Location: Prague, Czech Republic
Dates
Trip Dates: June 22 – August 3, 2013
APPLICATION DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 31, 2013 - APPLY NOW!
Program
This 6-week, 6-credit program offers students the opportunity to study politics, culture and society in one of the most beautiful and dynamic settings in the world. Students will study the relationship between political oppression and rebellion (on one hand) and literature and art (on the other). You will get to know the old and the new city, the country’s colorful history, majestic surroundings, and cultural vibrancy in the heart of Mitteleuropa. The main excursion will be a weekend-long trip to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp memorial located outside of Krakow, Poland. In addition, we also have an afternoon trip to the Theresienstadt concentration camp memorial outside of Prague, and we are likely to organize a short excursion into the Czech country-side.
Course Offerings
Students enroll in both courses for a total of six credits.
PSC 4875-001 Genocide and Mass Killings. This course will be taught by Dr. Jennifer Dixon (3 credits).
PSC 6150-001 From Kafka to Kundera: How Politics of Prague Shaped Czech Writers. This course will be taught by Prof. Mary Beth Simmons (3 credits).
This course may alternately be taken as ENG 2790. Please distinguish this on your program application.
These are Villanova courses, taught by Villanova faculty, taken for a letter grade (not a ‘T’ transfer grade), and are directly applicable to the PSC major (or English major for Politics and Literature) as an Area 1 distribution requirement (pending approval), or as an elective.
Additional Academic Requirements
No language proficiency required.
The cosmopolitan environment of Prague makes it possible to get by in English. Our Prague program is a wonderful opportunity to study, travel and learn in a foreign environment.
Accommodations
Housing is provided in the central part of Prague, in the midst of the city’s cultural hub. Central Prague is a pedestrian-friendly environment with excellent local transitand is very easy to get around. Students will be responsible for their meals. Program participants share apartments in the center of Prague, with full kitchen facilities to prepare meals, as well as an extensive range of local cafes and restaurants.
Excursions
From Prague, the great cities of Mitteleuropa are within striking distance. This year, there will be two scheduled field trips including to Auschwitz, Poland. We also have a couple of excursions planned throughout the verdant Czech Republic. Students in past years have gone on their own during open weekends to Krakow, Warsaw, Linz, Dresden, Budapest and Munich.
