Extra-Cost and Off-Campus Short Term Courses

Access to the application, information on extra costs, and more details are available at the links below. Students who are interested in any of these courses, should be in touch with the faculty directly.

The 2025 Short Term Off-Campus courses are listed below and will occur in Rome, Italy; Hungary and Poland; China; and the Dominican Republic.
Click on the course name for more information and the application link.

[CMSs31 / HISTs31] Layers of Rome

Instructor: Prof. Liana Brent – contact with questions
Chaperone: Prof. Mark Tizzoni
Enrollment: up to 18
Dates: May 1 to May 19
Cost: Estimated $5,500, extra cost to be finalized by January 2025
Location: Rome, Italy
Prerequisite: Any CMS or CMS cross-listed course, prior to Short Term 2025
Learn more and apply here.
Information Sessions:
– November 19 Info session 1 – 4:15 pm (PGILL G10)
– December 5  Info session 2 – 12:00 pm (PGILL G63)
– January 9      Info session 3 – 10:00 am (PGILL 212)

This off-campus short term course will travel to Rome to explore the layers of the ancient city. The course will provide a broad overview to students about the art, architecture, and archaeology of the ancient Romans, from the pre-Roman cultures of Iron Age Italy to Constantine and the late Roman Empire. Since Rome has been continuously inhabited for 3000 years, we will think about Rome as a palimpsest of layers, and we will explore the ways in which the fabric of the city (walls, roads, ancient and modern buildings) record human history. The goal of the course is to familiarize students with the physical world of the ancient Romans and the social contexts that gave rise to important sites, monuments, and objects. By studying ancient monuments on site and through day trips in the environs of Rome, the ancient world will come to life for students in this course.

[THEA/PLTC/EUS s33] Central European Theater and Film

Prof. Kati Vecsey & Prof. Jakub Kazecki
Enrollment: up to 22 
Dates: April 20 to May 14
Cost: $5,500, extra cost to be finalized by January 2025
Locations: Hungary and Poland
Info Session: Wednesday, November 13, 4:15-5:15pm in Pettigrew 200
Learn more and apply here.

Program Overview: A study of Hungarian and Polish history, theater and film since about 1945. Our focus is on the impact on theater and film of the cataclysmic social and political changes in Central Europe since the Hungarian uprisings of 1956. Other seminal events bearing on this study are the emergence of the Solidarity trade union movement in the 1980s under Lech Wałęsa, the collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989, and the subsequent rebuilding of politics and culture in the region until today. In conjunction with our study of history, politics, drama and film, students will read an array of secondary sources on the social and cultural history of post-war Central Europe. Classes will be conducted as discussions, to be led both by the Bates instructors, and by Hungarian and other Central European artists and scholars. Students will maintain a journal describing and analyzing the plays, films, readings, performances, and other academic materials studied.

[LALS S23] Ethnographic Research on Indigeneity in the Dominican Republic

Prof. Benoit Vallee and Prof. Rafael de Mello
Enrollment: up to 20
Dates: April 27 to May 18
Cost: Estimated $4,000, extra cost to be finalized by January 2025
Locations: Salcedo, Hermanas Mirabal, Dominican Republic
Prerequisite: None
Information Sessions: Thursday, Nov. 21 and Monday, Dec. 2, 4:30pm to 5:30pm in Commons 226
Learn more and apply here.

Overview: The course will offer students a practical experience in ethnographic research in the context of indigenous culture in the Dominican Republic. Based on a set of various activities ranging from an archeological field camp, participant observation in handcrafted workshops, to the study of the museography of the Museo Maguá, a community-led and autonomous Taino museum located in the Hermanas Mirabal province in northern Dominican Republic, students will practically delve into the growing cultural and educational politics of Indigeneity in the Dominican Republic. Students will also expand their knowledge of indigenous history and culture in the Caribbean context, and they will be introduced and/or sharpen their research methods skills. 

[AS/CI s21] Chinese Language, Culture, and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Prof. Liping Miao and Language Assistant Veronica Huang
Enrollment: up to 20
Dates: TBD, within Short Term period
Cost: Estimated $6,000, extra cost to be finalized by January 2025
Locations: China: Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, & Xian.
Prerequisite: None
Lear more and apply here.
Info Session: Wednesday, Nov. 20th, 3:30 to 4:30pm in Roger Williams 113

Overview: This short-term study in China course affords students an opportunity to study a wide range of Chinese culture, language and history with a focus on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This includes the philosophy that lies behind TCM and an unparalleled opportunity to observe and practice in a clinical setting. Through lectures, visiting hospitals and TCM pharmacies students will gain a basic understanding and knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine, such as herbal remedies, medicinal preparation, Tui Na massage, acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping. Students have the opportunity to interact sensitively and responsibly with Chinese medical doctors, medical students and hospital staff. Students also participate in local activities, educational excursions, and group discussions.


You can learn more about previously offered courses here.

Important Policies Related to Short Term Off-Campus / Extra Cost Courses

Financial Aid for Short Term Off-Campus / Extra Cost Courses

Financial aid is available to cover all or a portion of the costs associated with an off-campus/extra cost Short Term course for eligible students. Each instructor provides Student Financial Services with a list of students who have been given permission to participate in their course and this information is used to determine who will receive financial aid for the course, there is no additional application process. You must currently be eligible for Bates institutional grant funds to receive this additional assistance. In past years, students have been asked to contribute between $0 and $2,500, depending on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for the academic year and available financial aid funds. Official financial aid awards will be available to students prior to committing to the program. Please note that withdrawal from a course, after committing to the course, may result in charges for non-refundable costs. Generally these are not able to be covered by financial aid.

If you have additional questions related to your specific financial situation, please contact Student Financial Services sfs@bates.edu.

Financial Responsibility and Course Withdrawal

After acceptance and course confirmation, students become financially responsible for costs related to the course. This can be up to the total cost of the course. Bates will attempt to obtain refunds for students who withdraw after confirmation but items like airline tickets, provider fees, performance tickets, and hotel deposits are often non-refundable.

Withdrawals within 30 days of the start of the course will result in a a charge of the full cost of the course.

Visa Costs and Travel

The application cost of necessary visas to participate in these courses is included in the extra cost. The extra cost may cover some but not all expenses related to visa application travel and biometrics. Please meet with a member of the Center for Global Education to learn more.

Personal Costs and Other Travel Costs

While most costs are covered through the course fee, students should expect and plan for other costs that are not covered. These might include visa travel costs, additional luggage fees, approved solo travel, non-course site seeing or meals, and similar items that aren’t part of the course structure.

Academic or Physical Accommodations

Students with disabilities that may require accommodations should be in touch with staff in the Center for Global Education and/or the faculty leaders of the course they’re interested in early in their considerations. The earlier these conversations can happen the better that accommodations can be determined for the course. This includes housing accommodations. Discussions related to the accessibility of the course must happen prior to the application deadline. Students may also ask the office of Accessible Accommodations for assistance in this process.