European Studies
European Studies is a joint program of Rhodes College and The University of the South, administered through the Buckman Center for International Education at Rhodes College, offering students a choice between two seventeen-week semesters of study and travel abroad in Britain and on the Continent. The aim of European Studies is to offer a varied opportunity to study, on site, the history of the civilization of Western Europe.
Option One: Ancient Greece and Rome: The Foundations of Western Civilization, is a broad study of the culture and thinking of Ancient Greece and Rome, intended principally for those who are not specialist classicists.
Option Two: Western Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, is an interpreted and comprehensive cultural portrait of the literature, art and history of the Continent during this time period.
Administrative Details for Both Options
Dates:
July 5 to October 24, 2008Both options have been offered with great success in previous years; both aim to provide a detailed, inter-disciplinary study of an important epoch in the history of Western European civilization; and both give students an unequalled opportunity to visit many of Europe's greatest monuments, cities, landscapes and works of art.
Both options include a private visit to the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel in Rome and a number of privileged entrances on the Continent; in Britain, students enjoy visits to a Shakespeare production at the Globe Theatre in London and to a major London ballet or opera. These special opportunities are arranged by European Studies through long-established contacts in Europe.
The two options run simultaneously in these four phases:
1. Location: The University of the South: three weeks
2. Location: York and Durham: ten days (European Studies begins with a two-day stay in Edinburgh, Scotland).
3. Location: The Oxford University, Lincoln College: six weeks
4. Location: Travel throughout Europe and in London: five weeks, where each option has a separate travel itinerary specifically tailored to its subject matter.
Additionally, there is an optional mid-term weekend in Dublin. Its cost, $790.00, is additional to the fees for the program.
Cost:
The comprehensive fee for either of the European Studies options is $21,075.
Cost includes:
All tuition; complete room and board while at Sewanee, York, Durham and in Lincoln College; room and partial board in Edinburgh, on the Continent and in London; all excursions while in York or Durham, and any day expeditions while in Oxford; visits to the Globe Theatre, and to a current London production; all transportation while in Great Britain and on the Continent; admissions to museums visited for group study; an International Student Identity Card; and program insurance. All meals with the exception of three are provided during the two months at York or Durham and Oxford. On the Continent, breakfast is always provided, and one full meal (usually dinner) on at least fifteen days. Other meals are at the participant's expense.
Cost does NOT include:
Trans-Atlantic airfare from the United States to Great Britain (a special group rate will be offered); the cost of the optional mid-term week-end in Dublin; texts required while at Sewanee and Oxford; some meals in Edinburgh, London and on the Continent (see above): and incidental, personal expenses.
Admission:
European Studies offers 26 places per option for students from Rhodes College and The University of the South: 13 per school, per option. Four further places (two per option) are prioritized for applicants from other institutions who are welcome to apply. In recent years students from Davidson, Tulane, Vanderbilt, Washington and Lee, Wake Forest, and others have participated. The program is open to students of all disciplines of good academic and social standing.
Application Deadline: February 1.
Places tend to be taken up rapidly, so students with a particular preference for one of the options are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
A complete application includes:
- Completed application forms
- A typed paragraph explaining how the applicant hopes to benefit from participating in the program
- $250 deposit
- Four recent 2” x 2” photographs of passport quality
- An official transcript
- A photocopy of the first two pages of your passport
Completed applications should be sent to the Office of European Studies, Rhodes College, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis, TN 38112-1690. Telephone (901) 843-3036. FAX (901) 843-3434. Applicants will be contacted within the first two weeks of February.
European Studies Staff:
Dean of European Studies: Dr. Sally Dormer
(B.A., University of Durham; M.A., Ph.D., University of London, Courtauld Institute of Art.)
Associate Dean of European Studies: Stevens Anderson
(B.A., The University of the South; M.A., University of Virginia.)
Faculty Representative: Dr. Gail Streete
(Ph.D., Drew University in Madison)
Administrative Assistant (Rhodes College): Mary Allie Baldwin
(B.A. Rhodes College)
Option One: Ancient Greece and Rome: The Foundations of Western Civilization
View the Classical Itinerary (PDF)
Part I:
The University of the South Sewanee, Tennessee. July 1 to July 25. Two major concentrations of the Classical option, Ancient Literature and Greek thought, will be introduced in this section and will provide the foundation for subsequent studies. Students will live in a residence hall of the University.
Literature:
Epic Poetry: Homer and Virgil. To be confirmed.
Philosophy:
Classical Philosophy: Homer to Plato. James Robert Peters, B.A., Northern Illinois University; M.A., Ph.D., Northwestern University. Associate Professor of Philosophy, The University of the South.
Part II:
York. August 1 to August 10. The emphasis of study will be on the contribution of archaeology to our knowledge of the Ancient World. Students will attend lectures and visit archaeological sites. They will undertake a detailed study of Hadrian's Wall and will concentrate on the Roman city of York.
Patrick Ottaway, , M.A. University of Leeds, D.Phil., University of York. Former Head of Archaeological Fieldwork, York Archaeological Trust; archaeology consultant and part-time tutor in Archaeology, University of York.
Part III:
Lincoln College, Oxford University. August 10 to September 20. This central portion of the program will build on the material that has already been presented. Students will live and dine in Lincoln College in the heart of Oxford. They will take three courses, with instruction by British tutors. Each course is six weeks in length, and is divided into two parts:
History:
Part A: Athens and the Greek World. Harry Sidebottom, B.A., University of Lancaster; M.Phil., University of Manchester; D.Phil., Oxford University. Lecturer in Ancient History, Lincoln College, Oxford.
Part B: Ethics, Politics and Religion in Ancient Rome. Harry Sidebottom, B.A., University of Lancaster; M.Phil., University of Manchester; D.Phil., Oxford University. Lecturer in Ancient History, Lincoln College, Oxford.
Philosophy:
Part A: The Philosophies of Plato and Aristotle. George Boys-Stones, B.A., M.A., Cambridge University; D.Phil., Oxford University. Lecturer in Classics, University of Durham.
Part B: Classical Thought after Aristotle. Jane Barton, D.Phil., Oxford University. Lecturer in Philosophy and Classics, University College, University of London and Oriel College, Oxford University.
Literature:
Part A: Greek Lyric Poetry and Tragedy. Sanne Rishoj Christensen, B.A. University of Copenhagen; M.St., D.Phil, Oxford University. Lecturer in Greek and Latin, St John’s College, Oxford University.
Part B: Ancient Comedy and the Rise of Rome. Stephen Kershaw, B.A., Ph.D., University of Bristol. Freelance classicist and tutor for Oxford University for Continuing Education.
The program includes, in addition, evening talks by distinguished British speakers and visits to sites of particular interest and relevance to course study.
Part IV:
Greece, The Eastern Aegean, and Italy: The Monuments and Centers of Classical Civilization, September 20 to October 24. The semester culminates in a five-week study tour of the Greek and Roman worlds. The tour visits Crete, the Cycladic island of Thera/Santorini, Athens, and the sites of the Peloponnese (Mycenae, Tiryns, Epidaurus, Delphi, Mistras and Sparta); three Greek islands (Mykonos, Delos and Aegina); Didyma, Priene, Pergamon, Troy and the city of Constantinople; it continues to Naples and the sites of the Bay of Naples (Capri, Pompeii, Oplontis), and then Rome for four days of study, before returning to London for the final week of the program.
Art History:
Ancient and Byzantine Art and Architecture: The Legacy of Greek Principles and Techniques. Stephen Kershaw, B.A., Ph.D., University of Bristol. Freelance classicist and tutor for Oxford University for Continuing Education.
CREDIT:
For satisfactory completion of the seventeen-week semester and all academic requirements, Rhodes College and The University of the South offer eighteen hours of credit: four in Literature, two in Philosophy, four in History, four in Classical Studies, and four in Art History.
Option Two: Western Europe in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
View the Western Itinerary (PDF)
Part I:
The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee. July 5 to July 25. During this month, students will approach the medieval period chiefly from historical and religious points of view which will provide both an introduction and a background for the remainder of the semester. Students will live in a residence hall of the University.
History:
Politics and Society in Medieval Europe. Anna Dronzek, B.A.,Williams College; M.A., Ph.D., University of Minnesota. Assistant Professor of Medieval and Early Modern European History, Rhodes College.
Religion:
The Formation of Christianity in Western Europe from Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages. To be confirmed.
Part II:
The University of Durham. August 1 to August 10. In this segment students are offered an introduction to the history and aesthetic achievements of the northeast of England. The program includes lectures, conducted visits to monuments, and guided excursions to major sites in the North. Themes of study will include: Christianity and monasticism in the North; the evolution of a medieval city; a medieval cathedral and its diocese.
This unit of the semester is offered in conjunction with the Department of History at the University of Durham.
Richard A. Lomas, B.A., M.A., Ph.D., University of Durham. Former Senior Lecturer in History, University of Durham.
Part III:
Lincoln College, Oxford University. August 10 to September 20. This central portion of the program takes place in the beautiful and historic surroundings of the University of Oxford. In these six weeks, students will live and dine in Lincoln College, with instruction by British tutors. They will take three courses; each one is six weeks in length, and divided into two parts:
Art History:
Part A: The Art of Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Sally Dormer, B.A., University of Durham; M.A., Ph.D., University of London, Courtauld Institute of Art. Dean of the Program.
Part B: The Art of Western Europe in the Renaissance. Joachim Strupp, M.A., Ph.D., University of St. Andrews. Freelance Art Historian and former lecturer in the History of Art and Heritage Management, University of Buckingham.
Literature:
Part A: King Arthur and the Literature of Medieval Europe. Kate McClune, D.Phil., Oxford University. Lecturer in English, St Hilda’s College, Oxford University.
Part B: Shakespeare and the Problem of Identity. David Cunnington, M.A., D. Phil., Oxford University. Lecturer in English, Christ Church and St John’s College, Oxford University.
History:
Part A: Social and Political Life in the Late Middle Ages. Jeremy Catto, M.A., D.Phil., Oxford University. Retired fellow and tutor in History, Oriel College, Oxford University.
Part B: Europe in the Renaissance. Leslie Mitchell, M.A., D.Phil., Oxford University. Retired fellow and tutor in History, University College, Oxford University.
The program includes, in addition, several evening talks by distinguished British speakers and visits to places of particular interest and relevance to course study.
Part IV:
Great Cities of Western Europe, September 20 to October 24. The culmination of the semester is a five-week study tour of Europe concentrating on the artistic treasures and monuments of its greatest cities. The tour visits Paris, Chartres, Dijon and Beaune in France; the great artistic centers of Rome, Siena, Florence, Padua, Venice, Ravenna and Vicenza in Italy; and returns across the Alps to Nürnberg and Munich in Germany, and then via Bruges and Ghent in Belgium, to conclude with a final week in London.
Art History:
The Artistic Centers of Western Europe, their Art and Architecture, Museums and Monuments. Victoria Mier, B.A. University of Bristol; M.A. University of Glasgow; Ph.D. University of Bristol. Lecturer in the History of Art, University of Bristol. Joachim Strupp, M.A., Ph.D., University of St. Andrews. Freelance Art Historian and former lecturer in the History of Art and Heritage Management, University of Buckingham.
CREDIT:
For satisfactory completion of the sixteen-week semester and all academic requirements, Rhodes College and The University of the South offer eighteen hours of credit: eight in Art History, two in History, four in English Literature, and a choice of either an additional four in History or four in Religion.
