Location:

Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Program Type:

Study Abroad

Degree Level:

Undergraduate

Term:

MayMester Intersession

Program Overview

Program Description:

Georgia State offers many summer and maymester programs led and taught by Georgia State professors. These programs tend to be focused on a particular topic or theme and range from 10 to 20 participants, though some are larger. Students participate in lectures, site visits, excursions, and tours as part of the program. These programs usually last between two and six weeks. Students find these programs a great way to really get to know their professors and other GSU students while earning GSU credits and grades. Students do not have to study on a program related to their major, but they certainly can. Financial aid and scholarships are available.

Pilgrimage Sites of Europe will take place during May term 2012, with approximately one week in Lourdes, France, and one week on the Isle of Iona, Scotland, with side visits to Paris and Edinburgh. Drawing over a million pilgrims a year, Lourdes is located in the south of France along the Pyrenees mountains and draws multitudes seeking both physical and spiritual healing. From here, students will be able to study the real-world experience of pilgrimage, as well as explore centuries-old sites in this historic town. Following a stop in Paris, students will then travel to the remote island of Iona on the western coast of Scotland. A stunning location for a pilgrimage site, Iona is home to a 1,400-year-old monastery with a spiritual community that focuses on both contemplative practice and social justice issues. The students will conclude the trip with two to three days in the vibrant city of Edinburgh. Students will learn about the central role of pilgrimage in the religious lives of the pilgrims, the cultural contexts of the two pilgrimage sites, and how to study a religious practice using interdisciplinary methods. Students will keep a pilgrimage journal, meet for daily class sessions, and write a final paper upon their return to Atlanta. While some days will include organized excursions to surrounding towns, mountains and islands, many afternoons and evenings will be free for students to explore the sites of Lourdes, Paris, Iona and Edinburgh.

Setting Description:

Housing in Lourdes, Paris and Edinburgh will be in double occupancy hotel rooms in the city centers. In Iona, students will stay in the Iona Youth Hostel located at the north end of the island. With rooms of four to five beds each, the group will rent the entire facility.

Cost:

Please contact for program costs