Study Abroad Opportunities

Images of Turlough Round Tower in Connacht, Ireland; St. Canice Cathedral in Leinster, Ireland and UXMAL in Yucatan, Mexico

Ireland: The Pristine Landscapes of Connacht is an international short-term study abroad program led by Professor Kevin Raleigh of the Department of Geography & GIS. This program is open to all students across all majors and is scheduled each summer shortly before the start of Fall Semester. Courses for the program are completed during each summer semester and include GEOG 1003: Physical Geography International Experience; GEOG 2017 / EUST 2017: Pristine Landscapes of Connacht; GEOG 5150: International Field Trips; and GEOG 6050: Geography International Study Abroad (for graduate students). The study abroad program lasts 10 days (9 nights), during which time students will visit a variety of physical geographic landscapes, megalithic monuments, and structures associated with belief systems in order to witness, identify, and explain historical and contemporary human impacts upon these physical spaces. The landscapes of Connacht are pristine in that they have endured centuries of existence and are among the oldest, most dramatic, most well-preserved, and least-visited across Ireland. These landscapes, as with other human-made relics in Ireland, date from the times of earliest known inhabitants of Ireland during Neolithic Age. Other landscapes and relics, created by the Celts, the Roman-Brits who brought Christianity to the island, Gaelic kingdoms, the Vikings, and the Normans, are also visible and well-preserved in Connacht. Activities and visits for the program are centered on student accommodation bases in Westport or Castlebar for the first half, and then Galway for the remainder of the experience. The program is run by experienced Department of Geography faculty and has from time to time also included co-leaders from other A&S departments.

In addition to enrollment in approved courses for credit, a completed application with UC International is required, as is payment of a program fee for the study abroad component. Scholarships from UC International are generally available for full-time students in good standing who are participating in this international program.

Further information for this short-term study abroad program can be obtained from Professor Kevin Raleigh of the Department of Geography at 513.556.3422 or via e-mail at raleigkn@ucmail.uc.edu. Applications and program information are generally available 6-9 months in advance of the international travel dates. Please visit the UC International Study Abroad page for more information on the Pristine Landscapes of Connacht program.

Ireland: The Ancient Landscapes of Leinster is an international short-term study abroad program led by Professor Kevin Raleigh of the Department of Geography. This program is open to all students across all colleges and is scheduled each spring during the week immediately following finals week of Spring Semester. Courses for the program are completed during each spring semester and include GEOG 1003: Physical Geography International Experience; GEOG 2019 / EUST 2019: Geography of the Ancient Landscapes of Leinster; GEOG 5150: International Field Trips; and GEOG 6050: Geography International Study Abroad (for graduate students). The study abroad component lasts 8 days (7 nights), during which time students visit a variety of physical and cultural landscapes in Leinster, the historic province in the southeast of Ireland. Many of the structures on these landscapes are among the oldest evidence of European settlement in Ireland, dating from the times of earliest known inhabitants of Ireland during Neolithic Age. Other landscapes and relics, created by the Celts, the Roman-Brits who brought Christianity to the island, Gaelic kingdoms, the Vikings, and the Normans, are also visible and well-preserved in Leinster. Dublin, the capital city of Ireland, is located in this historic province, and features prominently in a unique aspect of the course as it serves as Ireland's ultimate ancient urban landscape. Activities and visits for the program are centered on student accommodation bases in a county town for the first half (Kilkenny, Portlaoise, or Wexford), and then a Dublin suburb for the remainder of the experience. The program is run by experienced Department of Geography faculty and has from time to time also included co-leaders from other A&S departments.

In addition to enrollment in approved courses for credit, a completed application with UC International is required, as is payment of a program fee for the study abroad component. Scholarships from UC International are usually available for full-time students in good standing who are participating in this international program.

Further information for this short-term study abroad program can be obtained from Professor Kevin Raleigh of the Department of Geography at 513.556.3422 or via e-mail at raleigkn@ucmail.uc.edu. Applications and program information are generally available 6-9 months in advance of the international travel dates. Please visit the UC International Study Abroad page for more information on the Ancient Landscapes of Leinster program.

For over 30 years, the Department of Geography and GIS has administered an annual faculty-led short-term international study abroad program trip to the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico that is open to all students across all colleges. This program is scheduled each December during the week immediately following finals week of Fall Semester. Courses for the program are completed during each fall semester and include GEOG 1073 / LAS 1073: Freshman Seminar: Legacies and Landscapes of the Yucatan; GEOG 2011 / LAS 2011: Geography of Latin America (when offered); GEOG 5150: International Field Trips; and GEOG 6050: Geography International Study Abroad (for graduate students). The study abroad component lasts 8 days (7 nights), during which time students visit (1) Mayan archaeological sites (including the most popular one in Mexico, Chichen Itza); (2) several colonial cities and towns, exploring churches and haciendas, traditional markets, and urban landscapes, comparing urban design and planning; (3) a contemporary maquiladora; (4) a biosphere reserve; (5) a cenote; (6) a cooperative henequen rope factory; and ending with (7) a free day in a modern resort area (Cancun). The program is run by experienced Department of Geography faculty, in conjunction with Mexico state archaeologists, and has from time to time also included co-leaders from other A&S departments.

In addition to enrollment in approved courses for credit, a completed application with UC International is required, as is payment of a program fee for the study abroad component. Scholarships from UC International are usually available for full-time students in good standing who are participating in the international program.

Further information for this short-term study abroad program can be obtained from Professor Robert South of the Department of Geography and GIS at 513.556.3427 or via e-mail at robert.south@uc.edu. Applications and program information are generally available 6-9 months in advance of the international travel dates. Please visit the UC International Study Abroad page for more information on the Legacies and Landscapes of the Yucatan program.