Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Sections
You are here: Home › Study Abroad & Fieldwork

Study Abroad & Fieldwork

Students in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies are strongly encouraged to make one or more study-abroad experience part of their academic plan.  The Department of CAMS offers several outstanding study-abroad programs that are described here.  After consultation with an academic advisor, students may apply to these programs through Penn State Education Abroad in the Office of Global Programs (links are provided to the relevant Education Abroad application pages).

Students pursuing the ancient Mediterranean archaeology option of the CAMS major are required to earn credits in an approved fieldwork program, which can be satisfied through the summer field school options offered by members of the department, as described here.  Other fieldwork options are available through other programs; consult with Dr. Mary Lou Munn and/or with a faculty member in your field of interest to explore these possibilities.  Also see the Non-PSU Fieldwork Programs page.

CAMS FUNDING FOR STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAMS

In addition to the CAMS Awards offered in support of study-abroad experiences, the Department of Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies makes available, effective summer 2014, travel reimbursement funds for all CAMS majors and minors participating in CAMS-sponsored study-abroad programs.  After admission to a CAMS study-abroad program (in summer 2014 this includes the Tel Akko field school and the Rome study tour; in 2015 this will include the spring semester in Athens and such CAMS summer programs as are offered), all currently enrolled CAMS majors are eligible for $500,  and all currently enrolled CAMS minors for $250, to be applied to receipted program-related travel expenses.  This may be applied to the cost of airfare, upon presentation of a purchased airline itinerary.  Students may re-apply for such funds for a CAMS program in a subsequent year.  Funding may also be available for participation in approved non-CAMS programs related to the ancient Mediterranean world; requests for such funding will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  To receive such travel reimbursements, submit your request to Prof. Mark Munn, Head of CAMS (markmunn@psu.edu), identifying the program that you are participating in.  After verification of your status as a CAMS major or minor, you will be advised how to secure reimbursement.


ACADEMIC NOTE

Students interested in studying abroad and applying credits towards Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies major or minor requirements should consult with the Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies adviser about the process for receiving approval for courses not listed on the course equivalency list. For courses not already evaluated, the Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies undergraduate director will determine how credits taken abroad may count towards the major or minor. Ideally students should start this planning before going abroad.

Student Testimonial

“I did not start at Penn State in the CAMS department but by the time my fourth semester came around I found myself declaring a major in CAMS because I loved the subject matter. The courses instructed by the CAMS faculty gave me many opportunities to challenge my thinking. (...)
The department offers a wide variety of courses with some taught every semester, while more advanced courses change constantly. All of these courses introduced me to the wide variety of topics covered in the field. The CAMS department has many courses focusing on the Ancient the Near East and not exclusively Greece and Rome. In fact, classes in both areas are requirements of the degree. This breadth of study gave me a strong base of knowledge on which to build. The CAMS major offers an archaeology option that fostered my interests and supported my secondary major in Archaeology. I was surprised to find so many opportunities to study abroad within the department. I went on my first excavation in Israel in 2008 with support from Penn State and I did not want to return. Archaeology in the Near East became one of my favorite subjects. Since 2008, I have gone on two more excavations sponsored by Penn State. Without these experiences abroad, I would have never discovered and developed my passion for the study of the Ancient Near East. Now that I have graduated with a B.A. in Classics and Ancient Mediterranean Studies and a B.S. in Archaeological Science, I shall continue my education by graduate work in Archaeological Studies at Yale University. The experiences and interactions that I have had in my years at Penn State in the CAMS department serve as the foundation for my future studies.”

Jane Skinner
2011 CAMS graduate

Personal tools
Log in