Eligibility

• 18 years of age or above
• Good academic and disciplinary standing at Penn State
• 2.5 cumulative GPA or better at the time of application review
• Sophomore standing or above at the start of the program 
• This program is only available to regularly enrolled Penn State undergraduate students.
• Penn State students who successfully complete the Athens program and its prerequisites may be eligible to receive a minor in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS). 

Program Description 

In and Beyond the Great Classrooms of Athens

Athens is the cultural, industrial and political center of modern Greece. Ancient Athens is considered by many to be the fountainhead of Western civilization. The heart of the city, both ancient and modern, is the world-famous Acropolis. Nearby is the Agora, the ancient civic center and marketplace with its temple of Hephaistos and other important monuments. Also close to the Acropolis, and within walking distance of the Athens Centre, is the Plaka, the old quarter of the modern city. There, amidst Byzantine churches and early modern historical buildings are other monuments of the ancient city, like the Library of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian. Also not far from the Athens Centre are the National Gardens, the Parliament House, and the Panathenaikon Stadium, which was built in 330 BC for the Greater Panathenaic Festival and rebuilt centuries later to accommodate the first modern Olympic Games, held in 1896. Lycabettus Hill, with St. George's chapel at its summit, offers one of the best views of this wonderful city. The many museums, monuments, and scenic viewpoints in present-day Athens evoke memories of the masters of art and architecture, philosophy and drama who once walked its streets and who have made such important contributions to Western civilization.

The Athens Centre, located near the Acropolis and other major archaeological sites of the city, is headquarters for the Penn State Athens program. Founded in 1969 as the Athens Centre for Creative Arts, this Greek non-profit organization sponsors academic and cultural activities. It schedules programs for Athens residents throughout the year in the fields of Greek Studies, fine arts and performing arts, and since 1977 has offered courses in Modern Greek language to foreigners living and working in Athens. In addition to its work with Penn State, the Centre cooperates with several other US colleges and universities. For more information about this program, please visit the Athens Centre website.

Bucknell and Penn State Universities collaborate to offer this 90-day interdisciplinary program and alternate faculty. Penn State students who successfully complete the Athens program and its prerequisites may be eligible to receive a minor in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies (CAMS). 

Dates

Spring 2025: February 2 - May 1, 2025
 

Program Leader Information

• Bucknell and Penn State Universities collaborate to offer this 90-day interdisciplinary program and alternate faculty. 
• For Spring 2025, Bucknell University Associate Professor of Political Science, Christina Xydias, will lead the program. 
  • Questions can be directed to cvx001@bucknell.edu 

Course Descriptions

• REQUIRED - Archaeology of Ancient Greece - (3 credits, CAMS 499.2 / HIST 499.2 / ART HIST 499.1) Professor David Scahill, Athens Centre
  • A survey of the major historical monuments and sites, from the prehistoric period to Classical times. In this course we visit key sites and museums in Attica, the Peloponnese, and central Greece to examine the art and archaeology of prehistoric and classical Greece in its original setting. Students will explore first-hand the celebrated monuments and masterpieces of the Minoan, Mycenaean and Greek civilizations and will study the changes from palatial Bronze Age society to the age of Greek city-states and its most important developments under Athenian democracy. As students acquaint themselves with the most influential landmarks in Greek art and architecture, they will take a critical and reflective look at their discoveries and re-evaluate the fundamental bases of Greek archaeology.
• REQUIRED TO CHOOSE ONE OF TWO: From Rosy-fingered to Golden Dawn - (3 credits) OR Democracy in Theory and Practice - (3 credits) Professor Christina Xydias, Bucknell - 1 of 2 REQUIRED
  • From Rosy-fingered to Golden Dawn - (3 credits, CAMS 499.1 / HIST 499.1) Professor Christina Xydias, Bucknell
    • What is / who are Modern Greece and Greeks? The first section of this course covers the construction of modern Greece as an identity and as a political system. In order to understand the construction of modern Greece, we will examine the artistic and material ways in which Greek nationalists worked to bridge antiquity and modernity. Thus, as part of this section, we will read Book I of the Iliad and a tragedy (likely Antigone), and we will visit the National Historical Museum, among other possible destinations and resources. We will also examine works of art that reflect and deal with ancient themes and the weight of the Greek past. The second section will introduce students to the contemporary institutions and function of Greek politics, organized around a central paradox within democracies: what happens when voters freely support anti-system or non-democratic parties?
  • Democracy in Theory and Practice - (3 credits, CAMS 499.3) Professor Christina Xydias, Bucknell 
    • The first section of the course will address the development of democracy in ancient Athens from Solon through Perikles, with an overture to the 4th century. Texts and sites include: a selection of Solon’s poems, and the story of Solon from Herodotus; Kleisthenes’ reforms of 507/6 BCE. In the second section, we consider questions of inclusion/exclusion. Classical elements will include visits to the Pnyx, the site of the ancient Assembly, and discussion of enfranchisement across wealth categories. Contemporary issues will include asylum processes and refugee experiences, contrasting legal theories regarding normative rights to asylum with these theories’ implementation in practice. The third section addresses elections and protest, exploring the potential and limitations for elections to assure voters’ opportunities for holding political leaders accountable. Looking at antiquity, we will consider role(s) of the aristocracy and selection mechanisms for magistrates. We will then consider contemporary political questions, such as: What does it mean for voting to be compulsory, as it is in Greece? 
• Mythology in the Films of Yorgos Lanthimos - (3 credits, CAMS 499) Professor Brian Hauser, Bucknell 
  • Exploring several films by Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster) and their fascinating intersections with Greek mythology. The course will pair primary sources (in translation) with film screenings, as well as with secondary reading (scholarly and journalistic) about Greek cinema after the 2008 economic crisis, the so-called Greek Weird Wave.
• Greece: Culture and Environment - (3 credits, CAMS 199.1) Professor TBD
  • In the context of major events of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries that continue to shape Greek life and culture, this course will expose students to the many issues Greeks are presently facing in relation to migration, economy, environment, tourism, and the urban/rural split. The course will be built around a an introduction to modern history followed by a series of guest lectures and field trips, as well as the opportunity for volunteer service with the refugee community. 
• Beginning Modern Greek - (3 credits, CAMS 99) Professor TBD
  • In this intensive introduction to spoken modern Greek, students will learn to use the language in their daily lives, coming to a deeper and more complex understanding of the people and culture of Greece along the way.
• Second semester introductory Ancient Greek - (3 credits, GREEK 199) Professor TBD
  • Introduction to Ancient Greek, offered as needed by beginning or intermediate ancient Greek students.
• Advanced reading in ancient Greek - (3 credits, GREEK 499) Professor TBD
  • Reading in Greek prose authors, offered as needed by advanced ancient Greek students.

Course Selection

• Research courses offered on your program
• Meet with your academic adviser to discuss potential courses abroad and your degree requirements.
• Complete your Course Selection Questionnaire in the ‘Post-Decision’ section of your application to choose the courses you want from the program options.

Academic Policies

• You must enroll in a minimum number of 12 credits and a maximum number of 15 credits
• You cannot take any courses abroad on a Pass/Fail basis
• If you are studying abroad in your final semester at Penn State, please note that Penn State may not receive your grades in time for graduation

Housing

Meals

Program Costs

Scholarships

Student Aid

Withdrawal & Refund Policy

After Commitment

Regardless of the timing or reason for the withdrawal, the student will be responsible for paying the Education Abroad Administrative Fees. For faculty-led freestanding programs, there is a specific withdrawal penalty schedule. 

Education Abroad makes every attempt at keeping the program and administrative costs to a minimum. However, when you commit to participating in a program, Education Abroad begins to make financial commitments on your behalf. In case of withdrawal, the following fees will be charged to your Bursar account

• Upon Commitment - 90 Days Prior to Departure: 25% Program Fee + EA Admin Fee 

• 30 - 89 Days Prior to Departure: 50% Program Fee + EA Admin Fee 

• 29 Days - Departure Date: 100% Program Fee + EA Admin Fee

Following the start of the summer semester, any adjustment of tuition charges will be made according to the Tuition Adjustment Schedule as determined by the Office of the Bursar. More information can be found on the University Senate Policy on Withdrawal and Leave of Absence.

After the Start of the Program

General Information

Accessibility Considerations

Gender and LGBTQA Considerations 

• LGBTQA Resource Center
• LGBTQA Resources for Study Abroad
• Education Abroad Guide for LGBTQA Travelers
• Education Abroad Guide for Women Travelers

Race, Ethnicity, and Faith Considerations 

• Multicultural Resource Center
• Multicultural Offices by College
• Religious Diversity Abroad Guide
• Education Abroad Guide for Diversity and Study Abroad

Non-U.S. Citizens

Steps to Study Abroad

How to Apply

Deadlines

Contact Education Abroad

Peer Advisers

Education Abroad Advisers

Social Media