At different points in their Core career, students have the chance to bring their studies out of the classroom and into the world through distinctive learning and travel programs.
January Program in Florence, Italy
“You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” —Verdi
The Florence Winter Break Trip is an exciting way to experience a city that we study thoroughly in CC201: Renaissance, Rediscovery and Reformation. Students will have the opportunity to encounter many of the sights, monuments and great works of art so important to this city. Complementing our studies of Dante, Petrarch, Michelangelo, Machiavelli and many other figures of the Italian Renaissance, students will visit the Uffizi, the Galileo Museum, the Santa Croce, the Accademia, among others; students will also learn about the legacy of the Medici family in the city and learn about the family’s archives from a lecture at the Medici Archive Project; we will take a day trip to Siena; and we will encounter contemporary artist graffiti in the city’s artisan quarters—Santo Spirito, etc. Chaperones, docents and other local experts will guide you along a culture-packed itinerary, but free time is also built into the schedule for you to explore and discover the city on your own. Scholarships are available.
Click here to download an information flyer for January 2023.
Special thanks goes to our alumni community, whose generosity on Giving Day has helped the Core provide grants to students to substantially reduce the cost of program participation.
Summer Program in Athens, Greece
“Of all the peoples, the Greeks have dreamt the dream of life best.” —Goethe
Thanks to an ongoing partnership with the BU Department of Classical Studies, Core students are invited to spend a summer studying in Athens. Students take classes from both BU professors and professors from the American College of Greece, and study classical history and culture while immersing themselves in the contemporary Greek world. Coursework is complemented with day trips to locations such as Delphi, Mycenae, Corinth, Nauplion, Poros, and of course the Acropolis. Since the inception of the Greece summer program in 2013, the cost to students has been heavily subsidized by scholarships funded through donations from the BU Philhellenes, alumni, and other patrons. Visit the website of the Classics department to learn more about the application process and program details (click on the “Study Abroad” tab). Information about the planned Summer 2023 trip will be posted here as soon as it is available.
Videos featuring student interviews and photos from the program can be found on YouTube and Facebook. For more information, email the Classical Studies Department: classics@bu.edu or the Head of the Modern Greek program, Kelly Polychroniou at kpol@bu.edu.
Fall Science Trip to Arizona
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.” —Sagan
In the fall semester, first-year students can extend their study of physical science topics including geology and astronomy by undertaking a research project or presentation based on fieldwork done on-site in Arizona. With the guidance of natural sciences faculty, students in past years have investigated the controversy over the age of the Grand Canyon, studied fossils in the Kaibab formation, looked for dips the brightness of Boyajian’s Star, and searched for Planet 9 at the Lowell Observatory. This inquiry-based study trip is available exclusively to students enrolled in CC 111; application instructions and program information are released shortly after the start of the fall semester. To learn if the Arizona Trip is being offered in the current academic year, or for more information, contact Prof. Stevens at rjs01@bu.edu.