UGA study away programs frame a global mindset

At the conclusion of the spring semester, many University of Georgia students and faculty will take a greatly earned break from classes and enjoy a more relaxed time, but others will begin new chapters in new places.  

Facilitated through the Office of Global Engagement, nearly 3,000 UGA students study abroad each year, selecting from hundreds of programs, including about 100 faculty-led programs. Due to the pandemic, many programs that were suspended wholly or in part since 2020 began again last summer with more slated for the summer of 2023. 

Studying internationally or off-campus domestically provides many opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at UGA. Students can learn a new language, take unique classes, and enhance their intercultural skills through these experiences.

“There are countless benefits of studying abroad, including expanding one’s worldview and experiencing a chosen major in a global context, learning about new cultures and gaining global perspectives, strengthening a resume and exploring employment opportunities overseas, gaining/improving language skills, making new friends, and overall becoming a more independent and mature person," said Yana A. Cornish, Director of Global Education, Office of Global Engagement.

Here are several Franklin-based opportunities – note application deadlines: 

Bali and Beyond

The island nation of Indonesia is famous for the richness and diversity of its cultural and natural heritage. One of Indonesia’s best known islands is Bali, which is most notable for its distinctive brand of Hinduism and its elaboration of ritual and the arts. In this program, students will learn about Balinese culture through first-hand experience, traveling to a variety of communities, temples and other cultural sites throughout Bali and surrounding islands. At each place they visit, students will seek out a diversity of perspectives on the challenges that tourism and development create as the people of Bali and its neighbors strive to maintain their rich natural and cultural heritage. The Bali & Beyond program fulfills several UGA General Education Core Curriculum requirements, University-wide requirements, and Franklin College requirements. The program is for maymester 2023, and the deadline to apply is February 15, 2023.

Biotechnology in Scotland

Biotechnology and Biopharma are well established business models that generate 100s of billions of dollars in revenue for companies around the globe. This program will focus on concepts in Biotechnology as well as business skills that will position the learner for exciting careers in biomanufacturing. The program will be held on the campus of Heriot Watt University and will feature excursions to a range of different locations including biotechnology companies, University Labs and Craft Breweries. This program is for summer 2023, and the deadline to apply is February 15, 2023.

Europe: Unearthing the Past

This program is a maymester program that focuses on the history, art, architecture, and archaeology of Classical antiquity (Troy to Augustine) and its reception in Europe with site visits to iconic monuments, museums, and excavations. While this is a newer program, it can already claim Stetson Bennett as one of its alumni. The program also fulfills the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Experiential Learning requirement. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023. 

Tanzania

Tanzania Study Abroad Programs are once-in-a-lifetime experiential education opportunities to study in Africa. Students have the chance to interact with the local people and places in a hands-on setting instead of in a classroom. The Maymester in Tanzania program travels across northern Tanzania, including the field experience to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Serengeti, and down to the island of Zanzibar. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023.

Surfing and Sustainability in Costa Rica

This program explores the complex ideas that arise from the challenges presented by conservation and development in places where surfing and tourism occur. With a critical lens, this summer long program teaches students about the nuance of political ecology, anthropology, geography, conservation and development. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023. 

Theatre and Film Studies in London

This program has been on hiatus since the pandemic began but will be returning for the summer 2023 semester. Students will discover the theatre scene over the centuries, attend plays, tour historical venues like The Tower of London and The Globe. Classes will include visits to cultural venues such as The National Gallery and Borough Market. There will be an information session on Wednesday, October 26th, 5.30-6.30pm in Room 201 of the Fine Arts Building. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023.

UGA Classics in Rome

Rome is a city of living history, and students will be immersed in it in this summer study abroad program. During this trip, students will be staying in Rome, but they will take two multi-day trips to the Bay of Naples, Pienza and Florence, Tuscany. Other day-long excursions include the Etruscan sites of Cerveteri and Tarquinia, to Hadrian's Villa and Villa d'Este in Tivoli, and to the ancient Roman port town of Ostia Antica. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023.

UGA Cortona

Since 1970, the UGA Cortona Program, located in the rolling hills of Tuscany, Italy, has been a leader in education abroad. It is UGA's oldest study abroad program, calling the town of Cortona home for nearly 50 years. Today, UGA Cortona offers a variety of core courses including English, Psychology, Art History, Women's Studies, Photography, Science, and Business. This is in addition to an extensive list of beginning, intermediate and advanced-level Studio Art courses which make up the bulk of our course offerings. The deadline to apply is December 1, 2022.

Museum Studies Atlanta Maymester 

This maymester program will introduce students to museum methods and practices using Atlanta’s museums as their classroom. Students will attend a three-day workshop on campus before spending a week in Atlanta visiting museums and historic sites. Site visits will be a combination of lecture and on-site study. Site visits will also include meetings with staff to discuss their work. This program will count as an elective for the Museum Studies Certificate program. The deadline to apply is February 15, 2023. 

New York City (NYC) Art Maymester Program

The New York Maymester program is an intensive educational experience designed to provide students with the opportunity to live and study in New York City for three weeks during the month of May. Open to both undergraduate and graduate students, the NYC Maymester program uses the city as its classroom, and significant class time is devoted to visiting its world-class museums and galleries. In addition, students benefit from more intimate experiences, visiting artists and designers in their studios and networking with alumni who work in arts-related fields in New York. NYC Art Information session will be held on Friday, October 21, 1:30pm in N100 at the Lamar Dodd School of Art. 

Image: Balinese artist Mangku Muriati with Bali and Beyond students