The Program

Archaeology in Scotland!
Join us on a journey back to 7000BC! Set against a background of spectacular scenery, historic castles and dramatic landscapes, uncover the mysteries of Scotland's ancient peoples.

The University
Founded in 1495, the University of Aberdeen is the third oldest university in Scotland and the fifth oldest in the U.K. With a student population of 13,000, Aberdeen offers nearly 90 majors in three Colleges: Life Sciences & Medicine, Physical Sciences, and Arts & Social Sciences. You can find complete information at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/.

The Class
All students take the same 5-week class, 5 credit class: AS 1958-Stone Circles, Celts, Picts and Vikings: A Journey through Prehistoric Scotland. (UWEC Anthropology Elective, Lower Division, GE3) It will be taught through lectures, excursions and hands-on sessions at the University's Marischal Musem. The course will cover the period from the end of the last ice age to the founding of the nation. Areas covered will include the first peoples-hunters and gatherers, the first farmers: megalithic tombs and stone circles, the Beaker People and arrival of bronze, the Celts, Picts and Romans and the Vikings.

Scotland is well known for the quality of its surviving archaeological remains. It is possible, in a small area, to find flint scatters left by the earliest hunter gatherers, magnificent stone circles and megalithic tombs built by the first farmers, brochs built by Celtic forebears and exquisitely carved Pictish symbol stones. In north-east Scotland there is ready access to a wide range of sites-of the 900 stone circles in Britain, just 100 can be found in the Aberdeen area. Aberdeen is also within easy reach of the north coast, where along with the Orkney Islands, world-class archaeology is within easy reach.

Excursions
The lectures which provide the theoretical background to Scotland's archaeology will be complemented by a series of course excursions, including 3 day-long excursions from the Aberdeen and one 3-day excursion to the Orkney Islands, Sutherland and Caithness. You will visit Pictish symbol stones, stone circles and chambered cairns, brochs and the enigmatic stone rows of the north of Scotland. Some sites date back 500 years earlier than the Great Pyramids of Egypt.

Location

The University campus lies just north of the heart of Aberdeen, a thriving city of 200,000. With excellent museums, great concert venues, and a vibrant nightlife, the city offers something for everyone. And its location--on the coast, at the confluence of two rivers, and near the Cairngorm Mountains guarantees both spectacular scenery and incredible opportunities for those who love the outdoors.

Academic Calendar
The program will run from early July through early August. Exact dates will be available the semester prior to departure.

Housing & Meals
All Summer School participants will be housed in Hillhead Halls of Residence in self-catering flats. These are very conveniently located a few minutes walk from th Old Aberdeen campus (where classes are held) and a short bus ride from Aberdeen city centre.

You will have single rooms in apartments housing a maximum of four students with shared kitchen. Facilities include a laundry room, a TV room and a lounge. You can find details at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/accommodation/hillhead.shtml

Breakfast is provided each day, and lunches will be provided on the Aberdeen-centered teaching days of the summer school. Bed and breakfast is provided on the excursion to Orkney, Caithness & Sutherland.

You may choose to cook dinner in your apartment, or you may choose to eat out. There are supermarkets (grocery stores) very nearby in Aberdeen and countless places to eat out.

Explore Scotland
There will be three 4-day weekends built into the program, allowing you to explore more of Scotland on your own. Aberdeen also has an international airport with direct flights to many European destinations, making it a convenient base for traveling outside the UK.

Expenses

The estimated Wisconsin resident program fee for Summer 2008 at the University of Aberdeen is $5,683. This includes tuition at the University of Aberdeen, housing in a university residence, breakfast, 8 lunches, required excursions, CISI Insurance and administrative fees. Minnesota residents may apply for reciprocity; non-residents add $900.

Additional costs: You will also need to pay for a passport, roundtrip airfare, most lunches, all evening meals, and personal expenses. Estimate an additional $1,500-$2,000 for these items.

Total Wisconsin resident cost estimate: $7,183 to $7,683 for the five-week program. Cost estimates are based on 2007 costs and current exchange rates and may change at any time..

Financial Aid and Scholarships

If you qualify for financial aid, you can apply your aid to program costs. Your financial aid package will be based on actual costs in Scotland, including the cost of round-trip airfare.  You  can learn about additional options, including a study abroad grant through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation; a Wisconsin Grant for Study Abroad and scholarships for specific majors and national study abroad scholarships at http://uwec.edu/CIE/sac/finaid.htm.

Eligibility

To apply, you must be a currently-enrolled, degree-seeking undergraduate UW-Eau Claire student. You need to be in good academic standing and have a cumulative resident GPA of 2.8. You may apply as a freshman, but need sophomore standing by the beginning of the program.

Application Deadline

Applications for Summer 2008 are accepted beginning September 4, 2007.  The priority application deadline for Summer 2008 is November 15, 2007. 

Complete applications will be reviewed after these dates. Late applications will be considered if space on the program is still available. Please contact the Center for International Education to find out if spaces are available before submitting a late application. No applications will be accepted after January 15, 2008 for Summerr 2008.

You can download an application at online applications, or stop by to pick up an application in the Center for International Education.

Additional Information

For more information and a program application, contact:

Center for International Education
111 Schofield Hall
UW-Eau Claire
Eau Claire, WI  54702-4004

Phone: (715) 836-4411
Fax: (715) 836-4948
Email: studyabroad@uwec.edu