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Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
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Program Highlights Greece -- home of the Olympian gods, sun-filled, passionate -- has been a destination popular with visitors for centuries. "Undiscovered" Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece, true crossroads of East and West, and gateway to the Balkans. Founded in 315 B.C., Thessaloniki is now a modern seaport city of 1.5 million inhabitants renowned for its wide avenues, neighborhood squares and tree-lined streets, Byzantine monuments, museums, theaters, hotels, restaurants, clubs, neoclassical buildings, and elegant shops. What's more? The city was listed by National Geographic as a Top 20 Destination for 2013!
"This was the most amazing experience of my life and I would not trade it for anything. Thessaloniki is a beautiful city and Greece is an amazing country. I cannot wait for the day when I can go back. My friends and I are already trying to plan for next summer! I made amazing friends, traveled more than I ever have before, gained world knowledge and so much more. I really could not have asked for much more from this experience. I recommend this program to people who are willing to be completely out of their element for 5 months no turning back, because it is not easy, but definitely worth it." --Laura Zimmermann, Spring 2010 participant. Academic Programs Students may choose from a high-quality business, information technology and liberal arts curriculum in order to fulfil elective or major requirements. They also may choose to pursue a Greek cultural / historical curriculum, including such courses as: Byzantine History, Topics in Twentieth Century Greek History, The Modern Greek Nation-State, Civil Society in Southeast Europe, History of Ancient Greek Philosophy, Ethnographic Accounts of Greek Culture, and courses in Modern Greek Language. Academic Profile
Courses Tenative course listing: Spring 2013 Courses of popular interst to study abroad students are highlighted in red. Please note that this is only a tenative list and courses might be dropped if there is not sufficient interest during pre-registration. Please consider a back-up course for such a case when pre-registering courses for the spring semester. This tenative list will be updated in January. Check back at that time to ensure courses you have pre-registered for are still active. Final registration will take place during the on-site Study Abroad Orientation (in Thessaloniki) and adjustments can be made through the first week of classes. Student Life Thessaloniki exists in harmony with the old town’s traditional architecture, narrow streets, and lovely small gardens. This city remains a living memorial to life in Greece dating back over 2,300 years and is endowed with monuments from each era. For those interested in sightseeing outside of the city, historical sites such as Vergina, the Macedonian palace of Alexander the Great, the birthplace of Aristotle, Mount Olympus, Pella, Amphipolis, Kavala and Phillipi, to name only a few, offer opportunities for easy one-day excursions.Thessaloniki enjoys sunshine year-round, and its seaside location lends itself to easy exploration of beaches and islands. A variety of popular beaches adorn the coastline near the city; and the Chalkidiki peninsula, one of Greece's most beautiful and popular seaside resort regions, is only an hour away. Here students can discover charming inland villages, seaside-fishing hamlets, camping, protected coves, idyllic sandy beaches and pine-clad slopes. In their spare hours they can sail the coast or, during longer weekends, visit the lesser-known Sporades islands which are only a short ferry-boat ride away. Check out this video created by a former study abroad student in Thessaloniki!
Housing The American College of Thessaloniki offers Study Abroad students off campus accommodation in downtown Thessaloniki. Rooms and studios in apartment complexes are all fully furnished (including kitchen appliances in individual studios or in common areas) and are assigned on a first-come-first-served basis. Both single and double-occupancy options exist. Off-campus housing locations are well served by the city’s reliable bus system with buses running at 10-15 minute intervals. During the Fall and Spring semesters the college provides free bus service in a morning run (picks up students from their residence) and an evening run (drops them off at their residence). Foreign Entry Requirements Passport Visa +90 days, you need a student visa and must apply from the US at least 2 months before you leave, and preferably more. Students can travel within the Schengen countries, but if they exit the Schengen region and then come back in, their student visa is no longer valid. However, they can start fresh at that point with the free 90-day tourist pass (if less than 90 days remain in program). Student visas are only 3 months, tourist passes are only 3 months, so if a student wants to stay longer than 6 months, she/he has to apply for a Residence Permit while on a student visa. Students cannot apply for the Residence Permit without the Student Visa. This is a bureaucratic process, but the university will help you, so there's not need to worry. Travel Document Systems (TDS) can also provide you with helpful information on every country, including entry requirements, cultural information, travel conditions, economy, and more. You are strongly encouraged to read the U.S. State Department's Consular Information Sheet. It will provide you with a great deal of information to help you prepare for your trip. **Please be aware that you are responsible for obtaining the most up-to-date information on entry requirements. The Office of Study Abroad only provides general information, as visa regulations and procedures are constantly changing. Please consult the Consulate for more information. ** Please note that EIU does not own, operate, or sponsor this program. |
