Short Term Study Abroad

Summer Session: Bermuda

This summer course will investigate the complex ecology of the Bermuda Islands, the impact that human habitation has had on their natural history, and current environmental concerns and means of mitigating those concerns. Major areas of study will include (but not be limited to) coral reef ecology/symbioses, mangrove community ecology and environmental relevance, architectural and military influences during colonization, fisheries practices (past, present, and future) and current concerns and problems, and ecotourism and associated environmental impacts.

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Summer Session: Ecuador

This three-week-long summer course, offered in conjunction with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, will investigate many of the world’s most distinctive species of plants, animals that inhabit the richly diverse ecosystems of Ecuador. Students will gain an understanding of Ecuador’s social and economic issues and the challenges it faces as a developing country while attempting to conserve its natural resources. Topics investigated include conservation of the Amazon rain forest and oil exploration, ecotourism, biodiversity concerns, mangrove conservation and the fate of Galapagos tortoises and the Galapagos fisheries.

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Summer Session: Kiplin Hall

During a three-week summer excursion to North Yorkshire, students experience the poetic landscape of England. Hiking the remote hills of the Lake District and exploring the moors, students literally follow the footsteps of Romantic poets as they study the literature of that period. Students stay at Kiplin Hall, the ancestral home of Maryland’s Calvert family. Participants earn four credits.

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Summer Session: Oxford Research Seminar on Religion, Politics, and Culture

Students interested in the intersection of religion, politics, and culture are encouraged to apply for a twoweek study program conducted at the University of Oxford in June. Students reside on campus in the heart of Oxford University, engage in a structured program of study directed by Oxford faculty, develop an independent research project using the vast resources of Oxford libraries, and conduct tutorials under Oxford faculty. For more information, please contact Joseph Prud’homme, director, the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture.

Summer Session: International Business Experience

Washington College offers a 15-day travel course in international business. For five summers the course was based at the University of Leiden, Holland’s oldest university. The course concentrated on the economic aspects of the European Union and compared businesses in Europe to businesses in the United States. Following are the European Union sites normally visited: Information Desk of the European Union, Permanent Court of Arbitration, and the U.S. mission to the European Union. Following are the businesses visited in 2004: ABN-AMRO, Heineken, Nike’s Euro-pean headquarters, Porceleyn Fles which makes Delft, an international flower market at Aalsmeer, a diamond cutter in Antwerp, Belgium, a chocolatier in Belgium, and Villerroy & Boch in Luxembourg. For the past two summers the course took place in China. In January 2010, the course was conducted in India. In both China and India, a variety of businesses were visited.

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Summer Session: Tanzania

Washington College offers a 15-day summer course on politics, culture, economy, and sustainable development in Tanzania. The course focuses on the familiar problems associated with Africa: poverty, unemployment, health, debt, and the conflicts between tradition and the lures of a changing world. Traveling to one of Tanzania’s national parks, to traditional Maasai communities, to coffee co-ops, government agencies, and health care centers, students come face-to-face with local communities and their diverse problems and challenges.

Summer Session: Archaeological Field School

This summer program is an introduction to archaeological fieldwork methods and to the theoretical concerns of anthropological archaeology. It includes participation in archaeological survey and excavation as well as lectures, readings, and writing assignments. A minimum obligation of 30 hours per week is required. Sites will focus on North American native people and colonial U.S. history in Maryland.

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Summer Session: Maine

During a three-week summer session at Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine, students study coastal community ecology within geological and oceanographic contexts.

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Winter Session: Cuban Music and Culture

Offered during the Winter Break, this course introduces students to anthropological, ethnomusicological, and ethnochoreological ethnographic fieldwork methods, including participant-observation, ethnographic interviews, and audio/video documentation techniques. Students will be exposed to both Afro-Cuban religious and Cuban popular expressive forms. They will learn about the interrelatedness of music, dance, visual arts, ritual, and religious beliefs, as well as with Cuban views on Cuban culture, gender, and race. Students will attend/observe both formal and informal music performances and take music and dance lessons where they will have an opportunity to engage musicians on a one-on-one basis. In addition to music-oriented activities, students will learn about Cuba’s cultural and economic history by exploring Havana’s rich museums, monuments, and plazas.

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