Dubrovnik Summer Program

» General Information

Location:

Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia (Population ca. 60,000)

Description:

Croatia, the rising star of the Mediterranean, is an oasis of untouched beauty, and the legacies of the Romans, Venetians, and Habsburgs intermingle on its dazzling Adriatic coastline. This program is designed to provide students with a multidisciplinary perspective on Dalmatian and southeast European history, culture, and society from the early medieval period to the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Faculty include leading specialists on the Balkans from the United States, Europe, and Croatia.

The program takes place in the cities of Dubrovnik and Split on Croatia’s Adriatic coast. Dubrovnik is a charming city of red-roofed 17th-century townhouses and Baroque palaces curling around a tiny harbor. Students focus on Renaissance culture and on the complex political and historical fate of the city and the region. Field trips to sites in surrounding areas include Zadar, the oldest Slavic city on the Adriatic and the region’s once-famed cultural center, and the Plitvice National Park, a UNESCO world-heritage site. This park offers breathtaking scenery of 16 terraced lakes surrounded by thickly wooded mountains and lush vegetation. Split, the regional capital of Dalmatia, has been a major urban center for more than 1,700 years. Built inside and around Diocletian’s Palace, which dates from the third century, this cosmopolitan city is a world heritage site that weaves together imperial memories, traditional Dalmatian culture, and modern urban life in its numerous cafes and open-air markets. A long excursion to the capital of Zagreb exposes students to the baroque and medieval grand architecture, wide boulevards, and graceful squares of a major European city.

For additional details, review the Croatia summer brochure page.



Terms:

June 21- July 30, 2010

Sponsor:

Northwestern University Buffett Center for International and Comparative Studies (BCICS)

Website:

Croatia Study Abroad: Summer Study in Dubrovnik and Split

Program Contact:

Rita Koryan, Assistant Director, Buffett Center for International & Comparative Studies 1902 Sheridan Rd., Evanston, 60201 Phone: 847-467-1152

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Language Requirements

There is no language requirement for this program.

Academic Specialties

Mediterranean culture, Southeast European history and society, literature.

Course Type

Courses take place at the University of Zagreb (Dubrovnik campus) and the University of Split, and are taught by Northwestern University and European experts on architecture, art, cultural history, literature, political science, sociology, history and religion. This experience is designed to provide students with a multi-faceted primer on Croatia, the Adriatic Sea, the former Yugoslavia and the surrounding area.

Courses offered:

Students should enroll in both courses for two Northwestern credits:

COMP LIT 375-z Literature and the Arts: Dalmatia and the Mediterranean

This course focuses on the study of cultural borrowings and influences, centering on Dubrovnik's role as an intermediary between the Balkan hinterland and the Adriatic basin. Topics include: common roots in antiquity and early medieval Christianity; the Byzantine commonwealth and rise of the Latin West; the Renaissance and the Baroque in the shadow of Ottoman conquests; the Enlightenment and rise of national cultures; the culture of Napoleonic revolution and Byronic romanticism; and modernity and its discontents.

HISTORY 391-z The Rise and Fall of Yugoslavia

This course is a survey of Southeast European history and society from the early medieval period to the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Topics include: implications of Ottoman and Habsburg rule; nationalism and wars of independence; crises leading to the Sarajevo assassination; the interwar national question; occupation systems and Communist revolution; and contemporary politics with an emphasis on security, human rights, and the events leading up to the dissolution of former Yugoslavia.

Optional Independent Study Course

An Independent Study should be focused on a clearly defined subject matter of genuine intellectual and academic substance. The student is responsible for asking an appropriate faculty member to sponsor the independent study. If a faculty member agrees to sponsor an independent study, s/he is expected to meet with the student, provide guidance for the student's independent work, evaluate the student's work, and assign a grade.

Classes are taught in English, and there is no language prerequisite.

Additional Information

Policies:
Planned Excursions:

Some of the study tours are as follows:

A tour of Dubrovnik’s fortified Old City to learn the fascinating history of this important medieval center. The City Walls provide a magnificent view of the city’s monuments, walls and harbours.

Walking tour of the historic core of the mediaeval city of Dubrovnik which is included in UNESCO`s List of World Cultural Heritage sites. Visit the Rector’s Palace, the Cathedral, the Dominican monastery, the Franciscan monastery which houses Europe`s third oldest pharmacy.

Walking city tour of Zagreb, including the fortified Upper Town, city’s historical center, St.Mark’s Church with its multicolored roof, the Cathedral, the Croatian National Theatre, and the University.

Weekend in Zadar in Northern Dalmatia. Most famous for its Old Town, set in a peninsula that is completely pedestrianised, the town has numerous Roman and other wonderful sights.  Excursion to Kornati National Park whic is a colorful mosaic of islands, islets and reefs, all presided over by staggering cliffs.

Excursion to the Plitvice Lakes National Park (listed on the UNESCO’s List of World Natural Heritage). Sixteen lakes, each at a different level, are connected in a series of cascading waterfalls. Surrounded by dense wood, Plitvice Lakes are a natural phenomenon of a rare and unique beauty.

City tour of Split with Diocletian`s Palace which includes Jupiter`s Temple and the Cathedral. Built by Emperor Diocletian at the turn of the 4th century as an imperial fortified residence, it is today an intriguing maze of narrow cobblestone streets, where pre-Romanesque churches are nestled alongside Gothic chapels.

Housing

Students will be housed in a private dormitory in Dubrovnik and at the University of Split campus. Housing in Dubrovnik is a two-minute walk of Dubrovnik's famous Renaissance old town. Housing at the University of Split is a 15-minute walk from the 1700 year-old Diocletian Palace and city center. Both facilities are a five-minute walk to the sea and beach. Students will stay in double hotel rooms while on excursions. Daily breakfasts are included in the program fee. Students should budget extra for lunches and dinners.

Program Costs

Summer 2010 fee: $7,500.

  • This fee covers tuition for two courses, housing in double rooms, some meals, access to all university facilities, airport pickup, on-site transportation, excursions and orientations.
All costs are subject to change based on the fluctuating exchange rate. Students should check with Rita Koryan in the BCICS Office regarding the most recent cost estimates for this program.

Transportation to Course Site: Students must make their own travel arrangements to arrive in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Following the program's completion, students may choose to travel on their own and return to the U.S. from a different city. Students are responsible for arranging these details with their specific travel agents/vendors.

Financial Aid: Northwestern students receiving financial aid during the academic year may be eligible for summer aid for this program. If funding is available, it may count as one of their 12 quarters of aid. For more information, please contact the Assistant Director of Financial Services, Sue Kwan, at 847-491-7400. Non-Northwestern students should contact the Financial Aid office at their home institution.

Approximate Program Size

15-20 students attend this program each summer.

Application Requirements

Students applying to the Croatia summer program DO NOT need to take the 101 session on Blackboard, as is required of other study abroad students.

Students applying to the Croatia summer program must complete:

  1. Northwestern BCICS Summer Study Abroad Application, along with the required non-refundable deposit of $1,000 by March 3, 2010, to Rita Koryan in the BCICS Office (1902 Sheridan Road).
  2. An interview with Rita Koryan prior to the application deadline as part of the application process.

Contact Returnees

Northwestern students may enter this section of the site for a list of students who participated in this program.