LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

English

COURSE LOAD 

1 course, 3 credits

COURSE OFFERINGS

You will select one of the following:

• Political Science 3000 Topics in Political Science (3 credits)

ACADEMIC PROGRAM

In this course, you will examine the origins and key events of the Northern Ireland conflict up until the Peace Process and the beginnings of the transition to a post-conflict society. Given the nature of the conflict and its aftermath, the interpretation of many of these events remains contested between the different protagonists. As a result, you will look at the conflict and its relevance from different viewpoints – Republican, Nationalist, Loyalist, Unionist, the British and Irish governments. You will track the shifts in competing political and ethno-nationalist discourses that paved the way for the Good Friday Agreement, while confronting the ongoing aftermath of the Troubles and its impact on modern society.

Situated in the northeast of the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland is a distinct part of the United Kingdom, sharing a southern border with the Republic of Ireland, with a population of approximately 1.9 million people.

Northern Ireland is a region of dramatic landscapes, legendary coastlines, and a complex, deeply moving history. The landscape transitions from rolling green hills to the rugged northern shores, where you will find the Giant's Causeway, a spectacular UNESCO World Heritage site made of thousands of interlocking basalt columns.

Explore Belfast!

Belfast is the capital city of Northern Ireland, home to over 350,000 people, and famous for its striking political murals that depict its complex history. The seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Stormont, is the heart of government in Northern Ireland and a key site of negotiations that ended the Troubles. For thirty-odd years, Belfast was the primary site of the Troubles, where paramilitaries and citizens alike lived, worked, and raised their families amidst sectarian violence.

The city is a vibrant industrial and cultural hub that seamlessly blends its maritime past with a modern artistic renaissance. Belfast is home to the Titanic Belfast museum, located in the very docklands where the famous ship was built, or take a historic Black Cab tour to view the city's famous political murals.

View the map of Belfast. 

Explore Derry/Londonderry!

Derry (also officially known as Londonderry) is Northern Ireland's second-largest city and stands as a major epicenter of the Troubles. Its very name reflects the region's deep sectarian divide: Catholic nationalists generally use the original Irish name Derry, while Protestant unionists prefer the British royal charter title Londonderry. The city is fundamentally tied to the Troubles as the literal birthplace of the conflict. Tensions over gerrymandering and civil rights discrimination against the Catholic majority erupted here into the 1969 Battle of the Bogside. Most notably, the city was the site of the tragic Bloody Sunday massacre on January 30, 1972, cementing the city's place at the dark heart of modern Irish history.

In Derry/Londonderry, you can walk the perfectly preserved 17th-century stone walls of Derry/Londonderry or explore the lush forests that served as backdrops for iconic television productions such as Derry Girls and Game of Thrones. 

View the map of Derry/Londonderry.

Course Duration: January – May (with required travel to Northern Ireland in May) 

Tentative International Travel Dates

Do not use the above dates to book your flight, as they are tentative and subject to change. Accepted students will receive confirmed program dates and flight booking guidelines from Education Abroad before making travel plans.  

Program participants are required to be present for the entire length of the program, from the official arrival date through the program end date.

Housing type: Hotel or Hostel

Basic hotel or hostel (shared, single-sex bedrooms) for the duration of the program. If you have documented accommodation with Disability Resources & Services for a single room, please contact Education Abroad when you apply for the program. 

PROGRAM DEPOSIT

Students will pay a non-refundable program deposit of $400 within 2 weeks of acceptance to the program. This non-refundable deposit is credited to your program fees as a prepayment. 

TUITION AND FEES

Temple students pay their usual spring semester tuition and fees by school/college and residency.

All students pay:

• Global Seminars Program Fee: $2,500 (Includes airfare, housing, required program activities, and some meals abroad.)

For complete details about billable costs and estimates for non-billable expenses while abroad. 

View detailed program costs.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FINANCIAL AID

Learn more about scholarships and financial aid.

Staying healthy and safe abroad requires good planning and strong support. Review our health and safety page for important steps to prepare to study abroad, and details about international travel medical insurance and assistance provided by Temple. 

• You are enrolled as a full-time matriculated student at the time of application until the end of the Global Seminar.
• You will have completed at least one (1) semester of college-level study by the program start.

• You meet the minimum cumulative GPA requirement from all colleges/universities attended. The GPA requirement for Temple Global Seminars is 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
• You remain in good academic standing from the time of application until the start of the semester of the Global Seminar; students on academic warning are not eligible to participate.

A copy of your passport will be required by the October 15 commitment deadline .Your passport cannot expire for at least 6 months after you return from your trip abroad. 

You must be in good disciplinary standing at the time of application and remain so through the start of your travel abroad. Students who have been found responsible for a code of conduct violation and will not be in good disciplinary standing (including disciplinary probation) may submit a petition for review.

You are at least 18 years old at the time of application.