Radford University’s summer program in Greece offers a unique opportunity to earn 6 semester hours in this historic and vibrant Mediterranean land. This program is for all majors (and if you are not an RU student, credits can be transferred to most institutions). There are no prerequisites.  Knowledge of Greek is NOT required!

Students have the option of taking one of several courses:

CVPA 266 Travel Study in Visual and Performing Arts
6 credit hours
Fulfills core curriculum credit in Visual and Performing Arts.

ART 366 Art History Travel Study
6 credit hours
Counts toward Art History requirement for art majors.

ART 666 Graduate Art History Travel Study
6 credit hours
Counts toward Art History requirement for MFA students.

The program includes 10 days visiting the major sites on the Greek mainland and one week on several of the Aegean islands.
Places we'll visit include Athens, Olympia, Delphi, Corinth, Mycenae, Knossos, and the islands of Aegina, Crete,
and Santorini (weather permitting).

For more information contact Steve Arbury at (540) 831-5921 or e-mail at sarbury@radford.edu.

Download print version of program and costs

RU Maymester Program in Greece May 10–29, 2010
(Dates may vary by a day or two)
Steve Arbury, Program Director

The most important thing I can say about the RU Maymester Program in Greece is that it is one of the
best experiences any student can have. I traveled abroad during my college years and it was the most
interesting and valuable thing I did. The students who went on the Greece program last May were
constantly awed by what they saw and experienced. For example, there is no way to put into words the
sensation of actually standing in front of the Parthenon on the Athenian acropolis ­ something they
knew only from pictures prior to going to Greece. Each day was filled with new and wonderful places.
 
Our representative in Athens, Rena Tsiritakis, does all the groundwork before we arrive to make sure
everything is properly arranged, and she takes care of any problems that may arise while we are there.
Rena speaks perfect English so students will have no problem communicating with her.
 
I do the program in May for several reasons: better weather (it's not as hot as in June/July), fewer
tourists (May is not yet the high tourist season), it's more beautiful (it's greener with lots of flowers in
bloom), and we get back in time for the students to take a Summer Session II class on campus or get
a summer job (or both).
 
In late March and April there will be a 2-hour introductory session and then four 3-hour lectures on
campus that will give students a basic background in Greek art and architecture, history, philosophy,
economics, and language. These on-campus lectures will allow us more time to explore Greece.
Also, I don't think the students should be in a classroom while in Greece ­ they should be out and
about experiencing the art, architecture, archaeology, and culture firsthand.
 
The first 10 days will be spent on the Greek mainland, with our initial base in Athens. We will visit the
many important archaeological sites and museums in Athens, and take several day trips from Athens,
including Cape Sounion and the island of Aegina. After several nights in Athens, we will take a 5-day
tour of the Peloponnesus and Delphi, during which we will visit Corinth, Mycenae, Epidauros, Mistras,
Olympia, Delphi, and a few other lesser-known places.
 
Our Peloponnesus/Delphi tour will end at Athens' port in Piraeus where we will board an overnight ferry
for the island of Crete. On Crete we will visit the lovely seaside town of Chania, Falassarna (archaeological
site and beach), Iraklion (the capital), and Knossos (a Minoan site).
 
If enough people sign up, (and if there are no rough seas), we will also be able to spend two days on
the beautiful island of Santorini (ancient Thera) before returning to Athens.
 
Our last afternoon will be spent in Athens, and that will be a free time for everybody to do as they wish.
 
NOTE: If not enough students sign up for the program to make, then deposits will be returned to any
students who have paid them.
 
One last thing, Greek food is delicious and reasonably priced.