date changes are rare, they are typically changes made by the host institution and are, therefore, outside of ASA's control. If any changes are made to your program dates, ASA is not responsible for fees or losses associated with changing or canceling your plane ticket, additional lodging and other travel costs, etc.

Please do not book a plane ticket until you are accepted to an ASA program and receive written notification of your program's arrival and departure date.

* Prices subject to change. Financial aid available.

ASA is a small program, but that’s what makes it so great. The personal attention can’t be beat and I made plenty of friends outside of the group.

Chelsea Francis

I would recommend ASA to other students because not only was it a great price for what you get, but it was so much fun and the site director was great.

Morgan Pecknold

ASA is a very thorough program. It is well organized and structured, yet allows for plenty of independent activity and personal responsibility. There were many times where I felt foreign, but I rarely felt like a tourist. I engaged in the culture with the ASA program, I didn’t just take a picture and a souvenir

Aaron Bannasch

Your Professor

Dr. Guillaume Durand has been a professor of archaeology and art history at IAU since 2002, Assistant Dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences since 2014, and leads the January Term Traveling Seminar on The Mediterranean Basin. Prof. Durand completed a Masters of Art History and Archaeology on Byzantine Studies and a Ph.D. in Romanian History at the Université de Provence. In 2014 he completed a three-year post-doctorate program funded by the European Union and under the aegis of the Romanian Academy (Bucharest) and the Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (Paris). He has published two books and several articles in French academic reviews (Cahier des Etudes Romanes, Turcica) and in Romania (Historical Yearbook, Annals of the Spiru Haret University). Professor Durand participates regularly in international conferences in France and throughout Europe and maintains active involvement and oversight of local, regional, and national archaeological excavations. He speaks French, English, Romanian, and Greek.

 

Professor Pamela Morton is a visiting associate professor of Fine Arts at IAU. Professor Morton is an artist and university teacher who has been living and working in the south of France for over thirty years. An expert on Provence and the artists of the south of France, she has organized and led museum and site visits for many cultural organizations and college students. She lectures on Picasso and Matisse as well as on Cezanne and van Gogh, and has taught painting and drawing along with 19th and 20th century art history courses for study abroad programs in Aix and Marseille. With a background that includes art restoration and museum education, Pamela brings special insight to her understanding of artistic works and their settings both in time and place. Like the artists she studies and admires, Pamela finds inspiration for her own work in the bold light and landscapes of the south of France.

Program Inclusions

What's included in your program fee.

What's Included

  • Exclusive "A WORLD OF CARE" Student Support Suite.
  • LODGING & PARTIAL BOARD in hotels (usually 3- or 4-star) for January Term trips. Rooms are shared with other students in your group (typically double or triple occupancy).
  • MEALS: Breakfast each day and some group lunches and/or dinners are included. Other meals are the student’s responsibility.
  • ENTRANCE FEES to all scheduled cultural activities and academic visits.
  • INTRA-PROGRAM TRANSPORTATION to and from each city.  Round trip airfare to/from your home country and the program start and end locations is NOT included.
  • TUITION for 1 class (3 semester credits).
  • ACADEMIC CREDITS: Students who receive pre-approval from their home institution can transfer the credits they earn to their home institution.
  • OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT: Final transcript is issued by IAU. Upon completion of the program, ASA will provide one free shipment of your final transcript to your U.S. institution.
  • ON-SITE SUPPORT: Students will travel with faculty and/or staff member(s) on-site, who can assist them with any academic or cultural difficulties they may encounter.
  • MEDICAL INSURANCE: Comprehensive international medical insurance is included. Click here for details on benefits and coverage.
  • VISA ADVISING: Students are ultimately responsible for obtaining any visa required for their term/host country, but ASA will provide detailed, helpful information upon acceptance about how to apply for a visa, if one is required for any of the countries visited during your program itinerary.
  • PRE-DEPARTURE HANDBOOK & ON-SITE ORIENTATION.
  • SUBSCRIPTION TO SAFETURE SAFETY-ENHANCING MOBILE APP.
  • SUBSCRIPTION TO MINDHAMOK: a 24-7 service designed to support your mental, physical, and social wellbeing throughout your program. You can find out more about mindhamok in our Pre-Departure Guide for All Programs

Not Included

  • Round trip airfare and travel expenses to and from the program start/end locations
  • Meals, except for those included with your program fees, as described above. The number of meals included varies depending on the trip.
  • Airport pick-up (Students will receive detailed instructions via email shortly before the program starts on how to get from the airport to the first group meeting point.)
  • Local transportation – e.g. taxis, subway, and bus fare, etc.
  • Personal expenses
  • Laundry
  • Textbooks and course materials.  You will receive a list of required books before departure, which can be ordered from Amazon.
  • Baggage fees, if your luggage is in excess of the airline’s Baggage Allowance (This refers to intra-European travel. One airline frequently used is RyanAir; other airlines may be used as well. Prepare to pack light to avoid baggage fees!)
  • Transportation back to the airport at the end of the program
  • Visa, if required (If a visa is required for any of the countries visited during your program itinerary, ASA will notify you in time for you to obtain it before your trip’s start date.)

Ready to Apply?

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