Take part in our full semester European Odyssey and earn 16 credits in a global classroom! 

Open to all UW Oshkosh students, the European Odyssey program offers a unique learning environment... a blend of the traditional and the unconventional. The Odyssey classroom is literally the city itself, its parks and rivers, its museums and architecture, its people, its sounds and its smells... a true global amalgam. 

The European Odyssey study abroad program provides 20-25 students with the opportunity to spend an entire semester residing in Europe while progressing through five areas of academic study. 

• Explore historic sites, museums, galleries, concert halls, theatres, universities and civic/community centers in class. 
• Gain a global perspective of Europe. 
• Earn general education credits in the social sciences (SS) and humanities (HU). 
• Travel to other destinations on your own (optional). 

Destinations and Activities

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

The 2013 European Odyssey will start in Amsterdam, a fascinating historical city that can easily be explored on foot. During our time in Amsterdam, we will enjoy famous paintings from the Dutch Golden Age in the Rijksmuseum, enjoy walks along the beautiful canals, learn about the life of Anne Frank in the house where she and her family hid, and take a step back into history in Zaanse Schans open air museum where we will visit a working wind mill.

The itinerary will include visits and activities such as:

• Canal Boat Tour
• Anne Frank Huis
• Zaanse Schans Open Air Museum
• Rijksmuseum
• Van Gogh Museum
• Concertgebouw
• Oude Kerk
• Dam Square
• Bloemenmarkt

Paris, France

After our full week in Amsterdam, we will take a private coach to Paris, with an afternoon stop in the medieval Flemish town of Brugge. During our two week residence in Paris, the wonderful "City of Lights," we will be able to explore the medieval parts of Paris' Left Bank Latin Quarter just outside our doorstep. The many sites of greater Paris will also be readily accessible. Listed here are some of the places that we will visit during our time there. The sights, sounds, and smells of this exquisite city will remain with you for a lifetime.

• Pantheon 
• Louvre
• Notre Dame
• Tuileries
• Montmartre and Sacre Coeur
• Pere Lachaise Cemetery
• Musee d'Orsay
• Louvre
• Arc de Triomphe
• La Defense
• Mosquee de Paris
• Jardin du Luxembourg
• St. Denis

London, United Kingdom

In London, the 2013 European Odyssey will visit a number of historical landmarks, including the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, and Christopher Wren’s masterpiece, St. Paul’s Cathedral. We will also visit National Gallery where we will see masterpieces such as Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and we will visit the British Library to see handwritten manuscripts by everyone from Isaac Newton to John Lennon.  We will take a day trip to Cambridge, where we will go punting down the River Cam, and we will visit the impressive King’s College Chapel, as well as Trinity College, the home of Newton, Francis Bacon, Lord Byron, and others.

The itinerary will include visits and activities such as:

• Tower of London
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• Trafalgar Square
• National Gallery
• Westminster Abbey
• British Library
• British Museum
• Greenwich
• Day trip to Cambridge

Rome, Italy

The "Eternal City" of Rome invites us to share in its ancient, glorious history, its rebirth and its rich literary and artistic heritage.  Our convenient location in Rome makes us a part of the city while offering sites both familiar and unknown. For some, the familiar will come alive, and for others, the long forgotten will be reborn. The past and the present blend everywhere to make Rome one of our most intriguing venues. Daily explorations will include many of the following locations:

• Trevi Fountain
• Piazza Navona
• Palatine Hill
• Forum Romanum
• Coliseum
• Vatican Museums
• Ostia Antica
• Catacoms of Priscilla
• Villa Borghese and Santa Maria della Vittoria
• Augustus Mausoleum
• Castel Sant'Angelo
• Villa Adriana
• St. Peter's Basilica

Venice, Italy (Spring Break)

Legendary Venice, literary Venice, artistic Venice, musical Venice and sinking Venice...yours to explore, yours to devour completely on your own time during your Spring Break.  Private and intimate, your "Albergo" is nestled just behind Venice's busiest piazza (San Marco), just a step away from its own serene canal.  The whispers and footsteps of the past co-mingle with contemporary revelers creating a myriad of juxtaposed emotions and delights.  This most unique of European cities is yours for the taking.  

• The Bridge of Sighs
• The Doge's Palace
• San Marco Piazza
• The Basilica of San Marco
•  Venetian Glass
•  Gondolas and gondoliers
•  The Grande and the not so grande Canals

Dresden, Germany

The 2013 Odyssey will be the first to travel to Dresen, the "Florence on the Elbe". The city is renowned for its architecture and world-class art collections, but also for the damage it suffered in World War II and the extensive rebuilding projects. In addition to exploring the historical parts of the city including the famous Chourch of Our Lady, we will visit an extraordinary car factory and take in some of the landscapes of the surrounding area.

The itinerary will include visits and activities such as:

• Zwinger
• Church of Our Lady
• Transparent Factory
• Pillnitz
• Loeschwitz
• Semper Opera
• Meissen
• Pirna and Bastei

Berlin, Germany
     

Our last destination on the 2013 Odyssey will be Berlin, the once divided city. We will explore both the historical Berlin with important architectural treasures from different centuries as well as the modern city with its stunning modern architecture. We will also visit a wide variety of sites connected to Berlin's history as a divided city such as the famous Checkpoint Charlie, remains of the Berlin Wall, and various museums dealing with Berlin's history.

The itinerary will include visits and activities such as:

• Pergamon Museum and Museum Island
• Brandenburg Gate
• Transportation Museum
• Olympic Stadium
• Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church
• Allied Museum
• German-Russian Museum
• GDR Museum
• Checkpoint Charlie
• Berlin Wall Memorial Bernauer Strasse
• East Side Gallery
• Cecilienhof, Sans Souci, and Potsdam
• Stasi Prison
• Holocaust Memorial
• Day Trip to Leipzig and Wittenberg

Courses

Morning classes combine with afternoon treks and site visits with occasional evening performances and films. Day trips, such as Pompeii, Oxford, Chartres, Ravenna and Leipzig are also incorporated into the curriculum whenever possible. All courses are offered one at a time, allowing for a singular focus on each one, and are taught by UW Oshkosh professors. They are a balanced blend of classroom and onsite lectures, discussions, site visitations, written assignments and exams. 

Accommodations

Living quarters in student hostels and hotels provide a panorama of nations, languages and cultures, all of which intensify the study abroad experience. 

Time to Explore

There is also free time for exploration and self discovery. The total experience gives new meaning to the expression "live and learn."