"Porch of the Maidens", Acropolis, Greece

Academics

The Cultural History Tours are first and foremost academic travel programs. Students are required to enroll in and complete academic courses for credit. Because we follow an extensive travel itinerary, instructional delivery is very different from the pattern of fixed class time and standard contact hours of campus courses. On the Cultural History Tours, class sessions are usually scheduled around or during the program activities that take up most of the day: visits to museums, monuments, cathedrals and temples, historic sites, governmental institutions, etc. Thus in a sense most of the waking hours of each day are contact hours because students are actively engaged in some aspect of history, art, culture and politics.

The faculty are very careful to balance the program activities described in the itineraries with sufficient time for students to reflect on and discuss the significance of what they have seen and experienced. Thus class sessions are designed to contextualize and synthesize vivid firsthand impressions. Classes are taught in an interdisciplinary fashion, with professors of all disciplines represented helping students to get an interconnected view. Instead of lectures, the emphasis is on dialogue and discussion that actively involves the students. And since the faculty travel with the groups and are always available, meaningful discussions often take place during routine activities such as meals, walking from one site to the next, waiting for trains, etc. Course assignments, which include readings in history, art, culture and politics, quizzes, and presentations, are also aimed at organizing students' experiences. The faculty allow sufficient time for the completion of most course requirements on the tour. Because of the full itinerary and the academic requirements, there is relatively little free time on the Cultural History Tours.

Credit

Students must enroll in twelve semester hours of Eastern Michigan University credit on the Summer European Cultural History Tour (6 on the Western European portion of the summer program and 6 on the Mediterranean Cultural History Tour portion of the summer program). Students enroll in one three-credit course in history and one three-credit course in art on each part of the program, and must complete all course requirements. The courses offered are designed to meet basic studies or general education requirements. Courses at the 300 and 400 level may meet major or minor requirements. EMU students must take Art 100 before taking Art 379.

Credit for Non-EMU Students:

The courses offered are designed to meet basic studies or core curriculum requirements at most universities. Courses at the 300 and 400 level may meet major or minor requirements.

Students must complete all course requirements even if they do not intend to transfer the credits to their home institution. The decision to accept the credits earned on this program rests with the appropriate officials at the student's home institution. Students should consult with their study abroad adviser or academic adviser to learn their institution's policies and procedures regarding transfer credit.

Courses

The following is a tentative list of courses, with Eastern Michigan University catalogue descriptions, to be offered on the Mediterranean Cultural History Tour. Students select one course in Art and one course in History.

History

HIST 101   
History of Western Civilization to 1648
3 semester hours

A topical survey of western civilization from its Greco-Roman origins to the 17th century. Cultural development and institutional growth are emphasized. Greco-Roman contributions, the Judeo-Christian heritage, Byzantine and Islamic cultures, European expansion and militarism, the Renaissance and the Reformation are among the major topics considered.

HIST 379
Aspects of Mediterranean History
3 semester hours

Study of political, social, economic and cultural trends in selected Mediterranean lands. Topics and time periods emphasized will vary according to areas visited. Designed solely for Eastern Michigan University overseas study programs.

ART

FA 100
Art Appreciation
3 semester hours

The aim is to acquaint students with art philosophies, their elements, principles and values. For non-art majors and minors. Most major art museums in the cities on our itinerary will be visited and key works studied. For the art museums to be visited see the itinerary.

FA 379
Mediterranean Art and Architecture
3 semester hours

This course is designed to enhance the student's understanding of the art of the ancient and Mediterranean worlds, including Judeo, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic works. Students will participate in guided tours of museums, monuments, ruins, archeological sites, and religious centers according to the itinerary in Italy, Greece and Turkey. The prerequisite for this course is FA 100.

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Academic Programs Abroad
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