J-Term Seminar: Great Cities

France • The Netherlands • Czech Republic • Italy

December 29, 2024 - January 16, 2025

IAU’s Great Cities J-Term Traveling Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in Italy, France, The Netherlands, and Czech Republic. Students explore major cities across Europe using literature and the arts as a guide to understanding the rise and establishment of the urban setting. Through readings and media studies, students examine the artistic process from inspiration to creation. Site visits and guided tours then allow students to experience the historical, geographical, and demographical foundations that inform the fictional representations of European cities and their impact on perceptions of those cities today. Students have the opportunity to learn from and exchange their observations with experts from IAU as well as distinguished on-site scholars and local guides in order to frame their own perceptions of the cities and these cities’ representation through the arts.

Please note: IAU reserves the right to cancel programs due to low enrollment. Itineraries are tentative and subject to change at the discretion of IAU. Students should consult with an IAU advisor prior to purchasing their flights.

Academics

Students can choose one of the following courses:

• European Studies 303: Europe and the Urban Space
• Anthropology 301: The Artist and the City
• Literature 375: The European City in Literature
• Communications 375: The European City in the Visual Arts
• Geography 201: Europe and its Cities

View the 2024 syllabus here. All content and the itinerary is subject to change.

Itinerary

View the 2025 itinerary here. All details are tentative and subject to change. IAU reserves the right to alter the itinerary.

About the Professor

 Dr. Mary Boyington is the Dean of Students at IAU. 

Program Fees

Please view the Program Fees page for details. 

Did you know? Students who enroll in a January Term Seminar and the spring semester at one of IAU's campuses consecutively are eligible to receive a $2,000 grant credited to their spring semester invoice. In order to be eligible to receive the grant, students must participate in the Early Start Program during the week between the end of the January Term Seminar and the start of the spring semester. The Early Start Program allows students to move in with their hosts a week before the semester begins, receive language instruction, and participate in local cultural activities! Visit IAU's Scholarship page for additional details.