Greece Field School 2026

Greece-Field-School-Photo

Description

Myth, history, and cultural legacy: Greece looms large in both human history and popular imagination, but who were the ancient Greeks and how have they influenced our own lives? Our relationship with the Greek world is complex as it has been shaped by art, archaeology, literature, and the ways in which these things have been re-imagined by different cultural traditions. Working in the classroom and in Greece, this field school brings students face-to-face with the enduring and multifaceted story of ancient Greece to understand how past and present intertwine.

 Using Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey as the foundation for our courses, students will explore the significance of this mythical and historical past by considering how these two epics continue to reflect what it means to be human. While traveling through Greece, students will see firsthand how the past is re-imagined in the present. From graffiti to government buildings, echoes of antiquity resonate with contemporary society through expressions of personal and collective identity, and students will have the opportunity to engage with some of these forms of expression and communication. From Bronze Age Mycenae to the sacred slopes of Delphi and the modern urbanization of Athens, this field school will allow students to find their own meaning in the intersection between landscape, literature, and cultural legacy.

 Students will spend the first 2.5 weeks of the course on campus at MRU focused on the GNED 3201 course (Iliad).  After this, we will head to Greece for another 2.5 weeks, where we will visit ancient sites and museums and soak up Greek culture for the GNED 3402 component of our field school (Odyssey).

International Travel Highlights

  • Athens,
  • Nafplio,
  • Patras,
  • Delphi, and
  • Possibly Ithaca

Program Dates

May 4-21: Classes on campus at MRU

May 22: Leave for Greece

May 23 -June 8 : Classes in Greece

June 9 -16: Study/work week for students to complete their final projects

Courses

Greece Field School participants will be enrolled in the following 2 courses:

GNED 3201: World in a Thousand Pages

Calendar Description (3 credits)

This course examines one of the masterpieces of literature that has become seminal, both because of its literary merit and because it provides great insight into the society and times in which it is set. While “a thousand pages” is meant symbolically, many of these works are substantial; however, a true liberal education entails a conversancy with such books. One text will be the locus of study in each section, aided by supporting sources generally from the same period

Prerequisite(s): GNED 1201, GNED 1202 or GNED 1203

GNED Cluster 2 - Tier 3

 

GNED 3402: Literacy, Orality, Communication, Creativity

Calendar Description (3 credits)

This course explores how shifts to/from/between oral and literate cultures enable creative communication practices to emerge in local and global settings. Students study a selection of Western and non-Western writers and communication theorists who explore the tensions, conflicts and challenges that emerge when these two different cultures come into contact. 

Prerequisites

One of ENGL 1101/GNED 1401 or GNED 1403 or GNED 1404

GNED Cluster 4 - Tier 3

Interested students should confirm their ability to use both courses for credits with their academic advisor prior to joining the field school.

Information Sessions

Please attend a scheduled information session for more information.

May 7 Noon - 1:00 pm EA 1024 or online
September 24 11:00 am - Noon Room TBC
October 2 1:00 - 2:00 pm Room TBC

If you are unable to attend a schedule information session, please contact Carolyn Willekes or Cynthia Gallop for more information.

Application Deadline

Friday, October 17, 2025 at 4:00 pm.

Application Process

Before applying for a MRU field school, students should ensure they have familiarized themselves with the general field school requirements and policies.


To apply for the Greece Field School, submit the following by the application deadline:

  • Field School Application Form (with all requested and supporting documents attached in PDF format);
  • A copy of your unofficial MRU transcript (available on MyMRU)
  • A one-page letter of intent explaining why you would like to be part of the Greece Field School and how you believe it will enhance your personal, educational, and career goals. Please reference your willingness to explore cultures you aren't familiar with, and commitment to collaborating with your fellow travelers. This letter of intent should be uploaded to the online application form.

Program Costs

Greece Field School Program Fees - $4,075.00

The Greece Field School Program Fees include:

  • Local ground transportation during the field school;
  • Airport transfers;
  • Accommodation in Greece;
  • All course-related excursions, visits, activities;
  • Contingency fee;
  • Faculty expenses and MRU administration fees.

Program fees are payable online or in-person at the Office of the Registrar (A101), according to the payment deadlines outlined in the following table. Instructions for making the deposits will be provided to successful applicants.

1st deposit* November 3, 2025 $500
2nd deposit January 29, 2026 $1788
3rd deposit March 19, 2026 $1787

*Initial program fee deposit is non-refundable and secures the participant's place in the program. Possibility of refund of subsequent deposits due to withdrawal from the program will be assessed and determined at the time of withdrawal according to the field school refund policy. Program fees do not include course tuition or additional student expenses (see below).

MRU Tuition & General Fees

MRU Tuition and fees for GNED 3201 and GNED 3402 are in addition to the program fees and will be assessed to each student's account in April, 2026. They are payable to MRU by the spring 2026 fee payment deadline.

Additional Student Expenses

Students are responsible for all additional expenses not included in the program fees such as: return airfare, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, meals and incidental, Out of Country Travel Health and Medical Insurance, passport and travel documents, travel essentials, personal spending and emergency funds.

Estimates of additional student expenses are available at the Information Sessions and from the instructors or International Education.

Financial Assistance

Greece Field School participants will receive a $1,500 grant from the MRU International Mobility Award to use towards the costs associated with the field school. Further information about this grant, other grants and student loan funding for field schools can be found here.

Contact Information

Cynthia Gallop (cgallop@mtroyal.ca)

Carolyn Willekes (cwillekes@mtroyal.ca)

Trinda Guillet - International Education (tguillet@mtroyal.ca)