Applications open in November and close in February for courses in the following CentreTerm.
For a complete list of application and payment dates, please go to the Important Dates page.
Unless otherwise stated, CentreTerm course costs include all program fees, meals (min. 2/day), flights, and local transportation expenses.
The epicenter of the Italian Renaissance was Florence, which has a rich history in art and science. This course is meant to widen and extend that knowledge and interest into the scientific breakthroughs that also occurred in Florence during this period, focusing on the scientific discoveries of Galileo and Leonardo da Vinci, the best example of a true “Renaissance man”. However, there were women who contributed such as Artemisia Lomi Gentileschi and other non-traditional contributors to the revolutions in science and art. Students will also learn about the history of science that includes cultures outside of Europe that predated the cultures such as the Greek and Roman societies. This course will be based on the book “A Cultural History of Physics” by Károly Simonyi, as translated by David Kramer.
Faculty: Dr. Bruce Rodenborn
Cost: $4,227 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
In this course, we look at different facets of women's activism from the early-nineteenth century up to the present as expressed in literature, film, art, and media. We will study women who made history by examining the contributions they made to the world around them from their own perspectives. We will do so by examining the way in which their work intersected with questions of cultural and national identification, gender, class, and politics. We will use cross-cultural perspectives and approaches to examine how women from Germany, the African diaspora, East Asia, and Southeast Asia engaged with moral problems such as racial prejudice, the suffering of the innocent, the development of moral consciousness and social responsibility, and the role of solidarity. Students will connect their learning with their own intellectual interests. The course will primarily be in Berlin, but also visits the former concentration camp Ravensbrück and Hamburg. Our classroom will be in Berlin neighborhoods, museums, cemeteries, and memorial sites.
Faculty: Dr. Katrin Bahr & Dr. Mei Li Inouye
Cost: $3,800 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
This course will offer an interdisciplinary look at hiking, photography, and mindful meditations.These three different practices (athletic, creative, contemplative) are often represented as “liberating” and this course will look at what these practices have in common to explain how and in what sense these practices are liberating. In this course, students will adopt an interdisciplinary framework, articulating philosophy and psychology with actual practice while making sense of their experiences through selected scholarly readings. By the end of this course, students will not only be skillful in these three practices, but will also be knowledgeable in the main findings of the psychology of meditation, and in the philosophy of the body of Spinozam Merleau-Ponty, and Deleuze.
Faculty: Dr. Marc Demont
Cost: $4,465 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
In this course, students will explore the interconnection between spiritual and physical worlds focusing on concepts such as enlightenment, human and environmental deification, syncretism, respect, awareness, and sustainability through an approximately three week, walking pilgrimage experience in Japan. Students will learn basic tenets of Japanese Buddhism, particularly Shingon Buddhism, as well as Shintó, a spiritual belief system unique to Japan. At the same time, students will explore environmental issues directly related to the pilgrimage sites on the island of Shikoku and the prefectures of Tokushima and Wakayama, where students will be trekking. Visits to temples, shrines, and other related historic, natural, architectural, and cultural heritage sites will provide physical context. Scheduled meetings with scholars and key players in the tourism industry as well as coincidental interactions with local religious leaders and fellow pilgrims will help students understand the complex issues that arise when religion, tradition, and tourism meet.
Faculty: Dr. Robert Schalkoff
Cost: $4,200 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
This course poses a single question: What is nature? The theoretical component of this course examines nature through the lenses of morality, wellness, inclusion and philosophy. The practical component immerses students in wilderness exploration as well as in those spaces in the Sierra and the California coast where human activity interfaces with wild places.
Nestled in the breathtaking landscapes of Lake Tahoe, this course offers a unique blend of academic exploration and hands-on experience where students delve into the profound question: What is nature?
In the theoretical realm, students dissect nature through the prisms of morality, wellness, inclusion, film and philosophy. Immerse yourself in the wonders of Lake Tahoe and its surroundings through exhilarating activities like skiing, snowshoe trekking, and winter camping. Journey to the Central Coast of California and visit Yosemite National Park where you can experience firsthand the intersection of human activity and the wild, fostering a deeper understanding of environmental sustainability and social interconnectedness. Join us on this transformative journey where academic inquiry meets real-world exploration amidst the stunning backdrop of Lake Tahoe.
Faculty: Dr. David Williams
Cost: $3,750 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
Music is omnipresent and is a central component of every culture on Earth. However, truly understanding the music one hears and being able to describe, converse, contextualize, and think about it takes study and practice. During this course, we will learn how to identify various foundational elements of music, and then use the abundant varieties of live music in London and Glasgow as our laboratory to explore this new knowledge. Using important facets of British culture – such as their state religion (The Church of England) and their rich history with theatre and folk music – as a framework, our listening experiences will take place in cathedrals, concert halls, theatres, pubs, and other venues that allow for a broad and diverse representation of musical styles. The first two weeks are held in London, with a day trip to Cambridge. The course culminates in Glasgow, where we will take part in Celtic Connections, a highly-renowned folk festival held annually in late January/early February. No prior musical experience is necessary.
Faculty: Dr. Zach Klobnak
Cost: $4,790 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
Students will explore Merida and the Yucatan while participating in a local internship for the duration of this CentreTerm experience. While students are responsible for securing their own internships prior to the start of the CentreTerm course, resources and general guidance are provided by the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) to assist in this process. Centre's partner organization Tsikbal also helps students navigate internship placements.
Faculty: Dr. Genny Ballard
Cost: $1,800 (covers orientation, local homestay, three meals a day, transportation stipend to internship sites). (includes $400 administrative deposit) The cost of your flight to/from Mérida is not included.
This course is an introduction to geology using the volcanoes of New Zealand as a focus. Students will spend 21 days on the North Island of New Zealand learning about three very different types of volcanoes. In the Auckland area we will study a basaltic volcanic field, in Rotorua we will learn about rhyolitic caldera volcanoes and in Tongariro National Park we will study andesitic stratovolcanoes. This is the ultimate outdoor course: only one activity will take place indoors; all lectures and other activities will be on or in sight of volcanoes.
Faculty: Dr. Joe Workman and Dr. Jeff Fieberg
Cost: $4,475 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
The people of Puerto Rico embrace all parts of their history, including its role in the slave economy and its experience in imperial wars that left it politically marginalized and economically exploited. But they also celebrate the beauty of an island that has sustained generations of people, with rich foodways, breathtaking landscapes and coastlines, and powerful leaders who inspired resistance to imperial oppressions. These stories transcend national boundaries as Puerto Ricans moved to the United States in large numbers in the twentieth century.By starting the course in New York, students will explore a multi-national vision of Puerto Rico as the beating heart of a trans-American story of resilience and fortitude. Key sites will include Puerto Rican neighborhoods in New York City and the course will unfold in museums, art galleries, and other sites of importance to Puerto Ricans who made the United States their home. We will be in New York for the Three Kings Day parade which is one of the most important holidays for Puerto Ricans in New York City. The course will then move to Puerto Rico, where students will explore its complicated past with stays in Ponce and San Juan, and visit sites like El Yunque National Forest.
Faculty: Dr. Sara Egge and Dr. Tara Strauch
Cost: $3,750 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
This course will provide an overview of Korean philosophies and religious/spiritual traditions and consider how they have been incorporated into Korea’s ceramic practice. Students will learn about Korea’s ceramic practices from the 10th century and its historical trajectories, continuities, and discontinuities up to the present day. In this regard, students will learn how Buddhism, Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, and Taoism have influenced Korean ceramic practices as well as its material history through economic trade, cultural exchange, and imperialism. The course will provide a general introduction into Korea’s history, culture, religious traditions, and present-day, and will end with visits to several ceramic masters. Throughout the course, students will be engaged with experiential learning opportunities in Korean ceramics and Korea’s cultural history.
Faculty: Dr. Bosco Bae
Cost: $4,560 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
This course is intended to immerse students into the tradition, theology, culture, and environment of pilgrimage. Specifically, this course will allow students to explore the significance of pilgrimage by performing the actions of a pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. For over 1000 years, people of faith have traveled to the burial site of St. James in Santiago. The routes to reach Santiago flourished in the medieval era, paths that were walked by princes, kings, and ordinary peasants. As a result each town along the way to Santiago bears vivid material evidence through ecclesial art and architecture that speaks to the popularity of this practice. Students will walk in their footsteps upon these well-trod routes, specifically focusing on the route in northern Spain. By delving into this practice, students are expected to gain a deeper knowledge of the role of ritual practice in religion as well as an understanding of the continued significance of physical ritual in the contemporary world.
Faculty: Dr. David Hall
Cost $4,500 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
Yoga, and mindfulness more generally, helps to build a sense of belonging, of being in the moment, and of appreciating the way we perceive and affect our surroundings. This way is opposed to being constantly distracted, anxious, or hustling. This course is centered on knowledge and experience from the student perspective of being abroad, as we will initially be in a foreign environment. We will work toward achieving know-how alongside intercultural and social skills relating to engaging with the land, the lagoon, and the community. These activities are the focus and goal; it’s our “yoga”. Through careful structures and actions with local community partners, we re-center ourselves regularly to help them welcome us, which allows us to feel welcome in return. The type of yoga and meditation we will do is basic and inclusive. Being able to swim is recommended, although not necessary.
Faculty: Dr. Christian Wood
Cost: $4,310 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
In this course students will engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their relationship to sustainability across Thailand. For example, to study “no hunger” and “life below water”, students will examine sustainable forms of aquaculture and mangrove restoration. To study “life on land” and “decent work and economic growth”, students will study the ecotourism industry (elephant conservation and forest restoration near Chiang Mai). Finally, to examine “clean water and sanitation” and “reduced inequalities”, students will examine the water infrastructure around Bangkok and beyond. In each of these examples, students will take part in experiential learning components through site visits and guest speakers, as well as read about and discuss the challenges associated with each of these goals.
Faculty: Dr. Brett Werner
Cost: $4,300 (includes $400 administrative deposit)
The course will begin by observing representations, narratives, and discursive practices of apartheid in Cape Town - highlighted by a trip to District Six and Robben Island. The course will then move to Pretoria and Johannesburg. Here, the course highlights South Africa's constitution, the complexities of the TRC, ongoing structural and epistemic injustices, and the multivalenced modes of healing in the Bungoma tradition.
The first half of our course will address the complexity of tropical forest ecosystems (climate conditions, species interactions, forest habitat structure, and nutrient cycling) to understand why they are so biodiverse. In the second portion of the course students will study the ecology of coral reef and mangrove habitats. We will explore links between terrestrial and marine ecosystems by canoeing a portion of a freshwater river. Along with covering important ecological processes and learning about local biodiversity, students will connect these concepts to Belize’s rich Mayan past and modern conservation challenges.
This course asks students to solve a number of mysteries associated with the metropolis: who really founded London? How does a tiny island come to be the center of the largest empire in world history? Why doesn’t Park Royal have a park or a royal? What do they have against pronouncing the letter “r”? Our course tracks the rise of the detective as a cultural hero, which coincides with London’s rise as the seat of empire, and puts students in the role of the detective, uncovering the mysteries of a great world city.
Students will engage in hands-on production, cooking experiences and cultural excursions, learning to analyze food and beverages from molecular, sensory, and historical perspectives. Through visits to artisanal producers, vineyards, and historical locations, students will gain practical experience in fermentation, preservation, and ingredient sourcing, understanding the environmental and cultural factors that define Italy’s celebrated cuisine.
As part of the course, students will investigate what it means for a country to measure progress through Gross National Happiness (GNH) rather than Gross National Product (GNP), examine the relationship between GNH and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and will apply multidisciplinary lenses to exploring what happiness and progress mean for individuals and institutions in Bhutan. In doing so, students will also explore current issues facing Bhutanese society, such as tensions between tradition and progress, generational shifts, forest conservation and climate change, among others.Students will gain insight into these themes from readings on Buddhism and the history of Bhutan as well as local experts, Buddhist monks, and undergraduates at Royal Thimphu College.
We will experience the important markers on the journey traversed by enslaved people during the Transalantic Slave Trade. These sites have become part of a “roots tourism” which is an intentional economic revitalization strategy by the Ghanaian government to specifically attract tourists who imagine Ghana as “home,” a place from which their ancestors were taken. A leading question is the idea of “home.” What does “home” mean? Can “home” be a place you’ve never been? What do we learn about ourselves and others through changing perceptions of home? The course is based in the capital city of Accra, with excursions to the inland Ashanti region, and the Cape Coast.
We will explore historical and architectural sites and visit with living communities to gain a sense of the legacy, both good and bad, that these interactions have left in the region. Students will come away with an understanding of the religions’ historical and cultural effects and their continuing engagements on both sides of the Strait of Gibraltar.
While students are responsible for securing their own internships prior to the start of the CentreTerm course, resources and general guidance are provided by the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) to assist in this process. Centre's partner organization Tsikbal also helps students navigate internship placements.
Students will learn basic tenets of Japanese Buddhism, particularly Shingon Buddhism, as well as Shintō, a spiritual belief system unique to Japan. At the same time, students will explore environmental issues directly related to the pilgrimage sites on the islands of Shikoku and Honshū and the prefectures of Tokushima and Wakayama, where students will be trekking. Visits to temples, shrines, and other related historic, natural, architectural, and cultural heritage sites will provide physical context. Scheduled meetings with scholars and key players in the tourism industry as well as coincidental interactions with local religious leaders and fellow pilgrims will help students understand the complex issues that arise when religion, tradition, and tourism meet.
The courses aims at 1) familiarize students with the notion of Internal Colonization, 2) making connections with different discourses (Politics of languages, green energy exploitation, and International military relations) and practices and see how they impact the life of the island, 3) developing student's intercultural skills by being in direct contact with local activists, 4) reflecting on the notion of national identity and its boundaries.
Students will further deepen their understanding of Colombia’s history with a visit to Cartagena de Indias, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, they will explore the cobblestone streets, colonial architecture, and the impressive stone walls that enclose this historic city. Additionally, the course offers a chance to experience the natural beauty of Tayrona National Park on the Caribbean coast, with its beaches, coconut palms, and the towering Sierra Nevada mountains providing a stunning backdrop.This course is generously supported by the J. David Grissom Intensive Language Study Abroad Award, making it accessible to students seeking to improve their Spanish and gain firsthand knowledge of Colombian culture.
In partnership with Yellowstone Forever, Winter in Yellowstone takes you into the heart of this stunningly beautiful country in ways seldom seen by summer tourists and car-bound vacationers. From the historic Lamar Buffalo Ranch and Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus, you will journey through a complex story where history and conservation collide. In sub-zero temperatures, you will experience unrivaled night skies, learn how to dog sled, and track and research wolf and bison populations. Nordic skiing and snow coaching will take you into remote areas to study the park’s history and geology. At the same time, you learn how to navigate wilderness survival, including an evening in quinzhees (snow shelters). While open to any student, History, Biology, and Environmental Studies majors will find this course especially relevant, as will anyone passionate about wilderness and a possible career with the National Parks.
Rising senior Kylin Jia paired two of his passions while studying abroad in Taiwan. A double major in Chinese studies and business, Jia is one of four Centre College students attending National Taiwan...
Centre College is expanding opportunities for students in Asia. The College faculty recently approved National Taiwan University (NTU), ranked the top university in Taiwan, as a new study abroad...
Building on Centre College’s prestigious Fulbright Top Producer recognition, the College is proud to announce that three students have been named Fulbright Scholars for 2024. Sam Adams ‘24 (Germany)...