Classical Civilizations Study and Travel Abroad

The department encourages its students to study and travel abroad, during their junior year or over the course of a summer.

Several of the program's recent graduates have studied for a semester or a year in Rome and Sicily, while others have attended archaeological field schools to learn about excavation methodology and practice. The latter include one '09 graduate who participated in the Villa della Vignacce excavation in Rome, a program run by the American Institute for Roman Culture (AIRC), and another who assisted with the excavation of the Roman fort 'Arbeia' in South Shields, England, as part of a volunteer program sponsored by the Earthwatch Organization.

Opportunities and Scholarships

The Classical Civilizations Dept. launched its own program in 2012 (and alternating summers afterwards). Advanced undergraduates had the opportunity to travel to Turkey for four weeks, with week-long stays in Istanbul and Antalya as well as extensive travel time along Turkey's west coast (ancient Asia Minor) and portions of its central and southern regions. Participants visited dozens of ancient sites, including some of the most important cities in antiquity (e.g. Constantinople/Istanbul, Pergamum, Antioch, Ephesus, Miletus). For pictures, videos and other materials from the 2012 trip, visit the official blog site of 2012 program, by clicking here!

Beginning in 2015, the CLAS Department has offered a 6-credit course abroad in northern Turkey, an archaeological field school based in the small city of Sinop (ancient Sinope) on the Black Sea coast. The Sinop Kale Excavation project invites student participants to join the field school and the excavation team, which normally consists of 40 individuals from a dozen different institutions and countries. Coursework focuses upon archaeological method and practice, Black Sea history and the archaeology of the region.  

In 2009, the department became a member of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens (ASCSA), and students are encouraged to take part in its summer programs. These six-week study programs provide students with an intensive introduction to Greece from ancient times through the modern era. They run from mid-June to early August, during which time students spent three weeks in and around Athens and three weeks traveling throughout different regions of Greece, including Crete, the Peloponnesus, and ancient Macedonia in N. Greece. Advanced undergraduates are encouraged to apply; the deadline to do so is normally in mid-January.

Scholarships for students are available from the ASCSA and other organizations, but they are limited in number. For further information, please visit the ASCSA website.

For members of Eta Sigma Phi, study abroad fellowships are also available. Please visit the Eta Sigma Phi page for more information.

The American Academy in Rome also has a six-week summer session. The program, according to their website, is "designed to provide qualified graduate students, mature undergraduates, and middle school, high school, and two-year college teachers with a well-founded understanding of the growth and development of the city of Rome through a careful study of material remains and literary sources." The program generally runs from mid-June to late July, with an application deadline in mid-January.

Scholarships are available to qualified applicants, although they are competitive. For further information and application forms, please visit the AAR website.

Questions?

please email Dr. Andrew Goldman.

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