Bucknell “in” Summer Programs provide students with the ability to complete a course of choice or academic requirement in an abbreviated period of time, usually around three weeks total. The University offers a variety of opportunities for students to engage in, across many geographic regions. The programs are constructed so that the courses have a relevant relationship with the region of study; thus, enhancing the allure of the educational coursework. In 2017 the University is offering 10 different programs, the themes of which are explored below.

Bucknell in Iceland

Dates: May 22 – June 12, 2017

Credit: ENGR 290-Engineering in a Global and Societal Context

Program Contacts: Prof. Laura Beninati (mechanical engineering), Prof. Charles Knisely (mechanical engineering), Prof. Robert Nickel (electrical & computer engineering)

This program explores the process of engineering in environments that have been altered by a natural disaster, investigates the limitations of sustainability innovations due to cultural restrictions and traditions that have existed since Iceland’s founding in 871 A.D. and identifies the nation’s perceptions of the impact global warming may have upon its environment. Additionally, Iceland’s policies regarding energy, natural disasters, and the surrounding oceans will be dissected and evaluated.

Bucknell in Barbados

Dates: May 16 – June 5, 2017

Credit: ECON 266-The Political Economy of the Caribbean

Program Contacts: Prof. Winston Griffith (economics) & Prof. Thomas Kinnaman (economics)

Barbados is the fifth highest per-capita income nation within the western hemisphere. The nation’s ascent to this rank can be accredited to its excellent educational system, and relatively low levels of corruption. The program will further explore the ways in which Barbados’s history of culture and government have impacted the region’s economy. The trip is embedded with adventurous field trips and stimulating speakers. Students can also engage in an independent research study over the course of the summertime, exploring a topic that is related to some aspect of his or her experience in the Caribbean.

Bucknell in the Caribbean

Dates: June 13 – July 4, 2017

Credit: ENGL 227-Caribbean Literatures, Histories, & Cultures in Context

Program Contacts: Prof. Carmen Gillespie (English)

Students will evaluate and analyze an abundance of Caribbean literature that reflects the lifestyle and culture of the island of Nevis, St. Kitts, Antigua, and surrounding regions. Assignments will involve Caribbean culture and landscapes through daily excursions to plantations, galleries, gardens, volunteer projects, and insightful lectures dissecting the region’s preservation of culture, the role it had in perpetuating the slave market, and its profitability through sugar cane production.

Bucknell in Denmark

Dates: June 12 – July 1, 2017

Credit: PSYC 337-Child Development in Denmark

Program Contacts: Prof. Chris Boyatzis (psychology)

In Copenhagen, students will compare and contrast child development in Denmark versus the United States. En god barndom, or “the good childhood” is a Danish philosophy that essentially supports the competence of the child and encourages his or her participation in society. The way that culture and family-life shapes childhood will be evaluated and compared to child-development experienced here in the United States.

Bucknell in New Orleans

Dates: May 22 – June 9, 2017

Credit: UNIV 266-New Orleans in Twelve Movements

Program Contacts: Prof. Barry Long (music) & Brian Gockley (Teaching & Learning Center)

This program is unique, as the first and last weeks of the program are spent at the University’s campus, and the week in between is spent exploring the emblematic city of New Orleans. A comprehensive background of the history and culture of New Orleans will be explored within the first week, in order to establish a thorough context of the region. The second week will be filled with tours incorporating the various perspectives that the trip leaders will provide. Lastly, the final week will be spent recapping and reflecting upon the experiences that the course provided.

Bucknell in Nicaragua

Dates: May 22 – June 11, 2017

Credit: GEOG 237-Grassroots Development; GEOG 200 (Independent Study – Optional)

Program Contacts: Prof. Paul Susman (geography & Latin American studies) and Prof. Nina Banks (economics)

Service-learning activities are the basis for this program. Construction programs, involvement with health programs, and a variety of other excursions are interspersed amidst class readings. Students will discuss the possibilities for local improvement in the program’s base region of Ciudad Sandino.

Bucknell in South Africa

Dates: May 17 – June 10, 2017

Credit: ECON 270-Addressing the Legacy of the Apartheid: Social Entrepreneurship and Community Development

Program Contacts: Prof. Geoffrey Schneider (economics) & Prof. Erdogan Bakir (economics)

In a nation heavily impacted culturally, socially, and economically by the apartheid, students will work hand-in-hand with community groups addressing the myriad of issues that exist in today’s post-apartheid society. Cape Town’s economic potential is great; however, the region faces numerous challenges. In addition to taking trips to historical and cultural sites around the nation, students will become active in the nonprofit, community organizations of the area.

Bucknell in the Virgin Islands

Dates: May 22 – June 8, 2017

Credit: BIOL 245- Tropical Marine Biology

Program Contacts: Prof Elizabeth Capaldi (biology) & Prof. Morgan Benowitz-Fredericks (biology)

The big allure of this program is its fulfillment of the lab science requirement. Since it is a lab science the course is very hands-on, mainly centered around field trips to the many coral reefs surrounding the region. Students will learn how to snorkel on the first day of the course, and a journal is kept detailing daily experiences. Exciting activities like scuba diving are available for students to try.

Bucknell in France

Dates: May 15 – June 4, 2017

Credit: UNIV 209- Tasting France: The Science and Culture of Terroir

Program Contacts: Prof. Steve Jordan (biology) & Prof. John Westbrook (French)

Tourists visit France in order to try the sensational food and wine that embodies the culture of the nation. In this course, the idea of terroir will be dissected, the idea that geography, history, and culture directly impact the foods that embody France. The course begins with a week of preparation through reading and research on campus, followed by the travel to Tours, France, where students will engage in a myriad of immersing excursions in order to thoroughly understand the ways in which the eating and drinking habits of the French contribute to the nation’s identity.

Bucknell in London

Dates: May 25 – July 27, 2017

Credits: ENLS 250- Introduction to Renaissance Literature and ENGL 237- Optional Internship

Program Contacts: Prof. Kat Lecky (English) & Prof. Andrea Stevenson-Sanjian (political science)

Renaissance English literature is complex. The London program allows for students to inherit a new perspective on this literature, for they are given the opportunity to immerse themselves in the environment in which Renaissance literature was born. London is bursting with culture and history, waiting to be explored by students. Along with the required course for the program, there is an optional internship component, which can be further explored on the University’s website.

Visit the University website for a more comprehensive breakdown of each of the summer study abroad programs, as well as deadlines, requirements, costs, eligibility, and more.