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 6 semester hours of Eastern Michigan University credit
on the Western European Cultural History Tour. Students enroll in
one three-credit course in history and one three-credit course in
art, 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,
or be taken as elective credit. 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, or be taken as elective credit.
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 Western
European Cultural History Tour. Students must enroll in 6 semester
hours of Eastern Michigan University credit: one three-credit course
in history and one three-credit course in art.
Western European Cultural History Tour Courses:
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
Art and Architecture of Europe
3 semester hours
This
course studies the development of Western European art and architecture.
Guided tours will be taken of most major museums in London, Paris,
Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Budapest and Munich. Architectural structures
such as churches and palaces of artistic significance will also
be visited and discussed on location. The prerequisite for this
course is FA 100.
History
HIST
102
History of Western Civ., 1648 to World War I
3 semester hours
A
topical survey of western civilization from the 17th century to
World War I. Cultural development and institutional growth are emphasized.
The Baroque era, Enlightenment, political and industrial revolutions,
nationalism and imperialism are among major topics considered.
HIST
333
Europe Since 1919
3 semester hours
A
history of Europe since Versailles with emphasis upon the Communist,
Fascist and Nazi revolutions and their impact on the world, the
origins and outbreak of the Second World War, and the post-1945
era.
