Ecocriticism and the Ancient City
Engage with the rich cultural landscapes of Italy and Greece!
Ecocriticism studies the connections between literature and environment; human-built and natural landscapes; nature and its cultural construction. The Mediterranean societies of Italy and Greece provide a vibrant setting to explore this topic. Over your three weeks in-field, you will travel to multiple cities, uncovering how these societies have been portrayed through material culture & ancient literatures and their correlation to contemporary life.
In addition to Ecocriticism, three other themes will be evaluated on this program. The Ancient City uses archaeological sites to question the colonial ideals and social, political, & economic forces behind city structures. Ancient Environments studies ancient & modern responses to environmental change and hazards. Finally, Critical Tourism explores resource management and preservation of ancient sites, monuments, and material culture as well as stressors and sustainability at iconic tourist locations.
Taught in collaboration between instructors of Archaeology, Geography, and Greek & Roman Studies, this multidisciplinary program offers a variety of courses from different academic perspectives. Participants will be able to customize their learning experience while developing skills such as critical observation & analysis, cultural sensitivity during field research, and the application of ArcGIS technologies.
Key information
Application information
Student experience
Participants will be given tours of sites ranging from the small to the majestic, including Rome's Colosseum.
Dr. Lisa Hughes
Recorded Info Session. Subtitles are automated; please contact us with any questions
Have questions?
For program information, please contact the instructors: Andrea Freeman (freeman@ucalgary.ca), Lisa Hughes (lahughes@ucalgary.ca), and Kathryn Reese-Taylor (kreeseta@ucalgary.ca).
For application and registration support, please contact the Group Study Team at group.study@ucalgary.ca.
Other useful links:
- Travel Advisory for Italy
- Lonely Planet guide to Italy
- Travel Advisory for Greece
- Lonely Planet guide for Athens and Crete
Program details
Questions about these courses should be directed to the program instructors.
Please note: course descriptions are tentative and subject to change.
-
Courses offered
Students on this program are required to enrol in four courses.
Course #1
- GEOG 390: International Field Studies (3 units)
Course #2 - choose from:
- GRST 423.xx: Topics in Greek and Roman Social Economic History: Ancient Environments (3 units)
- or GEOG 436: Field Studies in Physical Geography: Ancient Environments (3 units)
Course #3 - choose from:
- ARKY 490.xx: Current Topics in Archaeology: Ancient Cities (3 units)
- or GRST 423.xx: Topics in Greek and Roman Social and Economic Environments: Ancient Cities (3 units)
Course #4 - choose from:
- GEOG 434: Field Studies in Human Geography: Tourism and Heritage Management (3 units)
- or ANTH 399.xx: Current Topics in Anthropology: Tourism and Heritage Management (3 units)
For students who need 500-level credit, an Independent Study is available (ARKY 597 / GEOG 596 / GRST 551) and may be substituted for one of the other courses. Please indicate in your application if you would like to do this; the instructors will follow up with you.
-
Prerequisites
The prerequisite for registration in all of the courses offered on this program is by consent of the instructors.
-
Pre-departure
March TBD, Calgary: Mandatory pre-departure orientation facilitated by UCalgary International
May 1 to 5, Calgary: Mandatory coursework to be completed at the University of Calgary. These are full days, 8:30 AM-12 PM and 1 PM-4 PM. Key topics include:
- The purpose of fieldwork and making meaningful field observations
- Introduction to ArcGIS Online
- Collecting and managing digital data
- Creating story maps
-
In-field
May 6-7, Calgary/Rome/Pompeii: Depart Calgary for flight to Rome; transfer to Pompeii
May 8-9, Pompeii: Site visits - Pompeii, Oplontis, Herculaneum
May 10, Naples: National Archaeological Museum
May 11-12, Orvieto: Etruscan tombs; National Archaeological Museum; medieval town
May 13-16, Rome: site visits - Forum, Palatine, Colosseum, Ponte Rotto, Baths and more; urban stratigraphy of Rome; National Archaeological Museum
May 17, Rome: Visit Frascati - wine tour
May 18-20, Crete: Lectures & tests; site visits - Knossos/Heraklion and more
May 21, Crete/Athens: Fly to Athens; evening hike through Pnyx Park
May 22, Athens: Acropolis & museum
May 23, Athens: Visit Mycenae - museum
May 24, Athens: Ancient Agora, Keramikos, & museums
May 25, Athens: Visit Delphi
May 26-27, Athens: Conclude course seminars; final exams; finish GEOG 390 reflection papers
May 28, Athens/Calgary: Depart Athens for Calgary (or continue on independent travel)
-
Costs
The estimated cost of the Ecocriticism and the Ancient City Group Study Program includes 4 courses of tuition, airfare, field trips, local transportation, accommodations and meals. The program cost is $9,997.
For the full cost breakdown and payment deadlines, please see the Student Cost Summary (click here).
Important information regarding deposit payments: Deposits are non-refundable. Deposits secure your space in the program and allows payment for logistical arrangements to be made in advance.
-
Funding
Our office administers several awards, including the Global Access Fund (based on a funding-first model where students apply prior to committing to a global learning program) and the Global Learning Award (students apply after being accepted to a global learning program; the amount varies year-to-year as the money is split among chosen recipients). Students may only receive these awards once.
Arts students can apply for the Arts Study Abroad Grant. Science students can apply for IDEAS Funding. Other awards include the John W. Humphrey Travel Award for Greek & Roman Studies. Please see the funding page for more information.
Student loans: If you qualify for student loans, your program should qualify. We are able to provide you with a letter confirming your participation in the program for funding purposes. Please email group.study@ucalgary.ca to request a letter. Please note that eligibility for student loans is determined by your loans provider.
Students will be staying in hotels throughout the program. These will be shared rooms, likely in 2s or 4s. While there will be some variation between cities and countries, the hotels will be comfortable, safe, and student-appropriate. All hotels have been vetted by the instructors and previously used in other Group Study Programs.
Kitchen facilities/appliances may or may not be available, depending on the hotel; most of your meals will likely be purchased throughout the program. A daily meal cost estimate is included under "Additional Student Expenses" in the Student Cost Summary.
This program is open to undergraduate students in good academic standing from all faculties.
Applications will be considered after your online application and supplementary documents have been received in full.
Please read the sections below for information about what your application will include. The application is completed online. Because the online application will time out after 1 hour, we recommend writing out your answers to the application questions in a Word document and preparing any of the supplementary documents you may need in advance.
Once you are ready, click here to access the application system.
Announcements on whether you have been selected to the program will not be distributed until after the November 12 deadline.
-
Written application questions
All Group Study Programs have general questions about how the program will meet your goals (academic reasons, personal interest, career prospects, etc.), how you plan to finance your program, and coping skills for travelling abroad. These questions are designed to help narrow down your motivation for applying and why you should be selected.
Note: Because the online application will time out after one hour, we recommend that you "save" your application, copy the questions into a Word document to compose your answers, check for spelling, grammar and word count, and then paste it into the online application.
-
Course list
This program offers multiple courses that students can choose from. In your application, you will be asked to list the courses you would like to take. You are required to take 4 courses in total. Please review the "Academic information" section above to see the offered courses.
Note: If you indicate in your application that you wish to substitute one of the courses with a 500-level Independent Study course, please keep an eye on your email. The instructors will follow up to discuss it with you after the application deadline.
-
Unofficial transcript
Download an unofficial transcript from your Student Centre. Click here for a step-by-step guide to access your unofficial transcript.
You will be asked to upload your transcript as a PDF in the online application.
Please ensure that you have read the Group Study Program General FAQs thoroughly before applying.
Program-Specific FAQs
Q: Do I need to have an Archaeology/Geography/Greek and Roman Studies background to qualify for this program?
A: No, this is an intentionally multidisciplinary program and welcomes students from all majors! Many of the topics covered are relevant towards multiple fields and will teach you valuable skills of observation, technical analysis, etc. that you can use towards any future career. Having a different academic background will give you unique perspective that should be valuable both for you and for your peers on the program.
Q: What is the level of physical activity?
A: Most days during your program will include walking around the respective location. Streets & sidewalks in these locations may at times be cobbled, uneven, or hilly. There are also several hikes planned (not intensive hiking, but a longer walk in more rural or parkland areas). As much as possible, outdoor activity will be scheduled during the morning or evening for cooler temperatures. If you have concerns about physical accessibility, please speak to the Global Learning Office or contact an advisor at group.study@ucalgary.ca.
The biggest highlights for myself were the discussions with the professors. The subjects and topics were always amazingly deep. These sorts of conversation are what I always want to have with mentors and peers.
Neilius, Anthropology major
Past Participant with Dr. Reese-Taylor's Maya Archaeology program
Overall, the program was a great experience to see many new places and beautiful sites. The other students came from all faculties and the group dynamic was nice. I created a diverse network that I might not have met otherwise and we got to share this experience together.
Anonymous, Political Science major
Past Participant with Dr. Andrea Freeman's Environmental Geographies of Europe program
The advisor for this program is: Kathryn Bauer
Getting started
Program-Specific Info Sessions
Info sessions are scheduled for every Group Study Program. Attending an info session is not required to apply, but strongly recommended as it will give you an opportunity to meet the instructor and learn more about the travel experience.
We also recommend watching Global Learning 101 for general information.
Global Learning Advising
If you have questions about this program, you can meet with one of our Global Learning Advisors by emailing group.study@ucalgary.ca or booking an appointment through the link below.
1. Select "Advising"
2. Select “Study Abroad”
3. Select “Book by Appointment Type”
4. Select your program advisor to view available times.
Academic Advising
Before applying to study abroad, you should ask your academic advisor how a Group Study Program might align with your degree.
After you are accepted, you should ask your academic advisor more specific questions about courses/credits. It’s also recommended to follow up with your advisor again once you return to Calgary.
Start your application
Once you have gathered everything you need, you can begin your application!
Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until all required documents are submitted in full.
International travel presents challenges that may not be found when attending classes on campus. There may be a lack of resources, emergency services, hospitals, accessibility issues and/or demands on the physical and the mental self, all of which can challenge individuals when away from their usual support systems and structures. Adequate preparation is essential.
For this reason, it is imperative that you evaluate all aspects of your own physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition against the rigors of the particular global learning program you are selecting. If you are unsure of whether or not this program is a good fit for you and/or if you have any circumstances that could impede your enjoyment of the program, please contact us. Our Global Learning Advisors will be happy to assist in finding the best options for you and arrange any supports or accommodations necessary to ensure your success.
If you have or are seeking a certificate from Student Accessibility Services, you should provide this early to your Global Learning Advisor to ensure that the option that you are seeking can support your needs.
Please note: All participants must adhere to COVID-19 and other vaccination-related requirements for the destinations visited on this program. Failure to do so may have consequences such as being denied access to accommodation/housing, program activities, or to the host country itself.