Off-Campus January Term Courses
Explore Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America in January 2027.
Applications for J Term 2027 are now open!
View our course offerings for January 2027 and apply below.
Please note: Prices of Off-Campus J Term programs are estimates. If there are factors that affect the final cost of a program, such as fluctuations in currency exchange rates or fuel price increases, a fee adjustment will be announced. If there are factors that affect the final cost of the program, program participants will be notified about the adjustment as soon as possible.
The Bahamas, England, Central Europe
THE BAHAMAS: ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY
Applications Open!
Biogeography is the scientific study of the distribution of organisms, both past and present, combining ecological and evolutionary theory, geology, and geography. Islands have often been the subject of important biogeographic work and have contributed substantially to existing biogeographic theory. The course explores the important concepts of biogeography within the context of islands. Specifically, we examine the biology of the flora and fauna of San Salvador Island and investigate which factors have given rise to the existing animal and plant communities that characterize the island. Students in Island Biogeography spend about 3 weeks in residence at the Gerace Research Centre on San Salvador Island, The Bahamas. Class activities include hikes through the rugged scrub-forest communities in the island’s interior, snorkeling trips to many patch and several offshore reefs, plant community analysis, rocky intertidal community sampling, snorkeling in seagrass and mangrove habitats, a visit to an island inhabited by iguanas, night snorkeling, and a descent into a water cave. SCUBA diving is possible for certified divers. In addition, students are exposed to the history and culture of the island. Daytime trips to terrestrial and marine habitats are supplemented by evening lectures, discussions, and student presentations.
Course: BIOL 240
Location: San Salvador Island (The Bahamas)
Prerequisite: None
Program Directors: Stephanie Carr, Mark Kuhlmann
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $3,000
NOTE: Domestic flight to departure city (likely Miami, FL) not included in above cost. Estimated extra cost of flight is $500.
Length of program: 20 Days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: TBA
Meals: 3 meals per day included while at Gerace Research Centre, Meals while traveling are at student’s expense
Accommodations: Dorms (Gerace Research Centre)
Additional Expenses: Personal snorkel gear, mosquito netting, travel to and from the departure city (most likely Miami, FL)
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IN LONDON
Applications Open!
This course examines issues related to crime within and outside of the United States. Students will identify, analyze, and compare the criminal justice systems in the United States and London, England. The course explores the basic philosophies of law and justice worldwide, approaches to crime prevention and law enforcement, and methods for managing and rehabilitating convicted offenders across different legal systems. London’s legal traditions played a foundational role in shaping modern criminal justice. The development of the United States criminal justice system was significantly influenced by the established legal institutions in London, and that impact remains evident today. To better understand the contemporary U.S. criminal justice system, this course emphasizes the importance of studying its historical roots, analyzing how past legal philosophies and institutional practices continue to shape modern policies and procedures. Examining the history of the criminal justice system helps us understand how current practices evolved and provides insight into future directions for reform and development.
Course: CRMJ 150
Location: London (England)
Prerequisite: None
Program Directors: Elena Chernyak, Amber Kerwin
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $4,600
Length of program: 19 days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: January 3 – January 21, 2027
Meals: 3 meals per day included
Accommodations: Hotel
POPULISM IN CENTRAL EUROPE
Applications Open!
Populism has seen an upsurge in many parts of the world, including in several European countries. In central Europe, the phenomenon is related to what countries have gone through since World War II. In some, four decades of communism made their mark on their political culture and also left the countries poorer than their West European neighbors. Establishing market economies and joining the European Union have brought more prosperity to many in the region, and joining NATO has brought a political equality with older democracies, at least on paper. But they remain less wealthy than their western allies, and the legacy of their communist past still complicates their politics today. Populism is also growing in relatively affluent countries, such as Austria. During this course, we will visit Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic, examining the historical, political, and economic roots of the current populist surge, and its possible consequences.
Course: ECON 144 or POSC 258
Locations: Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), Prague (Czech Republic)
Prerequisite: None
Program Directors: Amy Forster Rothbart, Karl Seeley
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $3,600
Length of program: 22 Days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: January 6 – January 31, 2027
Meals: 2 to 3 meals per day included
Accommodations: Hotel, Hostels
Italy, Ireland, Kenya
TRANSCULTURAL NURSING IN ITALY
Applications Open!
This course is designed to assist the student to recognize the myriad of health-related beliefs and practices that exist among and between different members of a diverse culture and how those beliefs and practices impact upon the health of its members. This four-week intensive experience is designed to expose the student to the social determinants of health and public health and transcultural concepts and theories. Students are exposed to different empirical frameworks to assist them in providing holistic, culturally competent care to individuals, families, populations, and communities living in a foreign setting. Clinical experiences to meet course objectives occur in diverse rural and/or urban settings with an emphasis on therapeutic interventions, health promotion, disease prevention, risk reduction, and health teaching.
Course: NURS 346
Location: Palermo (Italy)
Prerequisite: Reserved for Nursing Students
Program Directors: Travis Beebe-Woodard, Lorena Marra
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $5,500
Length of program: 14 Days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: January 11 – January 23, 2027
Meals: Some meals included
Accommodations: Hotel
IRISH CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Applications Open!
This course explores how history has shaped Irish society, and how that history presents itself in modern culture. We focus particularly on examining Ireland’s rich culture, with a special emphasis on music. We start in rural Donegal with its cultural and historic wonders, travel through County Cork, and end in modern Dublin with a particular focus on cultural and governmental institutions, with visits to several historic sites along the way. While the program gives students a strong understanding of this fascinating place, students will have the opportunity for short excursions based on individual interests as well. Through it all there will be opportunities to walk in the footsteps of rebels, writers and saints and meet Irish from all walks of life.
Course: SOCI 338 or MUSI 330
Location: Derry, Belfast (Northern Ireland), Gleann Cholm Cille, Galway, Inis Mór, Dublin (Ireland)
Prerequisite: None
Program Directors: Ryan Ceresola, Meghan K. Sheehy
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $3,950
Length of program: 18 days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: January 4 – January 22, 2027
Meals: 3 meals per day included
Accommodations: Homestays, Hostels
WOMEN ART AND CULTURE IN KENYA
Applications Open!
This program offers an immersive exploration of the vital role women play in shaping Kenya’s artistic and cultural landscape. Through themed experiential activities, community engagements, and facilitated discussions, students will examine how Kenyan women use visual arts, performance, and traditional crafts to express identity, preserve heritage, and drive social change. Students will engage critically with questions of gender, representation, and creativity while developing deeper intercultural competence and appreciation for diverse worldviews.
Course: THEA 250 or HUMA 250
Locations: Nairobi, Limuru, Brackenhurst, Maasai Mara, Lake Naivasha (Kenya)
Prerequisite: Being Well Abroad mini course provided by EDU AFRICA
Program Directors: Andrew Kahl, Barbara Kahl
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $5,600
Length of program: 20 Days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: January 3 to January 23, 2027
Meals: 3 meals per day included
Accommodations: Hotel, Boutique Camp
Peru, Spain
PERU: MUSIC AND CULTURES
Applications Open!
This course will take you to the ancient Incan ruins in and around Cusco, where you will learn indigenous music and history, and to the modern cosmopolitan crossroads of Lima, where you will learn from and perform with Peruvian master teachers and fellow students. Planned activities include visits to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley of the Incas, participation in a student music camp in Lima, concerts at clubs and concert halls, workshops on Afro-Peruvian and Andean music, and so much more. Students must participate in Hartwick music ensembles before traveling.
Course: MUSI 250
Locations: Lima & Cusco (Peru)
Prerequisite: Must have participated in an ensemble by Fall 2026
Program Directors: Evan Jagels, Andrew Pease
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $5,500
Length of program: 18 Days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: January 5 to January 31, 2027
Meals: Some meals included
Accommodations: Hotels
FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY IN SPAIN
Applications Open!
This course examines fashion photography as a visual, cultural, and commercial practice within the Spanish context. Students explore how fashion imagery reflects and constructs identity, lifestyle, and brand meaning through photography. Drawing on Spain’s rich urban landscapes, architecture, street culture, and contemporary fashion scenes, the course integrates lectures, fieldwork, visual analysis, and hands-on photographic production. Emphasis is placed on storytelling, aesthetics, and ethical representation rather than technical mastery alone. This course is designed to supplement the Fashion Merchandising minor by strengthening students’ visual literacy and understanding of fashion imagery as a key component of branding and communication.
Course: BUSA 350
Locations: Valencia, Madrid, Cuenca (Spain)
Prerequisite: None
Program Director: Lara Sanford, Weiwei Zhang
Curricular Requirement: 4 credits
Cost: $5,000
Length of program: 16 Days Off-Campus
Tentative program dates: January 4 to January 20, 2027
Meals: 1 to 2 meals per day included
Accommodations: Hostels, Guesthouses
Questions?
Contact the Center for Global Education ([email protected]) or visit our offices on the 1st floor of Clark Hall in 129 & 122.
Hartwick College and the Center for Global Education offer many scholarship opportunities for students who wish to participate in a J Term program.
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