An Irish Odyssey

About the Course

Course Name: Hort 499, An Irish Odyssey, two to three credits in Spring 2023, 0.25 credits in Summer 2023.

Meeting Times: On campus once per week, day/time TBD

Travel Dates: Leaving after spring graduation, spending approximately nine days in Ireland.

This course and in-country travel to Ireland being offered spring semester of 2023 through the Landscape Contracting Program. An Irish Odyssey: History, Culture and Landscapes of Ireland, a Hort 499 course, is open to students in all majors. Travel dates will be directly after graduation in the spring and will involve approximately nine days in-country. The course will meet weekly during spring semester. Explore Irish history and culture and select areas of special interest for personalized study. The itinerary includes several days in and around Dublin and locations in the south and west of the republic. Lodging in hotels and on-ground travel in a bus with a designated guide and faculty. Some meals will be included, and some free time is built into the in-country travel to allow students to explore.

Eligibility

• Students must be at least 18 at the time of travel to participate.
• Students of all majors are welcome to apply for the course.
• Participating students must have the ability to travel internationally. US citizens will not require a visa but will require a passport.
• Student passports must be in-hand and information available by the first month of classes spring semester.
• Participating students will be required to sign agreements addressing payments prior to the trip and behavior during the trip. Students not meeting requirements for payment in a timely fashion will not be permitted to travel.

Why Should I Participate?

The landscape contracting program has progressively embraced the goal of offering courses which enrich educational and professional development through the study of, and travel to, international destinations. Countries selected for study and course content are based on supporting the goals of developing international awareness and inter-cultural understanding. These professionally oriented programs provide students with opportunities to visit and explore world recognized sites while exposing students to art, architecture, and history in addition to the focus of the course subject. The knowledge gained through these study abroad opportunities is a valuable asset that the students can incorporate into their remaining academic experience and after, into their professional careers.

By participating in this program, we anticipate that students may:

• Improve their exposure to different cultures through an international learning experience.
• Learn about the history, culture, and landscapes of the host country.
• Increase their awareness and respect for other cultures and be able to function more effectively when dealing with persons with different cultural backgrounds.
• Develop a personalized course of study that will engage their interest in the host country and provide additional information for the other students to learn about relative to different aspects of Irish culture.

Cost and Application

Estimated cost at this time is approximately $3500. Optimum size for the group is 20 persons.

This cost covers airfare, lodging, in-country transportation, most tours, and other planned activities. Some meals and non-planned activities by individual students are not covered. The overall trip cost may change depending on the number of persons going.

Information on travel in country, packing, funds for souvenirs, etc. will all be covered during the classroom portion of the course.

For more information about the course or for an application please contact:

• Martin McGann, 305 Tyson Building mrm19@psu.edu, 814-863-7595
• Michael Mohney, 302 Tyson Building, mrm126@psu.edu, 814-865-6596

Application Deadline TBD. Interested? Attend the upcoming INFO SESSION on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, at 5:30 pm in 309 Tyson Building.  We will discuss the application process, itinerary, etc. during this meeting.