Study Abroad
Study Abroad (for Classics and Ancient Studies)
The department encourages study abroad, usually during a student's junior year.
Majors who study in Rome or Athens return to Mount Holyoke with new—or
renewed—vigor and enthusiasm for the study of classics. There are three
programs of study that we frequently recommend majors (detailed below): the Intercollegiate
Center for Classical Studies in Rome (ICCS), the College Year in Athens (CYA),
and Mount Holyoke's January Term in Rome (usually offered every other January).
In addition, the Classics Advanced Semester Program (CASP) in Athens, as its
name implies, is available for advanced students of Greek. (For Summer Programs,
see below).
Some majors have chosen to combine a semester in Rome or Athens with a semester
in Oxford, St. Andrews, Royal Holloway or University College London.
J-term in Rome
In January of 2009 Geoffrey Sumi and Mark Landon will lead a trip to Rome to
study the history and monuments of the ancient city. Students interested
in this program will be required to register for the trip as a January term
course (and will earn two academic credits).During 10 days in Italy, students
will visit ancient sites and museums in the "Eternal City" and
take short excursions to Ostia (the port of Rome), Cerveteri (an Etruscan
site), and Tivoli (Hadrian's Villa). As part of the course, students will
also be required to attend classes at MHC for the first part of J-term (approximately
one week) before embarking for Rome. Questions should be addressed to Geoffrey
Sumi (gsumi@mtholyoke.edu).
Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome
(ICCS or “The Centro”)
The ICCS was established in 1965 by representatives of ten American colleges
and universities; the number of member institutions has now grown to 90. It
provides undergraduate students with an opportunity in Rome to study ancient
history and archaeology, Greek and Latin literature, and ancient art. Students
are expected to take four courses, which is a minimum and normal load; a few
students take five courses. A major part of the academic work is a required
comprehensive and integrated course called The Ancient City, which is commensurate
with and requires as much class and study time as two semester courses. It
covers Roman archaeology and topography, aspects of social and urban history
of Rome, and Roman civilization. Frequent site visits, intensive museum tours
and lectures, and wider-ranging trips outside Rome (based on the Professor-in-Charge’s
areas of expertise) are included in the course. In the recent past, Campania
and Sicily have been the focus of extended study. Because The Ancient City
course depends on prior knowledge of Roman history, students are expected to
prepare themselves by taking a Roman history course or by careful reading on
the subject.
ICCS in Catania, Sicily
The ICCS now offers a second program that takes advantage of Sicily’s
remarkable archaeological remains. The curriculum is much like that of the
ICCS in Rome, in that students may take courses in Greek, Latin, Italian, Art
History, and Mediterranean Culture.
College Year in Athens (CYA)
Despite its name, CYA welcomes students who want to spend one semester in Greece.
Established in 1962, CYA, in association with the International Center for
Hellenic and Mediterranean Studies, offers unparalleled opportunities to
experience the unique historical and cultural contributions of Greece and
the surrounding region. The curriculum is organized in two tracks: Ancient
Greek Civilization and East Mediterranean Area Studies. This division cuts
across the disciplines but students can, and often do, take courses from
both tracks.
Field trips are an integral part of the curriculum and a principal means by
which CYA brings students into direct contact with the people, geography, landscape,
natural beauties, history, civilization, sites and monuments of Greece. Although
itineraries may vary, field trips to major sites in Crete, the Peloponnese,
and Central and Northern Greece engage students in what Philip Sherrard called “the
pursuit of Greece,” inspiring a process of discovery that can spark a
life-long interest.
Classics Advanced Semester Program (CASP) in
Athens
This relatively new program is designed
- to provide a comprehensive curriculum for advanced undergraduate
and graduate students who have a background and strong interest
in the Classics.
- to familiarize students with academic on-site teaching and
participation in field trips to archeological sites and museums.
- to help students develop research oriented work through formal
courses on Greek literature (in Greek), epigraphy, history, and
topography.
University of Arizona's Orvieto Institute
Located in scenic Umbria, Italy, the Orvieto Institute offers a full range
of classes in the classical languages (as well as Italian), art history,
archaeology, anthropology, and architecture. The program also includes site
visits to Rome, Pompeii, Assisi, Cerveteri, Tarquinia, and Paestum.
Summer Programs
During the summer, UMass (Amherst) conducts an archaeological field school
at Poggio Civitate in Tuscany, Italy . This program runs for
approximately six weeks and instructs students on all aspects of archaeological
fieldwork, including field survey, stratigraphy, excavation, cataloguing and
preservation. Five College students may apply and receive academic credit for
their work.
Students who anticipate taking an advanced degree in archaeology,
ancient art history, ancient history, or classics can also apply
to summer sessions of the American School of Classical
Studies in Athens.
On its website the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA)
provides a list of archaeological digs looking for volunteers for the summer.
Often the sponsoring institution provides room and board, while volunteers
pay for their own transportation.
The University of Arizona's Orvieto Institute offers undergraduate
and graduate (MA level) courses in Vergil and Livy. These courses are designed
especially for students interested in teaching Latin at the secondary level.
Contact Cynthia White (University of Arizona) for more information.
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