Honors in Greece: Greeks, Geology, & Gender | Education Abroad

Honors in Greece: Greeks, Geology, & Gender is a unique opportunity to begin your course of study in the Honors College at WWU with a two-week excursion to Greece where you will have the opportunity to visit many of the awe-inspiring historic sites which have become closely associated with some of our contemporary political values, exploration of the unique and majestic geological character of the Balkan peninsula, with a focus on the plate tectonics behind the formation of the landscape, which contributed to the unique culture that developed in premodernity, and a reflection on the unique cultural framework in which the ancient Hellenes navigated concepts of gender and sexuality. By completing the coursework, students will jump start their progress in the Honors College through the completion of three separate general university requirements, build relationships with students and faculty at WWU, and start their undergraduate studies with the enhanced confidence that comes from a study abroad experience.

Program Highlights

Students will have the opportunity to visit all of the major sites located in and around Athens, Greece, including the Acropolis and Agora in Athens, and the surrounding region including a multi-day tour of the Peloponnesus, with stops at the Bronze Age palaces of Mycenae and Pylos, the beautiful Nafplion, the contemporary city of Sparta, and the site of the ancient Olympic games.

Expectations of Participants

Students can expect to be on their feet, walking up and down the hills of Athens and Greece, both on and off concrete, in very warm weather for extended periods of time, often several hours consecutively. The program is reasonably strenuous for students unaccustomed to being physically active continuously throughout the day. The program does not entail any other physically demanding activities aside from a great deal of walking.

With or without reasonable accommodations, students must be able to walk and/or sit for 8-10 hours.

Students will have access to refrigeration at their accommodations in Athens.

Students must work with the WWU Disability Access Center, Wilson Library 170, (360) 650-3083, drs@wwu.edu. For service eligibility, a complete diagnostic description from a qualified professional is required. Specific accommodations or services are determined on an individual basis and are modified to meet the unique needs of the student and their academic experience. Accommodation policies and procedures are highly individualized and centered on self-advocacy, realistic self-appraisal, and student growth. Each quarter, students need to activate their approved accommodations for each class. Students choose which of their approved accommodations they want to activate for each class.

We strongly recommend that all students traveling on this Global Learning Program are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to maximize the safety of the student cohort. Participants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to departure, or provide a proof of an official COVID-19 vaccination waiver granted by WWU.

Participants are expected to abide by all attendance policies of the program, including those for classes and excursions, and to adhere to the program schedule. Since the programs are academic in nature, parents, friends, partners, and families are not permitted on any part of the Global Learning Program. Personal travel must be outside of the course dates and not conflict with coursework or excursion schedules. Travel plans should be vetted by faculty beforehand to ensure personal plans do not interfere with meeting the learning objectives of the course.