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The application deadline for this program has passed. No further applications are being accepted. The information on this site may be helpful if you are interested in attending in the future.  

You might also be interested in expanding your language skills through the Language Institute at Penn State. Other adventure-based courses can be found online at www.programs.psu.edu/Adventure. 

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Faculty-led, world-focused

Penn State faculty-led programs offer students the guidance of trusted faculty, with the freedom to explore the world. Our faculty will create the ideal itinerary for you.

Representing the Irish Landscape is a program for students interested in the culture of contemporary Ireland and how its artists depict the Irish experience through visual arts and literature. Open to students at all levels of experience, the program includes courses in visual arts and Irish literature, and an independent studies course that allows students to engage facets of the Irish landscape and culture in depth. The Penn State faculty teaching the program will be joined by visiting artists and writers for special presentations.

Over the course of four weeks, the group will stay in three different sites across Ireland, and will visit several more. At the first site, in the western coast town of Galway, students will stay in university housing, and area visits will include Yeats's tower, the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren in County Clare, and a bicycling trip to the Aran Islands. Next is the tiny village of Allihies, on the southern coast's Beara Peninsula, where students will stay in villagers' homes (meals will be provided), and scheduled workshops will be led by well-known visiting Irish writers and artists. The final week will be spent in the city of Dublin, where housing will be provided by Trinity College in the heart of the city. We will see plays, visit museums, attend poetry readings, and participate in the city's vibrant art scene.

Courses Offered — 9 credits

Students are required to enroll in three courses appropriate to their academic level and area of concentration. All participants must register for both English and Art and a final project, either in writing or visual arts, must be submitted by the end of the summer session. Most Art students will enroll in 6 credits of Art and 3 credits of English. Most English students will enroll in 6 credits of English and 3 credits of Art. If you are not either an English or Art major, please select appropriate courses based on interests or to satisfy academic requirements.

English

ENGL 145 (3 credits) (GH;IL) Modern Irish Literature
ENGL 199 (3 credits) Foreign Study — English (prerequisite: ENGL 015 or 030)
ENGL 399/499 (3 credits) Foreign Study — English: Final Project
ENGL 404 (3 credits) Mapping Identity, Difference, and Place (prerequisite: ENGL 015 or 030)

Our literature course will start with readings from the Celtic Revival that figure the West of Ireland and Irish mythology prominently within the project of cultural nationalism. We will study writers who pay special attention to place, ranging from J.M. Synge’s Aran islands, to James Joyce’s Dublin, to more contemporary representations of Ireland as a multicultural, modern space. The course will include drama, film, and prose and will feature some outings to dramatic performances.

Art

ART 199 Beginning Art (3 credits) Foreign Study
ART 299 Intermediate Art (3 credits) Foreign Study
ART 499 Advanced Art (3 credits) Foreign Study

These courses explore the creation of visual and verbal responses to the context of place. We will investigate the idea of site, place, and time as they apply to historical perspectives and contemporary art-making practices. Students will be encouraged to experiment with a wide variety of traditional materials and methods to develop their own personal vocabulary of practice techniques, promoting and developing self-expression and discovery. I am interested in the construction of a completed visual travel log, a journal specific to the context of being in Ireland at this time in history.

Eligibility

The program is open to all Penn State students and students from other institutions with a minimum 2.5 grade-point average. Applicants are considered on a first-come, first-served basis. Students are encouraged to apply early, as enrollment is limited.

Faculty

Janet Lyon, associate professor of English, has co-led the Ireland study abroad program several times. She has been teaching literature and critical theory at Penn State for ten years, and her specialties include Irish literature, modernism and the avant-garde, and disability studies. She has won many teaching awards, most recently the Penn State Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching (2010). She loves teaching in Ireland.

Helen O’Leary, artist, born in County Wexford, Ireland, is currently a professor of art at Penn State. Her art has been honored with a Guggenheim Fellowship, two Pollock-Krasner awards (1989, 1996), and a Joan Mitchell Award for painting and sculpture (2000); fellowship at Culturel Irlandais, Paris (2010); and numerous grants from the Arts Council of Ireland. She is also a recipient of a Penn State Excellence in Teaching Award. She has had solo exhibitions internationally in both museums and contemporary art galleries, and has been invited to guest lecture at universities and art schools around the world.

 

Expenses

The total program fee includes two components: tuition (9 credits) and a class fee (based on activities and location). All the students will pay the in-state tuition rate for 2012 Summer Abroad programs.

Expenses NOT covered are: (American dollars; estimated)

• passport
• personal expenses
• optional excursions
• round-trip airfare (approximately $1,000 plus tax)
• meals in Galway and Dublin
• digital camera (required) 

For passport information, visit www.travel.state.gov/passport.

Estimated Tuition (9 credits)

Out-of-state students will be charged the out-of-state tuition rate until the first day of the program. At that time the students' bursar account will be adjusted to reflect the in-state tuition rate of $681 per credit.

In-state students will pay tuition according to their standing and the Penn State tuition schedule.

Estimated $6,129 in-state/out-of-state

The University reserves the right to revise the schedule of tuition and charges without further notice. For more information on tuition, visit http://tuition.psu.edu.

Published rates are effective for fall 2011 and spring 2012.

Class Fee  

The class fee of $2,595 covers insurance, housing, some meals, art supplies, admission to museums, excursions, transportation in Ireland, and administrative expenses. The $1,000 nonrefundable deposit applies to the class fee.

Estimated Total Program Fee

The estimated program fee of $8,724 includes tuition as well as the class fee.

Information Technology Fee: 1 to 4.5 credits, $82; 5 to 8.5 credits, $180; 9 or more credits, $240

Financial Aid

For alternative grant, loan, and minority scholarship information, visit the Education Abroad Financial Aid and Scholarships web page.

Refunds

All cancellations must be received by the planner, in writing, by mail or fax. Do not use eLion; it does not remove you from the course, and you will be held responsible for all fees. Full refunds minus the nonrefundable $1,000 application fee will be made for cancellations received at least thirty days prior to the first day of the program. Refund requests made after that time will not be honored, and the participant or sponsoring organization will be responsible for the fees.

How to Apply

Students are limited to one application in the Summer Education Abroad registration database; however, if dates allow, applicants may participate in more than one program. 

If you are interested in having your application "copied" to additional programs, please email summerabroad@outreach.psu.edu. The $1,000 nonrefundable deposit must be submitted for each program in order for the applications to be complete. The deposits are later credited to the class fee or refunded if the student is not accepted. Please email summerabroad@outreach.psu.edu if you have any questions.

Submit your online application through Penn State Education Abroad.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: February 17, 2012

Deposit: The $1,000 nonrefundable deposit must be submitted to complete an application. If the student is not accepted, the deposit is refunded. Otherwise, the deposit is applied to the class fee.

Cancellation: The University may cancel or postpone any course or activity because of insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances. If a program is canceled or postponed, the University will refund registration fees but cannot be held responsible for any related costs, charges, or expenses, including cancellation/change charges assessed by airlines or travel agencies.

Access: Penn State encourages persons with disabilities to participate in its programs and activities. If you anticipate needing special accommodations or have questions about the physical access provided, please contact the planner at 800-252-3592.

Space may be available after the application deadline. Please contact the planner to determine availability and/or to be added to the waiting list.

Contact Us

Regarding program content:
Janet Lyon
English Department
The Pennsylvania State University
19 Burrowes Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-9681
Email: jwl12@psu.edu

Helen O'Leary
School of Visual Arts
The Pennsylvania State University
313 Visual Arts Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-0444
Email: hpo1@psu.edu

Regarding application process:
Carolyn Andersen, Program Manager
The Pennsylvania State University
128 Outreach Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-863-5143
Fax: 814-865-3749
Email: SummerAbroad@outreach.psu.edu

Regarding financial aid:
Office of Student Aid
The Pennsylvania State University
314 Shields Building
University Park PA 16802
Phone: 814-865-6301

For alternative grant, loan, and minority scholarship information, visit the Education Abroad Financial Aid and Scholarships web page.