Union College Term Abroad in Ireland- Fall

Ireland Term Abroad
This is a cooperative program with Hobart & William Smith Colleges through the Partnership for Global Education (PGE).

Program Director: to be announced at a later date

The Ireland program is based at the National University of Ireland, Galway (formerly University College, Galway) and consists of a combination of special courses taught for the group and regular university courses. The affiliation with NUIG provides students with the opportunity to live and study with Irish students at an Irish university.

Galway, a university town with a vibrant artistic and cultural atmosphere, is the administrative capital of County Galway and the largest city in the West of Ireland. This area of the country is noted for its geographic and cultural distinctiveness. Students will encounter a variety of physical landscapes in the West, ranging from the long, jagged coastline, numerous lakes and rivers, and rugged terrain in the countryside. With the largest concentration of Gaelic-speaking communities in Ireland, the West is widely recognized as the most typically 'Irish' part of the country. The Gaelic heritage is perhaps most evident in the Aran Islands (Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer), located just off the coast at the entrance to Galway Bay.


Course of Study

Students participating in the program will take four courses. There will be two required core courses:

Contemporary Irish Culture and Society (Gal 210, Louis De Paor). Professor De Paor is Director of Irish Studies at NUIG and serves as our Local Program Coordinator. He and several guest lecturers from NUIG and the local community will offer this survey of Irish culture and society.

TBA (Hobart and William Smith Faculty)

In addition, students will select two electives from the regular NUIG catalogue. Following are examples of courses taken by students on previous programs (please consult the NUIG web site for further details on course offerings www.mis.nuigalway.ie):

  • Introduction to Northern Irish Politics
  • Short Plays of Samuel Beckett
  • Drama and Theatre Studies
  • Devolving English Literature
  • Church and State in Ireland
  • Medieval Irish Annals
  • Irish Art From the Early Iron Age to the 8th Century
  • Medieval Ireland 5th-9th Centuries
  • Shakespearean Comedies
  • Irish Famine in a European Perspective
  • Scottish Short Stories
  • The English Language in Ireland
  • Feminist Thought
  • Women in Irish Society
  • Contemporary Irish Poetry
  • Climatology
  • Europe in the Age of Metal
  • Ritual and Royalty: The Royal Sites of Ireland From Prehistory
  • Gaelic Language

Please consult the PGE web site (http://academic.hws.edu/pge/ireland.html) for additional information, photographs from program participants, and a variety of links to related sites.


Eligibility

This program is open to all sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and can accommodate students from a variety of academic fields. Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 at the time of application, be in good academic standing when the program begins, and be certified as eligible by the Dean of Students. Students must submit a strong personal statement that outlines clearly why participation in the program would help to fulfill academic and personal goals.


Expenses

Estimated Expenses Beyond Current Term Abroad Fee:

  • $1,550 RT airfare from Upstate NY
  • 250 Books and materials
  • 1,250 Misc./personal (laundry, travel, etc.)

Miscellaneous

Accomodations: Students on the program will be housed in flats at the Gort na Coiribe complex, four or five total to a flat. Fully equipped kitchens are included in the flats and local shopping is convenient. Full meals can also be purchased at the university student canteen.

Excursions: There will be a group trip to Northern Ireland (Ulster), including Sligo, Derry, and Belfast, over several days as part of the program. Field trips to the Aran Islands, the Cliffs of Moher, Cork, Dublin, and Kerry are also planned.


Calendar

*January

Application Deadline

*February

$200 non-refundable deposit due at the Cashier's Office in McKean House, and receipt brought to the International Programs Office, Humanities 211.

*Spring Term

Orientation Meetings

*Early September

Program Begins

*Mid-December

Program Ends

*Dates to be announced