JMU Summer in Ireland:
Ireland in Text and Image

Summer 2010: June 19 - July 30

Program Location

The program will spend six weeks in Ireland —thirteen days in Cork (in the South), three days in Killarney (in the Southwest), twelve days in Galway (on the West coast) and thirteen days in Dublin (on the East coast). The program schedule includes frequent cultural events and outings keyed to the program’s text & image themes, plus field trips into the Irish countryside and coastal regions. Plans to date include drama, dance and musical events at the Cork Midsummer Festival, movies at the Irish Film Institute and the Galway Film Festival, a play in Dublin (Abbey and/or Gate theatre), and a day trip to the Aran Islands. Two personal travel weekends are built into the schedule for visiting other towns in Ireland or countries in Europe. Please see our Planning Calendar for additional details.

Academic Program

The program is seeking students who (a) are already committed to creative writing and film analysis as a career, or (b) would like an opportunity to explore their communication talents in a structured situation rich in feedback and the traditions of written expression.

Such students are welcome from all departments and programs on campus, especially from those where creative expression and media analysis are featured pursuits (for example, Media Arts & Design, English, Communication Studies, Writing, Rhetoric & Technical Communication, Theatre & Dance, and the interdisciplinary minors in Creative Writing and Film Studies).  Participants will take six credits, with everyone enrolling in a Creative Journaling seminar, and each student choosing one of two additional courses: either Travel Writing, or the Irish Film.

• The Journaling Seminar will be taught as a creative writing outlet organized to encourage personal expression in various forms (including poetry, fiction, essay, playwriting/screenwriting, and photography).
• Travel Writing will focus on writing feature articles related to travel.
• The Irish Film will focus on analysis & reviews of Irish films and the Galway Film Festival.

All three courses will be offered under both SMAD, WRTC and English Department course numbers—your choice (see courses numbers below).

Instructional methods include lectures, guided tours, journal assignments and/or papers, test/exams and required attendance at assigned plays, performances, films, and other cultural/historical outings.

Tentative course offerings:

• Journaling Seminar
  ENG 396: Advanced Composition, (3)
  SMAD 305: Topics in Media Arts & Design, (3)
  WRTC 396: Advanced Composition, (3)

and

• Irish Film
  ENG 382: Introduction to Film Studies Since 1960, (3)
  SMAD 398: Critical Studies in Media Arts & Design, (3)
  WRTC 351: Visual Rhetoric, (3)

or

• Travel Writing
  ENG 496: Advanced Topics in Creative Writing, (3)
  SMAD 311: Feature Writing, (3)
  WRTC 400: Special Topics Seminar in Rhetoric and Writing, (3)

Notes:

• All students must take the journaling seminar and one other course.
• Prior courses in creative writing and film analysis are not required to participate in the program.
• Students are required to bring a laptop computer.

Accommodations

Students will reside in residence halls/dormitories in Cork, Galway and Dublin, Ireland. Some group meals and a weekly allowance will be provided.

Tentative program calendar

Program Costs

For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.

Application

For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.

In addition to the Short-term Application, interested students should submit a program-specific application form, an essay and a recommendation from a faculty member in the applicant's major. A personal interview may also be required. Applicants must have a 2.7 minimum GPA, and must have Junior status as of summer 2010.

For More Information

For additional information about the Ireland: Text and Image program, please contact the program directors:

Thomas McHardy
Associate Professor
School of Media Arts and Design
Tel: 540-568-2547
E-mail: mchardtj@jmu.edu

Kathy Hughes
Assistant Professor
School of Media Arts and Design
Tel: 540-568-3969
E-mail: hugheska@jmu.edu

Erica Bleeg
Assistant Professor
English Department
Tel.: 540-568-6860
E-Mail: bleegek@jmu.edu