CYA: Semester in Greece

Location: Plateia Stadiou 5, Athens, Greece

Session Dates: Fall Semester: August 2024 - December 2024. Spring Semester: January 2025 - May 2025 See website for specific dates

Deadline Type: Rolling

Website: http://www.cyathens.org

Program Type:
Field School

RPA Certified:
No

Affiliation:
CYA (College Year in Athens) is a non-profit educational institution that has been acting as a cultural and educational bridge between the U.S. and Greece for over half a century. We aim to help students become global citizens who understand and appreciate other cultures. Established in 1962, CYA was the first study abroad program in Greece for English-speaking undergraduates. We offer academically outstanding semester, academic year, summer and winter study abroad programs that embrace the vibrant experience of day-to-day contact with the people, institutions, monuments, and landscapes of Greece and the Mediterranean. All our programs are delivered in English at the Athens-based International Center for Hellenic and Mediterranean Studies (DIKEMES), located next to the Kallimarmaro (Marble) Stadium and the National Gardens in the heart of the city.

Project Director:
Theoni Scourta has ten years of experience at CYA, having served with great success as Academic Director since 2013 and, more recently, as Executive Vice President and Head of Academic Affairs. She was appointed President of CYA effective July 2023. Theoni Scourta was born in Patras, Greece. She is an art historian with a research interest in contemporary art. She received an MA from California State University, Los Angeles, in Art History and another MA in Comparative Literature from the University of Indianapolis. She has taught for more than 25 years in the US and Greece. She served as an assistant to the head of the Greek EPP-ED delegation to the European Parliament in Brussels for five years, after which she returned to Athens to head the academic department of AKTO Art & Design College before joining CYA.

Project Description:

At College Year in Athens (CYA) students will walk–literally and figuratively–in the footsteps of some of the deepest thinkers in human history. In addition to offering classical studies, CYA encourages students to become involved in extracurricular activities and explore on their own during weekends. Students are engaged academically but, beyond that, CYA helps them grow as global citizens and leaders. Many CYA students participate in volunteer and internship opportunities at organizations around Athens, including Volunteering at the Athens Agora excavation.  

The CYA curriculum includes exciting courses (Fall, Spring, Winter, Summer) in a wide range of academic disciplines, including Archaeology, Cultural Heritage, Art History, History, Philosophy,  Languages (Modern & Ancient Greek and Latin are offered at all levels) .

Location:  Athens, the capital of Greece, is a bustling city that has a dynamic atmosphere architecturally, artistically, historically, and culturally with Mediterranean ties to Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. The city itself juxtaposes ancient Greek ruins with a modern city.  

Academic disciplines in the curriculum include: Art & Art History, Archaeology, Classical Studies, Cultural Heritage, History, Languages (Modern Greek, Ancient Greek, and Latin; all levels guaranteed)

*For detailed course information, including online syllabi, please visit our website 

Academic Field Study: Students visit sites relevant to contemporary and historical Greece during 3 faculty-led trips each semester to locations such as the Peloponnese, Central Greece, Crete and Northern Greece (Thessaloniki). Students interested in Classical Studies can visit sites such as Corinth, the Theatre at Epidaurus, Franchthi Cave, Knossos, Delphi, Thessaloniki, Vergina and more! While in Athens, classes take place at Museums or one of the archaeological sites like the Parthenon, Kerameikos, Agora, just to name a few. 

Opportunities for Classics Students

“Academically and professionally I was able to gain hands-on experience that is impossible in the US, especially as a classics major, and visiting archaeological sites vastly enhanced my learning experience. CYA also opens doors to places you wouldn’t even imagine, which was my case in working with a zooarchaeologist.” –Genevieve Galarneau, College of the Holy Cross, Academic Year ‘19-20

CYA’s location in the heart of Athens means that there are a number of resources available for students with an interest in the ancient world, including:

• Use of the Blegen Library and laboratories at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) 
• Lectures hosted by the foreign archaeological schools in Athens (ASCSA, BSA, etc)
• Onsite classes at archaeological sites and museums 
• Opportunities to excavate in the Agora and the Voula Field School
• CYA Annual Student Conference
• Workshops : short CYA-run courses lasting several weeks which can be taken alongside a student’s academic classes for a certificate. Past offerings have been both academic (Legal Terminology in its Graeco-Roman Context; Ancient Economies; The Protection of Heritage in the 21st Century) and hands-on (Marble Carving, 3-D Modeling, Mycenaean Metallurgy).
• Multiple internships and volunteer opportunities, including with the Athens Agora excavation, the Blegen Library, the Museum of Cycladic Art, and the Athens City Museum. 

Language of Instruction: English

Duration: One semester or academic year, 1 or 2 Summer sessions, Winter session

Student Body: Approximately 170 students per semester. Since 1962, over 10,000 students from more than 550 English-Speaking colleges and universities have studied at CYA!

Faculty: Over 92 percent of CYA faculty hold doctorate degrees, and many are considered global leaders in their fields. See a complete list of our faculty, including bios and CVs. 

Class Size: Language classes average around 10 students; all other classes average 15 students.

Housing & Meals: Students live in CYA apartments within residential buildings in the Pangrati neighborhood of central Athens. Apartments have WiFi and A/C, are furnished, and come with a common area, double and/or single rooms, an outdoor balcony, and an equipped kitchen. The safe and highly desirable neighborhood in which students live has grocery stores, cafes, bakeries, restaurants, banks, dry cleaning shops, and a weekly farmer’s market, as well as many other amenities nearby. Apartments are a 2-10 minute walk from CYA’s Academic Center and are centrally located to sites, monuments, and museums as well as bus, trolley and metro stops. Homestays are also available to students who wish to dive deeper into Greek culture and family lifestyle. Students stay in hotels while on trips. Lunch is provided Monday through Friday (except on holidays, and during recess) On academic field study breakfast is included instead of lunch.

Fees: Fees are quoted on our website. Program fees include:

• Tuition (four or five courses per semester)
• Housing
• Lunch Monday through Friday (except during field trips, holidays, and during recess)
• Academic Field Study (including entrance fees to sites and museums)
• Supplemental hospitalization insurance
• Pre-departure guidance and materials (including webinars)
• Airport meet-and-assist services
• Orientation and acculturation activities
• Student support services
• Use of course materials during the semester (except Modern Greek Language books)
• Free internet access throughout the Academic Center and in student apartments
• Transcript sent to home institution and to student (unless you require a school of record transcript)

Semester : The CYA curriculum includes exciting courses (Fall, Spring) in a wide range of academic disciplines, mostly in the social sciences and humanities. 

Project Size: 50+ participants

Minimum Length of Stay for Volunteers: 16 weeks

Minimum Age: 18

Experience Required: N/A

Room and Board Arrangements:
Housing in a CYA apartment is included while in Athens as well as lunch in the CYA Cafeteria Monday - Friday. While on Academic Field Study, students stay in hotels and breakfast is typically included.

Academic Credit:
Please check with your home institution if they will accept credits through CYA or our School of Record, Southwestern University.