Program Overview
Program Overview
This summer, learn firsthand about media and communication trends in Prague and Seville – two beautiful, dynamic and distinctly different European locations.
Through special courses, guest lectures and discussions, and field trips and study tours, students will gain a better understanding of the ways in which media impacts and is impacted by current societal issues, international affairs, history, and religion.
In Prague and Seville you will:
- Study Media and Communications in Europe from different historical, political, and cultural perspectives and learn firsthand from experts about the role of media in international affairs and current issues
- Explore Czech and Spanish society through CIEE overnight study tours and cultural activities
- Participate in special seminars designed to link the two summer sessions and provide opportunities for faculty and students to compare and contrast media and communications trends and issues in two different European countries and gain a better understanding of how media impacts Europe from both a domestic and international perspective
The CIEE Difference
The CIEE Difference
Coursework
In Session I you’ll examine the influence of media on the public opinion and on the ways of social interaction in society. Comparing traditional and newer interactive media, explore the dynamic relationship between the development of communication technologies and the content of the disseminated messages.
Session II will challenge you to think critically and creatively about digital citizenship. In addition to exploring the tools that have been central to the development of global social movements, you’ll sample the professional skills of creative digital practice through a number of one-session workshops.
Excursions
Enjoy a number of day-long visits and extended excursions to sites of interests in and around your host cities. While in the Czech Republic tour the WWII prison camp Terezin, the Plskovice castle and Northern Bohemia. In the second session visit Málaga and Nérja and take a day trip to Jerez and the “Pueblos Blancos.”
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
Dates, Deadlines & Fees
We want to make sure you get the most out of your experience when you study abroad with CIEE, which is why we offer the most inclusions in our fees.
- Tuition and housing
- Pre-departure advising and optional on-site airport meet and greet
- Full-time program leadership and support
- Field trips and cultural activities
- CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits
Please note, program dates are subject to change. Please contact your CIEE Study Abroad Advisor before purchasing airfare. Click the
button to view more detailed information about dates and fees as well as estimated additional costs. Please talk with your University Study Abroad Advisor about additional fees that may be charged by your home institution when participating in a program abroad.
Application Due
Start Date
End Date
Costs
Summer 2013 (7 wks)
Extended to: 04/15/2013
06/02/2013
07/20/2013
$7,500
Program Date Notes
Program Fees
In addition to the items outlined below, the CIEE program fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local transportation pass (in Prague), local excursions, field trips, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.
Participation Confirmation *
$300
Educational Costs **
$4,408
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
* non-refundable
** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
*** includes all meals in Seville for homestays and all except Sunday lunch in the residencia; no meals included while in Prague
**** round-trip travel between locations, arranged by CIEE (required)
Estimated Additional Costs
Meals not included in program fee *
$775
International Airfare **
$1,350
Local Transportation
$200
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
* for all meals in Prague and Sunday lunch for Seville Residencia; students in the homestay in Seville need only budget $750 for meals in Prague
** round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
Summer 2014
04/01/2014
TBA
TBA
Program Date Notes
Program Fees
This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.
Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.
Estimated Additional Costs
The estimated additional costs indicated are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.
Eligibility
Recommended Credit
Recommended Credit
Course contact hours for the two required cinema courses are 45 hours and recommended credit is 3 semester / 4.5 quarter hours. The optional Survival Czech Language course has 15 contact hours for a recommended 1 semester / 1.5 quarter hours. Total recommended credit for the program is 6-7 semester / 9-10.5 quarter hours.
Program Requirements
Program Requirements
Students are required to enroll in the Communication: Social Power of Media during Session I and in the Contemporary Digital and Visual Culture in Context course in Seville during Session II. Students may also choose to enroll in the optional Survival Czech Language course during Session I. Although other courses are offered at both locations during the summer, students on this special multi-site program must adhere to the required curriculum.
About the City
About The City
About Prague
Because of its innumerable characteristic steeples, Prague is called the “Hundred-Towered City”. A member of the EU, Prague is a perfect example of the steady development of a society, recently transitioning from its communist past. With a population of only 1,200,000, Prague has an unusually rich cultural life, including festivals, operas, concerts, and cultural programs, many of which are accessible to students on a budget. CIEE students experience life similar to that of Czech students and make use of the city’s numerous neighborhoods just like native Praguers.
About Seville
Capital of Andalusia, Seville was one of the last footholds of the Moorish empire that ruled the Iberian Peninsula. It is home to the ingenious Barber of Seville and the tempestuous Carmen. The great Renaissance painters Velázquez and Murillo were born here, and Ferdinand and Isabel ruled Spain from the royal apartments in the Alcazar Palace. Though the city preserves its past, modern Seville is the commercial hub of Andalusia. For a city of fewer than 800,000, Seville offers amazing cultural activities, from flamenco to classical, pop, and jazz concerts.
Meet The Staff
Meet The Staff
Maria Montes de Oca
María Montes de Oca hails from Cádiz and has a degree in Communications from Universidad de Sevilla. She performed her post graduate studies in Translation (French and Italian) at Universidad de Granada. Prior to joining the CIEE team she lived in France teaching high school Spanish and worked as the Resident Coordinator for Bucknell University in Granada. She has been working for CIEE since 2007 as a Student Services Coordinator. She has a passion for languages and travelling. María has participated in a staff exchange at the University of Minnesota.
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Summertime makes Seville one of the most enchanted cities in Spain; it makes you feel welcome. Its kind people, the air you breathe, and the art expressed in everything sevillano will make you fall in love with this city. I’m sure your experience will be as special as Seville is.
— María Montes de Oca, Resident Coordinator
“”
Amanda Bell
Amanda Bell received her B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from Michigan State University. Amanda first lived in the Czech Republic as a Rotary Youth Exchange scholarship recipient and has lived and worked in Prague for several years.
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Jana Cemusova
Jana Čemusová heads the CIEE Study Center in Prague, leading study abroad programs, customized partnerships with Charles University and other educational institutions. She served as a Student Services Director from 2008 to 2011. Prior to joining CIEE in a full-time position, Jana gained extensive experience with CIEE students through her many years of teaching and leading Czech language instruction through the CIEE Study Center at Charles University.
Jana has teaching experience as a Fulbright scholar at the University of Kansas, expertise in training language teachers, and leading projects in immigrant communities. She served as a chair of Association of Czech Teachers Teaching Czech as a Foreign Language in 2003 – 2009.
Jana is a double graduate at the Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Philosophy, where she studied Theory of Culture (Anthropology) and Czech Language and Creative Studies at the Faculty of Education.
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Maritheresa Frain
Dr. Maritheresa Frain is the Director of the CIEE Study Center in Seville. She completed her undergraduate work in International Politics at The Pennsylvania State University and received her M.A. and Ph.D. in International Relations at Georgetown University. Dr. Frain has worked for the International Monetary Fund and was a visiting professor at Georgetown. She also worked in the office of Portuguese Prime Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva, who is currently the President of Portugal. Before settling in Seville, she lived and worked in Greece, Russia, Switzerland, and Madrid, Spain. She is also the Consular Agent of the United States Embassy in Seville.
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Jorge Rodriguez
Jorge Rodríguez, a native sevillano, earned his undergraduate degree in Education from the Universidad de Sevilla. He has worked with CIEE for nearly seven years and is currently the Program Assistant for the Liberal Arts Program during the fall and spring semesters. Jorge participated in a staff exchange with the University of Oregon.
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Ivana Skenderija
and has lived and worked in Prague for several years.
Ivana Skenderija, Student Services Assistant, has a B.A. in Social and Cultural Anthropology from Charles University and a background in film postproduction.
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Petr Zak
Petr "Franky" Žák, Administrative and Technical Assistant, has a B.A.in Economics from Charles University and previously worked with CIEE as a Flat Buddy to CIEE students.
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Where You'll Study
Where You'll Study
Prague
All CIEE summer courses are held at the CIEE Study Center, located in the scenic and historic neighborhood of Vyšehrad. Although the CIEE Study Center is not located in a CU building, CIEE courses are recognized by Charles University and taught by faculty from various Charles University faculties and institutes. Founded in 1348 by the Czech King Charles IV, CU is the oldest university in Central Europe. It has 17 schools, 3 institutes, 4,000 teaching/research staff, and 42,400 enrolled students.
Seville
The CIEE Study Center is located in a beautifully renovated Sevillano palace built in 1725. It is centrally located close to the Puerta de la Carne and about 10 minutes by foot from the main Universidad de Sevilla building (the Tabacalera). CIEE student services and CIEE administration are housed here. In addition, CIEE professors have offices in the CIEE Study Center, so that students may speak with them privately about issues related to their progress in class.
Housing & Meals
Housing & Meals
Housing is included in the program fee.
While in Prague, students reside in apartments in the popular neighborhoods of Prague 1 or 2 with fellow CIEE participants and a CIEE Flat Buddy—a Charles University student who helps CIEE students adjust to student life in Prague. Students share double rooms and kitchen and bathroom facilities. Meals and Internet service are not included and are the responsibility of the student during Session II. Students can purchase food supplies and prepare meals in the apartment kitchens. They may also be able to arrange Internet service for an additional fee in cooperation with their Flat Buddy.
Apartments are located throughout Prague and commuting times and distances vary. It’s important for students to be aware that commuting is part of daily life in Prague, and the location of most apartments requires daily use of public transportation. It is common for the student commute, including public transportation and walking, to take up to forty minutes one way. A transportation pass is included in the program fees.
In Seville during Session II, housing, all meals, and laundry privileges are included for students living in Spanish-speaking private homes. Students choosing the residencia option will have all meals except Sunday lunch. Laundry services are also the responsibility of the student in the residencia. All attempts are made to house students individually and in their own room, however, students may choose to be placed with another student, each in their own room. Living in a homestay is the best way to improve language skills and feel a part of the local culture. Given the size of the city, all students should expect to use public transportation to commute from their place of residence to their classes.
Orientations
Orientations
An intensive mandatory multi-day study abroad orientation session takes place at the beginning of both Session I and Session II. Orientation activities help students master the practical details of daily life in Prague and Seville. Activities include welcome dinners; walking tours of downtown Prague and Seville; and sessions on practical matters, cultural differences, safety, and academics. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.
Internet
Internet
Wireless Internet access is available at the CIEE Study Center in both Prague and Seville, so students are strongly encouraged to bring wireless-enabled laptops. Students are allowed to use the desktop computers at both the CIEE Prague and Seville Study Centers for academic purposes only. Students can also access the Internet at numerous cyber cafés throughout Seville and Prague.
Culture
Culture
Session I in the Czech Republic includes visits to Terezin, a holding camp and prison where Czech Jews and intelligentsia suffered during World War II; and Litomerice, a town with the Ploskovice castle and historical structures reaching back to the 13th Century. Students also visit Northern Bohemia, rich with castles, fortresses, and beautiful scenery, and hike through the sandstone mountains.
Session II of the Communications and new Media multi-site program includes a weekend excursion to Málaga and Nérja and a day trip to Jerez and the “Pueblos Blancos”, as well as class excursions that are linked to academic themes. Field trip destinations are subject to change each year and are based on individual faculty members and their course design and content.
Both sessions include a variety of local cultural activities. Field trip destinations are subject to change each year and are based on individual faculty members and their course design and content.
Academics
Academics
The summer Communications and New Media multi-site study abroad program involves two 3 1/2 week academic sessions and is designed for students with an interest in media and communication studies and the ways in which history, politics, and culture impact and are impacted by various traditional and modern media. The program combines separate courses that highlight and explore both local Czech and Spanish media while providing an over-arching comparative examination of media in Europe today.
During Session I, students on this program will study alongside students enrolled in the Prague Central European Studies summer program. Established in 2003, this program exposes students to the rich cultural, historical, and social heritage of Prague through the exploration of its art, film, architectural roots, society, and dynamic history. This journey gives students a unique opportunity to witness the force of a society that embraces its transition from a communist past to the ever-changing political and social present, along with the opportunity to learn about Prague’s development.
During Session II, students on this program will study alongside students enrolled in the Seville Language and Culture summer program. This summer program focuses on two interwoven areas: Spanish language and Spanish culture and history. Special emphasis is placed on Andalusia and Seville within a European context.
Academic Culture
The program is made up of two 3 1/2 week sessions. Courses typically meet every morning or afternoon, Monday to Friday, for three hours, with structured outings and one required overnight study tour each session. The courses are designed for U.S. undergraduates, so the teaching and learning methods will be familiar to participants. Moreover, all professors in the summer program are accustomed to teaching U.S. students.
There are significant differences between the U.S. educational system and the Czech system. Students must be aware that a high degree of self-motivation and self-discipline is required, and that independent learning and active participation in class are necessary for achieving satisfactory academic performance. Resources such as library holdings in English and Internet access may be limited, and students may need to seek these resources outside of the CIEE Study Center in public libraries and other Charles University faculties. Professors use both the classroom as well as the city as a direct resource for their teaching. Lectures are supplemented with class excursions and guest lectures related to class topics. Students should be prepared to spend two-thirds of each weekday in class or in class-related activities.
The Seville portion of the program includes dates for obligatory course trips scheduled out of Seville. These hands-on learning experiences contribute greatly to the student’s experience abroad. Instruction is interactive and dynamic. Many lectures take place in situ, so that the student can feel a part of the fascinating culture they are studying.
Nature of Classes
Students enroll in courses with other CIEE students only.
Grading System
Assessment for the course in Prague is based on participation, short papers, tests, and oral presentations. Papers require students to conduct independent research and/or independent analysis of texts and material covered in class. Attendance and punctuality in all classes weigh heavily in student evaluations.
Assessment for the course in Seville is based on student projects, presentations, and a final exam. Attendance is mandatory and unexcused absences are reflected in the student’s final grade.
Language of Instruction
English
Faculty
Courses are taught by faculty from a range of Prague and Seville institutions and are specialists in their respective fields.
Course Description
Course Description
All Courses
Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
CIEE Study Center Syllabi
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.
Session I—Prague
COMM 3001 PGSU
Communication: Social Power of Media
The course will examine the influence of media on the public opinion and on the ways of social interaction in society. The emphasis will be on media such as radio and TV, which now has become traditional in comparison to the newer interactive internet-based social media. The course will explore the dynamic relationship between the development of communication technologies and the content of the disseminated messages. Prague-based Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL) and its development from the ideological weapon aimed against the communist regimes during the Cold War to its present day mission will be used as example. It will be compared to the development of two other Prague-based media: Czech Public Radio and Czech Public TV. Students will learn how the traditional media is adapting to the new media situation and what effect this adaptation has on the practice of journalism. Students will be able to get a close-up view of the people and news process at RFE/RL and the two other media companies. Special attention will be given to the coverage of religious, ethnic and other emotionally sensitive issues in Central-European context and how the representation of these issues shape public attitudes and policies.
Session II— Seville
COMM 3001 SESU
Contemporary Digital and Visual Culture in Context
Digital and visual media are ubiquitous. They are the tools with which we communicate, the sources from which we derive information, the instruments that uphold so much of our culture. As such, they elude definition. By observing the history, technology, economy, politics and metaphysics of digital and visual media, this course will attempt to provide a theoretical framework from within which to address the subject critically, drawing from inspiration on a wide variety of sources, from the ancient Greeks to the modern geeks.
This course is additionally designed to foster the students’ creativity and critical thinking about digital citizenship, allowing them to sample the professional skills of creative digital practice through a number of one-session workshops spread during its three weeks.
The role that digital media is playing in structuring and spreading social movements across the world, from the Arab Spring to the 20th of May Movement in Spain, will be discussed in detail through the observation of social media applications that have been key in the development of such social movements.
This course initially has 45 contact hours, which include presentations, workshops, and tutorials. Some exercises and activities will be conducted outside of contact hours in different locations of the city. Each regular contact hour not spent in the classroom will be the equivalent of 3 hours of out-of-class activities.
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