Program Overview
Greek Studies on Site is a center for the study of Classical literature, philosophy, and culture. It offers 3-week intensive summer programs, which are open to students of Classics, Philosophy, History, and related disciplines, as well as adult learners with an interest in Ancient Greek culture.
Programs meet for 3 hours of instruction, 6 days a week. Courses are taught by Ph.D.s in Classics and Philosophy. Field study includes visits to all the major archaeological sites and museums in Athens, as well as day-trips to Sounion, Mycenae, Delphi, or the island of Aegina. The program also includes optional activities, such as traditional dance classes and local hikes.
Greek Studies on Site has partnered with the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, to offer a semester-long study-abroad program.
The semester program is open to all UIUC students, who receive academic credit through their home institution for the classes they take in Athens. If you are a University of Illinois student interested in attending the Illinois in Athens program, please contact Kyle Schmude at kschmud2@illinois.edu.
Summer Programs
Ancient Greek Mythology
June 12-July 2, 2023
Read some of the most important mythological narratives while immersed in their material and social context.
This class surveys the central stories, gods, and heroes of Greek myth. We will study a variety of ancient literary and mythographical sources and interpret them in their cultural context. Many of the readings relate directly to the sites that we will visit.
View the complete syllabus.
Ancient Greek Philosophy
in Context
June 12-July 2, 2023
Walk in the footsteps of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics!
This course introduces students to the foundational texts of Western philosophy and to the socio-political contexts in which they were written. Through visits to archeological sites and museums, students will have the rare opportunity to take a contextual approach to the study of philosophy.
View the complete syllabus.
Semester Program: Illinois in Athens
Greek Studies on Site offers a new, semester-long program of studies, which is currently only open to students of the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
During our first semester (Fall 2022) we are offering the following courses:
1. History and Archaeology of Athens
2. The Good Life: A Seminar on Ancient Greek Philosophy
3. Mapping the City: Documentary Film-making for Beginners
4. Modern Greek
All of our current students have also taken up internship positions, offered by Katheti, Study in Greece, and the Book History Lab of the University of Athens.
Custom Seminars
Are you a teacher interested in bringing your students to Greece? Are you a group of students interested in the Classical world? Greek Studies on Site offers custom seminars for groups of travelers, which may be organized year-round.
In the past, we have designed courses on Homer, Greek Drama, Athenian Democracy, Symposia, and Animals in Antiquity.
Contact us to design a seminar that meets your needs.