Study Abroad in Greece

The cradle of western civilization will be the base of an amazing experience during your study abroad program. Find study abroad programs in Greece!

Are you looking for a country of rich tradition that has been known as the cradle of western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, and offers some of the most staggering history, stunning architecture, tasty food, beautiful landscapes, and entrancing culture in the world? You may think such a place couldn't exist, but it does.

The Hellenic Republic, or Greece as it is more often known, has been at the center of some of the great civilizations of the past including the Classical and Hellenistic Greek eras, and the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman empires. Greece has been an important crossroads and as such has ties not only to Europe but to Africa and Asia as well. At the same time, Greece has maintained its deep roots. One example is the country's language; despite changes over time, modern Greek is still recognizable as the language spoken for thousands of years. Plato might be stunned to see Greece today, but he would probably still be able to communicate with modern Greeks.

The influence of early Greek writers and thinkers on the development of western literature and thought cannot be exaggerated. As a student in Greece, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in a culture that has given birth to great ideas that form the foundation of Western thought.

The Greek higher education system is controlled and funded by the state, and the Greek Constitution forbids the establishment of private, degree-granting institutions of higher education. The Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs provides financial support for Greece's 18 university institutions (AEI) and its 14 institutions of technological education (TEI). However, this does not preclude professional training schools or branches of foreign universities.

Athens is the capital and commercial center of Greece, with nearly 40% of the country's population. Athens offers the loud, sprawling, busy metropolis of a modern city with the wonders of the ancient city nestled in its center. You cannot miss the iconic Parthenon, or the Agora (market), which once heard the philosophy of Socrates and the teaching of St. Paul emanating directly from their lips. Other ancient sites include the Roman Agora and Tower of the Winds, and the Theater of Dionysus. The National Archaeological Museum houses the best collection of Greek antiquities in the world. After experiencing Ancient Greece, students find it equally as striking to wander the modern city's residential streets and see the profusion of cheery balconies and friendly people, along with the bustling contemporary cultural activities that the city offers.

Greece's second largest city is Thessaloniki, which was founded in 315 BC and has always maintained a sense of autonomy from Athens. Its important geopolitical position has put it at the crossroads between west and east throughout its history and it has been an important cultural and religious site as well. Here students can enjoy the famous hospitality of the Greeks in a place that offers the opportunities and advantages of a big city with the feel of a small town.

Students who explore Greece will find that it is more than just bustling cities. Located in the southeast of Europe on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, Greece has land boundaries with Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, and Albania to the north, and Turkey to the east, and much of the mainland is dry and mountainous. However, the country also encompasses over 2,000 islands, as it is surrounded to the east by the waters of the Aegean Sea and to the west and south by the Ionian and Mediterranean Seas.

From these islands come some of the classic pictures of Greece: whitewashed walls, blue roofs, azure seas, and idyllic splendor. The Greek islands offer diverse land and cultures, from the historic echoes of Crete to the mountainous, pine-forested Sporades; from the lush, Venetian Ionian islands to the damp glades and icy waterfalls of the Northeastern Aegean islands. With the amazing combination of natural beauty and history, it is hardly surprising that tourism contributes to a significant portion of Greece's economy, along with food and tobacco processing, textiles, and shipping.

One student said, "The Greek food alone is enough of a reason to study there." The Greek cuisine features some delightful delicacies, and programs such as College Year Athens offer classes for students who wish to learn how to make these dishes. A few of the best known include spanakopita, souvlaki, rivythia, and horiatiki salata.

Savor the food as you do the rest of the experience of immersing yourself in this magnificent country. Greece truly has history, culture, and beauty you cannot find anywhere else in the world.

ONLINE RESOURCES
Embassy of Greece - Washington, D.C.: http://www.greekembassy.org/
Greek State Scholarships Foundation (IKY): http://www.iky.gr/
National Hellenic Research Foundation: http://www.eie.gr/mobility-portal/fellowships-grants.html
CYA: College Year in Athens: http://www.cyathens.org/
American College of Thessaloniki: http://www.act.edu/
Greece Now: The contemporary Greek e-zine and online resource: http://www1.greece.gr/
Lonely Planet: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/
CIA World Factbook: http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/