UT Travel Courses

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

Cuba has been a cultural and political force in the world over the past century, far exceeding its size and economic power. But to understand Cuban cultural production, it is necessary to study it in the context of the nation’s historical evolution during the 20th century. Cuban nationhood has evolved through a series of traumatic historical events that are at the center of its cultural production. This nationhood has been forged through the confrontation between a deep-rooted, strident nationalism and the practical reality of negotiating autonomy with much larger powers, for which Cuba has been a strategic geo-political and economic interest rather than a sovereign state. Students will read a wide variety of primary text sources from all sides of the Cuban political spectrum, and receive extensive exposure to Cuban art, cinema, documentaries, literature and guest speakers in order to understand the highly complex nature of Cuban society and its relationship to the contemporary global order. Upon completion of the course, faculty and students will travel to Cuba for a 10-day tour of the entire island, beginning in Santiago de Cuba and ending in La Habana.

INSTRUCTOR:                James Lopez, associate professor

WHERE:                         Cuba

WHEN:                            Course meets during fall semester and travels Jan. 6-16, 2012 

COST:                              $2,500 not including the cost of tuition* 

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

This course is designed to give students an opportunity to develop personal familiarity with the global environment and some of the issues faced by global managers operating in Switzerland and Czech Republic. Specifically, the contrast between the two extremely different cultures will allow students to explore the impact of culture on business. Beyond the social and cultural dimensions that the residency explores, the course will focus on developing an increased understanding of global markets, competition and business opportunities. By providing the group with opportunities to hear directly from local managers and academic authorities, the residency will build on the foundations developed during the MBA program.
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INSTRUCTOR:            Amy Beekman, associate professor

WHERE:                     Switzerland and Czech Republic

WHEN:                       Course meets during winter intersession and travels Jan. 4-14, 2012 

COST:                         $3,975 not including the cost of tuition*

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

This unique travel course combines Studio Art and a Contemporary Art Seminar component. It provides the opportunity for in-depth discussion and inquiry into contemporary art production in relation to a variety of theoretical, cultural and historical topics. During travel students will visit galleries, museums and historical sites in London, Amsterdam, Venice, Rome and Florence. Each of these cities is an artistic and cultural center and home to an extensive selection of galleries and museums. The seminar portion of the course will work towards developing a big picture of the contemporary art world by looking at exciting work being produced today in the context of recent art history. The course will base discussions, readings, and analysis on artists and exhibitions seen during travel.

INSTRUCTOR:              Chris Valle, assistant professor

WHERE:                       United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Italy

WHEN:                          Course meets during spring semester and travels May 7-22, 2012 

COST:                            $5,663 not including the cost of tuition*

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

This course is intended for students interested in the natural history, biology and ecology of the tropics, as well as the preservation and conservation of the most biologically diverse regions of the world. Students will study the basic ecological and biological principles of tropical ecosystems and the natural history of the organisms that live there and examine conservation programs, sustainable development practices and the widespread impact of this region of the globe. While in Costa Rica, students will visit lowland tropical rain forests, high elevation tropical cloud forests, coastal ecosystems, primary and secondary forests, and more. In the field, students will conduct brief research programs designed to illustrate the possibilities of careers working in the tropics over a broad range of possible biological specialties. Pre-requisites include the biology lower core.

INSTRUCTOR:                Todd Campbell, associate professor

WHERE:                         Costa Rica

WHEN:                            Course meets during spring semester and travels May 6-20, 2012

COST:                              $3,000

This is an introductory-level, non-lab chemistry course. Participants are not required to have previous college coursework in math, physics, biology nor chemistry. Science majors may take this course as part of their general course requirements for graduation as the course is designated as an art/aesthetic elective. Students will study materials used in creation of objects of art (paintings, glass, pottery), art preservation, art restoration, forgery detection and nondestructive testing. The course will also explore the effect of environmental pollution, primarily air, on the stability and longevity of objects of art. At the conclusion of the on-campus portion of the course, students travel to Italy with visits throughout the country, including Rome, Capri, Pompeii and Mt Vesuvius, Florence, Pisa, Siena, the Tuscan countryside and Venice.

INSTRUCTOR:                 Michelle Leslie, assistant professor

WHERE:                          Italy

WHEN:                            Course meets during spring semester (second seven weeks) and travels May 7-23, 2012

COST:                              $5,190 not including the cost of tuition*

This course will provide students with a comparative study of the criminal justice systems in The Netherlands, Germany and the United States. Students will travel to Amsterdam, The Hague and Berlin to examine the three sub-components (law enforcement, courts and corrections) of the criminal justice systems of each country and the role of human rights and crimes against humanity via readings, lectures provided by various faculty and visits to agencies. This trip will include visits to police departments and prisons.

INSTRUCTOR:                 Susan Brinkley, associate professor

WHERE:                          The Netherlands and Germany

WHEN:                            Course meets during spring semester (second seven weeks) and travels May 7-19, 2012

COST:                              $3,565 not including the cost of tuition*

*Please note that a $1,000 scholarship is available for a criminology major who enrolls in this course. Deadline to apply for the scholarship is Oct. 15, 2011. Please contact an education abroad advisor or the course instructor for more details.

This course will explore the hot button topics of poverty and income inequality in Latin America and other developing countries through a series of readings and discussions. Students will study the changes in inequality and poverty over time in Latin America, study the various economic measurements, discuss current theoretical arguments aimed at explaining the observed trends and evaluate contemporary government and business policies aimed to alleviate poverty or lessen inequality. The travel portion will entail presentations and discussions led by international organizations, government agencies, local nonprofit organizations, universities and both national and multinational businesses. Students will explore Santiago and Valparaiso/Viña del Mar in Chile and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

INSTRUCTOR:                    Joshua Hall, assistant professor

WHERE:                             Chile and Argentina

WHEN:                                Course meets during May Term and travels May 7-17, 2012

COST:                                  $4,081 not including the cost of tuition*

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

In the first half of the course, students explore the concepts and theories of ethnographic writing, as well as learn about the environment, problems, background, language, rituals and social relations of the target culture. For the second half of the semester, students establish contact with residents of Nabdam constituency in Ghana, and investigate and plan our study of this community for study and writing. As the class travels around Ghana, students will explore the issues related to doing primary research as well as the ethical issues involved in conducting and writing research. During the one week stay in Nabdam, a small village near the Ghana/Burkina Faso border, students will conduct a field study, observing, interviewing, recording and, most important, reflecting and clarifying the new learning, integrating it into current practice, and considering the two for new and improved practice.

INSTRUCTOR:                Arthur Hollist, associate professor

WHERE:                         Ghana

WHEN:                            Course meets during spring semester and travels May 7-26, 2012

COST:                              $3,690 not including the cost of tuition*

Students will study the history of France and its people through the development of Paris throughout the centuries. The city will be presented in a chronological fashion, through the study of its monuments and lesser-known landmarks (these are oftentimes archeological remains Parisians walk by everyday without noticing them). These monuments and landmarks will be discussed in class and visited in Paris. Emphasis will be placed on how Parisians interact with their history every day, framing their mindset in the process. Students will be able to experience these interactions in Paris and therefore better comprehend the French way life. The course will be conducted entirely in French. Students must have completed FRE 102 or 105 or demonstrate equivalent skills.

INSTRUCTOR:                 James Aubry, assistant professor

WHERE:                          Paris, France

WHEN:                            Course meets during spring semester (second seven weeks) and travels June 7-30, 2012

COST:                              $5,175 not including the cost of tuition*

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

The first half of the course explores the development situation in Africa, specifically Ghana and the Nabdam, and students will consider community-based development projects with an eye for their strengths and weaknesses. During the second half of the semester, students create their own development projects in collaboration with residents of Nabdam constituency in Ghana. These projects will be informed by class discussions over the first several weeks of the course but will also take into account the particular conditions and interests of the people who will benefit from the project. In May the course travels to Ghana for nearly three weeks to experience firsthand what the “third world” looks like and how people handle their modest material situations. For one week students are based in a small village near the Ghana/Burkina Faso border conducting the student-designed development projects.

INSTRUCTOR:                 Kevin Fridy, assistant professor

WHERE:                          Ghana

WHEN:                            Course meets during spring semester and travels May 7-26, 2012

COST:                              $3,690 not including the cost of tuition*

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

This course will investigate coral reef ecosystems from multiple perspectives, including the geology, biology, ecology, physical and chemical characteristics, and the far-reaching effects that humans have on this ecosystem. Along the way, students will have the opportunity to develop written and oral communication skills, through short writing assignments and frequent opportunities for in-class discussion of the material. The travel portion of the course will focus on techniques for identifying the common reef organisms, including algae, corals, other invertebrates and fish, in addition to techniques in measuring the physical and biological aspects of reef ecosystems in Roatán, Honduras. The travel portion of the course will culminate in the performance of an independent research project, planned, conducted and presented by small student research groups.  Pre-requisite courses include BIO 203 and 204 and scuba certification.

INSTRUCTOR:                         Mark McRae, assistant professor

WHERE:                                  Honduras

WHEN:                                    Course meets during spring semester and travels May 6-20, 2012

COST:                                      $3,740 not including the cost of tuition*

This travel course will take students to three of the most important cities in China: Shanghai, Chongqing and Beijing. The purpose of the travel component is to learn about the business climate in China by visiting Chinese companies and Chinese divisions of American companies. Shanghai is the primary financial hub in China – even threatening Hong Kong to become the most important finance city in all of Asia. Chongqing is located in central China and is probably the largest city in the world - unofficial estimates of its population are 32 million. Beijing is the capital, and remains the government, political and historical center of China. The course will include visits to companies and universities in all three cities and ample opportunities will be given to discuss and analyze these experiences and compare them to students’ understanding of companies in the United States.

INSTRUCTOR:                Jody Tompson, associate professor

WHERE:                         China

WHEN:                            Course meets during May Term and travels May 8-20, 2012 

COST:                              $5,175 not including the cost of tuition*

*Please note that a $500 scholarship is available for a criminology major who enrolls in this course. Deadline to apply for the scholarship is Nov. 1, 2011. Please contact an education abroad advisor for more details

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

This course allows nursing and public health students to study and travel to the Monteverde Institute in Monteverde, Costa Rica, to apply community health promotion and disease prevention concepts in a transcultural environment. In addition, the travel component of the course includes guided tours covering the culture and history of the country. As a community health practicum, the service learning component includes patient care, health promotion, disease prevention and community education activities.

INSTRUCTOR:                          Kim Curry, associate professor

WHERE:                                   Costa Rica

WHEN:                                      Course meets during spring semester (second seven weeks) and travels May 7-19, 2012

COST:                                        $2,576 not including the cost of tuition*

This course is no longer accepting applications. 

Business communication is not limited nor contained by language barriers or borders, and students will learn how the setting of Western Europe affects current business communication practices. Students are exposed to literature from the field during the seven-week UT portion of the course, then participate in professional meetings upon arrival in Europe. Students will meet with professionals from Facebook, City Planning and Green Initiatives of Europe, Versace and Gucci, and Fragonard. Careers, communication and culture are discussed. Optional and included cultural excursions flank student scholarship while abroad, including: The Book of Kells, Trinity College, the cliffs of Dublin, The Last Supper, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, galleries and exhibitions.

INSTRUCTOR:                         Chris Gurrie, assistant professor

WHERE:                                   Ireland, Italy and France

WHEN:                                    Course meets during spring semester (second seven weeks) and travels May 7-21, 2012

COST:                                      $4,590 not including the cost of tuition*

Sport serves as a global language bridging many cultural and political barriers. As an industry, sport accounts for two percent of the worldwide economy. This course examines strategic, operational, cultural and technological factors to prepare future business leaders for success in the competitive sports marketplace. This course will be available to sport management and international business students. Participating students will visit three countries - France, Switzerland and Spain. The itinerary will provide the opportunity to meet key figures of the European sport business model and to visit major venues such as the International Handball headquarters, FIFA headquarters and the world-renowned INSEP in Paris.

INSTRUCTOR:                 Ross Bartow, coordinator/lecturer

WHERE:                          France, Switzerland and Spain

WHEN:                             Course meets during spring semester (second seven weeks) and travels May 10-25, 2012

COST:                               $5,100 not including the cost of tuition*