Study Abroad and Summer Opportunities
Studying abroad offers students an unparalleled opportunity to deepen their understanding of ancient Mediterranean cultures and hone their academic skills. Through extensive on-site instruction and exploration, students encounter up close and experience first-hand the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean that they have studied at Reed. While abroad, students can also engage with, learn from, and form relationships with students and scholars from other institutions with different perspectives and specializations within our wide and varied discipline. By immersing themselves in a new environment and cultural milieu, students also develop appreciation and respect for the modern cultures and people that inhabit the region.
A number of Reed GLAM students choose to go abroad every year. Students who study abroad generally go during their junior year for either a semester or, occasionally, two semesters. In addition to the abroad programs offered during the academic year, GLAM students may also participate in archaeological excavations or field schools and intensive language-study programs during the summer. Talk to your adviser if you are interested in studying abroad: your adviser can help you choose the experience that is best for you and plan how it best fits into your course of study.
Study Abroad: Academic Year and Semester-Long Programs
- ICCS Rome, semester program (Fall and Spring)
The Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies (ICCS) in Rome is the premier overseas studies program for Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies undergraduate majors in the United States. The program is run by a consortium of U.S. colleges and universities (including Reed) and is administered by Duke University. Students in the ICCS program take a two-unit Ancient City course that involves intensive study of the archaeology, topography, history, and art of Rome through extensive travel to sites in Rome, Central and Southern Italy, and Sicily. In addition, students take two other classes. Course options include intermediate and advanced Latin and Greek, Medieval and Renaissance Art History, Conservation and Management of the Material Heritage of Rome, and beginning Italian. Students live, eat, and study in a beautiful building close to the American Academy, the center of Rome, and the Vatican. Reed usually sends one to three junior GLAM majors to the ICCS Rome program each year.
- College Year in Athens, semester program (Fall or Spring) or year-long program
College Year in Athens (CYA) focuses on the history and culture of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean from ancient to modern times and offers a broad variety of classes in Art and Archaeology, Classical Languages, History, Literature, Philosophy, Religion, Ethnography, Environmental Studies, Political Science, and Modern Greek Language. All of the Art and Archaeology courses and many of the other courses that focus on the ancient world involve field trips around Attica and extensive travel around other parts of the Greek world. Students who attend CYA live in apartments in Athens but eat their meals together at CYA's central dining facility.
- Other opportunities: Occasionally, based on interests and scheduling needs, Reed GLAM students have attended programs in other countries during the academic year, such as those at Trinity College Dublin or Oxford University. Students may also elect to participate in study-abroad programs during the summer. Your adviser will be happy to consult with you to choose the study-abroad experience that best suits your needs, interests, and schedule.
Summer Archaeology
In addition to year-long and semester-long study abroad programs, GLAM students regularly participate in summer archaeology programs. Participating in an archaeological excavation gives you hands-on experience in recording and interpretation of material culture and allows you to contribute directly to ongoing research on ancient Mediterranean societies. Reed students have recently participated in the following excavations and projects, all of which include trips to major archaeological sites in addition to formal training in archaeological excavation and/or research techniques:
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Vigla Archaeological Project, Reed College/Metropolitan State University of Denver
Vigla is a Hellenistic period (ca. 330-30 BCE) fortification site near the modern city of Larnaca, Cyprus. Prof. Tom Landvatter co-directs this excavation with Dr. Brandon Olson of Metropolitan State University of Denver. The project focuses on the transition to the Hellenistic period in the eastern Mediterranean, imperial incorporation strategies, and early Hellenistic ceramics. The project blog can be found here. Reed students interested in participating can fill out the application form here.
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The Gabii Project, University of Michigan/University of Missouri
The site of Gabii, just outside of Rome, was one of Rome’s rivals in Latium during the first millennium BCE. The Gabii project has a relationship with the ICCS (the Centro). The project’s main website and facebook page provide more information.
Summer Language Study
For students who wish to accelerate their course of study or add a language, or whose schedules may require it, institutions throughout the country offer summer intensive courses in both Latin and Greek. In recent years, Reed students have attended the following programs:
- City University of New York (CUNY) Latin/Greek Institute
- Offers both Latin and Greek intensives and upper-level reading courses in both languages
- Scholarships are available for students with financial need
- University of Arizona Summer Language Study
- Offers Latin at an introductory and intermediate level, Greek at introductory level
- University College Cork (Ireland) Greek and Latin Summer School
- Offers Latin and Greek intensives
- Prioritizes graduate students but open to undergraduates
- University of California, Berkeley Greek and Latin Summer Workshops
- Offers Latin and Greek intensives
- Tuition rebates are available for students with financial need
- University of Chicago Summer Language Institute
- Offers both Latin and Greek at introductory and intermediate levels
- University of Washington Summer Languages
- Offers both Latin and Greek at introductory levels
Funding Your Summer Opportunities
All students should be able to enrich their course of study in GLAM by taking advantage of summer study, research, and travel opportunities, regardless of their financial means.
Both the Rumpakis/Dussin GLAM Research Fund and the Walter Englert Student Opportunity Fund may be used to support students wishing to participate in summer fieldwork or archaeological excavation, undertake summer language study, or engage in other GLAM-related research and study activities. For information on these and other possible sources of funding for summer research, study, and travel, please see Resources for Current Students.
Some programs may also offer their own sources of funding or scholarships for students with financial aid.
Summer Research Opportunities
When funding is available, students often work with faculty members on research projects or syllabus preparation over the summer. These opportunities arise on an ad-hoc basis and are dependent on the availability of funding. For a list of opportunities for summer research, funding sources, and examples of past student and student-faculty collaborative projects, see Resources for Current Students.