May Term Abroad

Language Programs

Spain and Latin America

Every other May, the Spanish discipline sponsors a trip to Spain or to a Latin American country, such as Perú, Argentina, or México. Students receive formal instruction from a Mary Baldwin faculty member and have informal interactions with native speakers, often through homestays. Timid speakers will gain confidence, while more advanced speakers will perfect and improve their abilities. These trips offer lots of opportunities to learn about and experience the local culture, history, art, music, folklore, food, natural history, and people. For more information, contact Dr. Ivy Arbulú at iarbulu@mbc.edu.

Mary Baldwin College offers the annual Dorothy Mulberry Award, a study abroad scholarship to students majoring in Spanish. To apply, send a letter describing your study abroad plans and your course transcripts to Dr. Ivy Arbulu, iarbulu@mbc.edu by November 15.

France

The French discipline sponsors a May Term course in France every year concentrating on French theatre. Students also visit world-famous museums, galleries, and other important sites such as Orsay and Versailles. Homestays are available.

Cultural Programs

Italy

Every May, the art history faculty leads the Renaissance Studies in Italy program. Participants should have a strong background in art history. Students travel with an expert in medieval and Renaissance art, architecture, and iconography and study in depth the major monuments of Renaissance art in Rome, Florence, Venice, and a selection of other northern Italian sites. The small size of the group makes it possible for students to study the art on-site at cathedrals, palaces, and museums. Participants also learn about Italian life, staying in small pensionnes or religious houses, eating in local trattoria, and traveling by public transit. Students assist in planning the trip and present topics during the trip they have researched in advance. For more information, contact Dr. Sara Nair James (sjames@mbc.edu), professor of art and art history.

Dr. James' Italy Page

Central and Southern Europe

Every year, MBC faculty lead a group of students to tour central and southern Europe. The itinerary varies from year to year, but past trips have included: Austria, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, and Italy. Students spend most of their time in the field but also receive classroom instruction at the American University in Bulgaria. Often students have the option of extending the three-week May Term course for an additional three to six weeks.

Japan

Asian Studies and Education department faculty offer a May Term course in Japan every other year. The trip offers students a broad view of contemporary Japanese culture and education, while simultaneously introducing them to themes of Japanese history and culture. Students spend most of their time in the field, exploring Japan's capital, Tokyo, with visits to schools, a women's college, parliament (including a meeting with a sitting member), Meiji Shrine, the temples of Asakusa in old Tokyo, and the Tokyo Dome for baseball. Excursions from Tokyo include a boat ride down the Sumida River, the ancient seaside capital at Kamakura, Fuji-Hakone National Park, and the mysterious mountain shrines at Nikko. There is also an optional trip to Kyoto and Nara.

London

The May Term course in London Theatre is offered every other year. Participants attend plays almost every night, from lavish musicals to Shakespeare in the Globe Theatre, to experimental drama in tiny venues. During the day, MBC theatre faculty introduce the pieces and prepare students to get the most from their experience. There is also plenty of time for sightseeing and side trips.

Vienna

Every other year, MBC music faculty lead a May Term course in Vienna to study the music, life, and times of many of the great Viennese composers and to hear their music performed in the original settings.

Costa Rica, Wales, and Canada have been destinations for other recent May Term courses. Every year, Mary Baldwin College offers new opportunities to see the world!