Penn State Harrisburg study tours take education around the world

Penn State Harrisburg’s International Study Tours provide students an exciting opportunity to travel the world and learn about different countries through first-hand experience.

In spring 2019, the college is offering study tours to London, Rome and Spain.

These tours go beyond the classroom, books, video and even the internet, to immerse students into the culture of these countries.

Travel awards are available for many of these tours from the Office of International Programs at Penn State Harrisburg. Honors students are also eligible for awards funds through the Penn State Harrisburg Honors program. For details, visit the Global Penn State website and select the “Scholarships and Grants” link. The following criteria is used to determine award recipients:

  • GPA
  • Essay describing reason why you want to travel (included in application on the webpage)
  • Free of judicial review or judicial sanction

Study tours for spring 2019 include:

London – Finance (March 1 through 9)

Prerequisite: FIN 301 (for undergraduate students)

Course: FIN 456 or FIN 599 London

Cost: $2,973 (includes airfare, transfers, taxes and fuel surcharge)

Overview: The objective of this course is to provide finance students with exposure to the international capital markets, particularly in the U.K. Modern financial markets are complex and global, and due to their rapid integration, it is essential for finance students to have exposure to them. While in London, students will become familiar with the U.K. banking system and financial and derivatives markets.

London – History (March 1 through 10)

Course: HIST 144 or HIST 144H

Cost: $2,995 (includes airfare, transfers, taxes and fuel surcharge)

Overview: Students in this course will learn about World War II through the lens of the British experience. Travel to London to see first-hand the city where many of the pivotal events of WWII transpired. The class will tour sections of the city that were targeted by the Blitz and visit bomb shelters where Londoners huddled for shelter in the midst of these German attacks. Other excursions will explore sites associated with Churchill, including the war room from which he exercised daily leadership over the British military effort. The class will also visit other sites linked to the British military, such as the HMS Cavalier, the British Navy’s fastest ship in WWII. The class will tour some of Britain’s great museums, including the Imperial War Museum, the Museum of London, the National Army Museum, and the American Air Museum, located in the nearby town of Duxford. Some of the museums -- such as Bletchley Park Home, which celebrates the history of Britain’s war-time code breakers -- are situated in towns outside of London, but near enough for a day trip itinerary.

Rome, Italy (March 1 through 9)

Course: INART 001

Cost: $2,715 (includes airfare, transfers, taxes and fuel surcharge)

Overview: This course critically engages with the concept of “spaces” with a focus on the city of Rome. By studying and experiencing Rome’s history, public and private spaces, architecture, arts, and contemporary functions, students will be asked to examine why and how the existence of spaces and our interaction with those spaces influences our personal experience and understanding of Rome’s astounding heritage. Combining in-class lectures, on-site visits, and student research, this course aims to provide students with a basic understanding of the Eternal City and its effect on the larger Western world.

Barcelona, Spain (March 2 through 9)

Course: INART 100 or INART 499

Cost: $2,095 (includes airfare, transfers, taxes and fuel surcharge)

Overview: This course is designed to help students get the most out of their experience in Spain, targeting principally Cataluña. Professor Lodeiro, a native of Spain, will be discussing the history of Spain during and after Franco’s dictatorship to explain how history has shaped Barcelona and Catalan culture today. This course will study architecture, such as the Cathedral of Barcelona, la Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, and modern art by Antoni Gaudi. Students will also explore music at the Palau de la Musica Catalana, sports by attending a soccer match in Camp Nou, and food by trying the rare regional cured ham. This tour will also visit Mercado de la Boqueria, displaying distinctive sounds, smells and color sensations.