Short-Term Programs
Chasing the Plague in Edinburgh—June 2025
IS 2044—Chasing the Plague in Edinburgh: Scientific and Literary Perspectives on Infectious Disease
June 2025
Program leaders Rachel Johnson and Josh Johnson
As a city ravaged twice by the bubonic plague, Edinburgh represents the ideal location to explore how infectious disease has shaped and continues to shape culture, architecture, history, and identity. Students will spend three weeks in residency in Edinburgh discovering the city, gaining a first-hand understanding of its literary and scientific history, and occasionally traveling to nearby sites. Through a mixture of in-classroom lectures and reading discussions, site-specific activities around the city, and trips to related areas like Leith and Glasgow, students will gain a greater understanding of the impact infectious disease can have on a population and reflect on their own experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to engaging literarily with the plague, students will also be introduced to relevant topics in immunology and explore current research on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases.
From the Caesars to the Saints: Walking Ancient Rome—June 2025
This course will explore the history, society, and culture of the city of ancient and medieval Rome. The city’s ancient history is bound up with the history of the Romans’ territorial expansion in Italy and the Mediterranean. Its medieval history, meanwhile, is intertwined with the growing political and economic power of the Catholic Church. The course will thus examine these connections to understand the way people used and viewed Rome's urban space differently across time. We will gain access to these ideas through on-site exploration of Rome’s monuments and museums and through ancient, medieval, and modern readings regarding the importance of these sites and how they fit into differing perceptions of Rome. Additionally, living in Rome for three weeks will allow you to experience first hand the food, culture, people, and daily rhythms of life in the modern city.
Semester at Brunnenburg (Fall, 2025)
The UMN Morris Brunnenburg semester will offer students the unique opportunity to experience and study the environmental challenges of living sustainably in the Italian Alps.
Explore the German-Speaking region of the South Tyrol (Italy) with University of Minnesota Morris Professor Jimmy Schryver. During this semester program you will have the opportunity to experience a sustainable farm and 13th-century castle in the town of Dorf Tirol. You will quickly become immersed in the culture and history of the region surrounded by castles, fortresses, and churches. You will have time to experience the upscale shops, boutiques, cafes, and restaurants of cozy cities like Meran and Bolzano, while also hiking the beautiful landscapes that are the Alps.
Long-Term Programs (Academic Year or Semester Exchanges)
Australia
University of the Sunshine Coast—Sippy Downs, Sunshine Coast, Australia
Spend a semester or year at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia.
China
Capital Normal University—Beijing, China
Enroll in a yearlong or single semester program with all courses offered in English for undergraduates.
Shanghai University—Shanghai, China
Students typically enroll in 24–30 credits per year or 12–15 per semester. Previous study of Chinese is encouraged but not required.
France
Lille Exchange Program
Take courses in any of the areas offered by Universitès Lille 1 Sciences et Technologie and by Lille 3 Sciences humaines et sociales.
Germany
Potsdam University—Potsdam, Germany
Potsdam is a beautiful city full of parks, lakes, and magnificent palaces, not to mention culture and history.
Japan (only Morris Students may Apply)
Kansai Gaidai University—Hirakata City, Japan
Students take their choice Asian Studies Program courses from a variety of disciplines.
Mexico
UPAEP Exchange—Puebla, Mexico
Located in the middle of Puebla City, this program is ideal for students who want to know authentic Mexican daily life and culture.