Study Abroad
We encourage all Classics students (and, indeed, non-Classics students) to consider studying abroad during the undergraduate years, whether for an intersession, a summer program, a semester or a year! The Office of Study Abroad can help guide your plans, but we also recommend talking to Classics faculty about the possibilities.
Some places to start:
These are UM affiliated programs that have offerings in Classics for both summer and semester study:
The Department belongs to these institutions, which should give you a leg up on admissions and aid:
- The Centro (Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome) is an excellent, intense, Classics-centered semester program. Dr. Pasco-Pranger is an alumna of the Centro and would be glad to talk to you more about it.
- American School for Classical Studies at Athens: The ASCSA Summer Session offers an intensive introduction to Greece from antiquity through the modern period; Summer Seminars are more topically themed travel study. Dr. Ajootian especially, but also Dr. Cook, Dr. Fenno and Dr. Lobur have spent time at the ASCSA and are good resources for more information.
Faculty Led Rome Programs
JANUARY INTERSESSION 2024 Eternal Cities: Study Tour of Rome and the Bay of Naples : Dr. Pasco-Pranger will lead this on-site course centered on the art and archaeology of Rome and its environs with a 3 day trip south to see Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Naples. The program cost for 2024 of $2700 includes tuition, study abroad fees, international health insurance, transportation during the program, several meals, and all entrance fees to sites; additional costs: plane fare, transportation to and from the airport, remaining meals, souvenirs, etc. NEXT PLANNED FOR JANUARY 2026. For more information, contact Dr. Pasco-Pranger.
Also seen
Explore these other options and come discuss them with the faculty if you’re interested!
- Greek Studies on Site
- Paideia Institute (Living Latin in Paris and Rome, Living Greek in Greece . . .)
- The Athens Centre offers some unusual small scale programs in the summer, including modern Greek instruction.
- The American University of Rome offers a variety of summer courses including some in Classics.
- Greek and Latin Summer School, University College Cork, offers intensive (and surprisingly affordable) intensive language study in Ireland.
- Archaeological Fieldwork Opportunities Bulletin is the AIA’s listing of field schools and digs; talk to Dr. Becker or Dr. Ajootian for guidance in sifting through these opportunities.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Paying for study abroad can be daunting, but the rewards are great. Plan early and be aggressive about pursuing scholarships.
Some financial aid you’ve already qualified for may be transferrable to your program, and more so for faculty led or affiliated programs. Whether you usually do or not, fill out a FAFSA in January of the year you plan to study abroad. Since the costs of studying abroad are almost always higher than staying home, you may qualify for some aid even if you usually don’t. Consult with the Office of Financial Aid on this issue.
The Office of Study Abroad also keeps a list of study abroad scholarships that you should look through. If you are a Pell Grant recipient, note especially the Gilman International Scholarship Program. Many of the programs listed about also have program specific scholarships or financial aid, some of which can be quite substantial.
Through a generous gift of alumni Mike and Mary McDonnell of Memphis, the Department of Classics is able to give substantial support to Classics majors for study travel through the McDonnell Endowment. A second gift from the family of a Classics graduate has created the Dr. Carmen Posada-Pepper and St. Amant Family Classics Endowment, which supports unexpected or ancillary costs for students studying abroad, with priority given to students with demonstrated financial need. Requests for support from both these endowments are accepted throughout the year and will be considered on a rolling basis. To apply, please send to Dr. Pasco-Pranger a letter (e-mail attachment is fine) describing the planned program and how it fits into your educational and/or career plans, and a budget showing your financial need.
For Eta Sigma Phi members, a set of scholarships for summer study and archaeological field school projects is available. Deadline for all is February 15.
The Society for Classical Studies offers the Frank M. Snowden Jr. Undergraduate Scholarships for undergraduate students from historically underrepresented groups across North America to further their study of classics or classical archaeology with opportunities not available during the school year. Eligible proposals might include (but are not limited to) participation in classical summer programs or field schools in the Mediterranean or language training at institutions in the U.S., Canada, or Europe. The maximum amount of the award is $4,500 and the receipt deadline is January 20
The Etruscan Foundation supports fieldwork in Italy. Applicants must be members of the Etruscan Foundation and applications are due in February 22.
The Jane C. Waldbaum Archaeological Field School Scholarship is offered annually by the Archaeological Institute of America. “The scholarship is open to students who have begun their junior year of undergraduate studies at the time of application and have not yet completed their first year of graduate school at a college or university in the United States or Canada.” Deadline is March 1.
The CAMWS Excavation/Field School Award is open to members of the Classical Association of the Middle West and South who are undergraduates majoring in Classics; preference given to applicants without prior fieldwork experience and three $2000 awards will be given. Deadline is January 30.