Ireland's Culture and Society (Faculty-Led Program)

• Gain a first-hand knowledge of Irish cultural history through guided excursions around Waterford, Kilkenny, Dublin, Killarney, and other neighboring towns/cities.
• Examine depictions of Ireland and the Irish in popular culture to place these representations in context both experientially and through critical social scientific evaluations.
• Explore assumptions about Ireland and its people, provide a critique of stereotypes, and investigate historical and cultural forces that have shaped current policies and laws addressing social problems such as crime and poverty.
• Course can count towards an immersion or minor or major in Criminal Justice or as elective credit. Open to all majors, no pre-requisites.

This program offers a comparative approach to students studying social sciences such as criminal justice and economics. You will study at RIT (in person or remotely) for the first 4 weeks of RIT's first six-week summer session and then spend the next two weeks in Ireland. RIT works closely with the South East Technological University to provide a well-rounded view of Ireland's history, culture, criminal justice, and economic system.

While in Ireland, you will stay in dorms on campus at South East Technological University (SETU). You will participate in numerous cultural excursions and seminars organized by subject matter experts from Ireland. You will be assigned readings, participate in discussions, and keep a travel journal.

Term: Summer
Travel Dates: June 11-June 25, 2025
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• CRIM 489 - Forces of Social Order

Students will be enrolled in the class during RIT's Summer Session I (in-person or remote) and then travel to Ireland during the final two weeks of the course.

No pre-requisites. Open to all undergraduate majors, all year levels.

Application Deadline: February 16, 2025

Eligibility:

• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher (students with lower than a 3.2 GPA would be considered on a case-by-case basis)
• Have a clear conduct record with RIT
• Have no financial holds on your RIT eServices account at the time of your program acceptance/confirmation

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: A student budget worksheet outlining all program costs will be available soon. 

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting, so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships awarded based on financial need.

• Other scholarships: RIT Study Abroad Scholarships, National Study Abroad Scholarships

To Apply

1) Watch this video on application steps for RIT faculty-led programs which covers important information (video is captioned)

2) Start an application in the RIT Study Abroad Compass
Before starting an application you will  be prompted to fill out a Compass profile. After completing your profile information, you will need to search for the "Ireland's Culture & Society" program under "Search Programs" to complete an application.