The Temple of Hephaestus, The Acropolis, and The Arch of Hadrian are a few of the amazing structures that students can visit and learn about when studying in Greece. Students have several options to study in Greece, such as taking a travel course, a semester class with study abroad travel during a university break with Pace University faculty leaders and classmates.
The travel course, Literature 211Y, “Greece: A Modern Odyssey,” is a 3-credit Spring course with travel for about two weeks in June to Athens and the island of Samos. The class is open to all majors and fulfills AOK 1 (Civic Engagement), and AOK 2 or AOK 4. The course educates students about The Odyssey, an epic, and allows students to understand the relationship between this work of literature to the lives of refugees, who have experienced wars and conflicts. Rebecca Slotkin, Director of The Education Abroad office, states, “Students study the Ancient Greek literary epic alongside modern refugee narratives, design their own projects to support a nonprofit organization in Greece, visit the actual locations associated with Greek history and mythology from the readings throughout the semester, and meet with refugee relief-focused volunteers and beneficiaries.” Some of the locations that students visit are the Ancient Agora, the Acropolis, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Temple of Poseidon.
Slotkin discusses how students felt about their experiences taking this travel course, saying they “gained a deeper understanding of Greece’s culture, society, and its relationship with the natural world, as well as became a more confident and resourceful traveler.” Students also remarked how happy they were about traveling with their classmates and professors. Students said that the course helped them to ‘“[be] able to become more confident, social, and outgoing due to having good classmates and professors.”’
In addition, students may enroll in the January Intercession seminar, called Mediterranean Basin. In this seminar, Pace University partners with IAU College. The webpage, “IAU College: Mediterranean Basin,” on Pace University’s website, states, “IAU’s Mediterranean Basin January Term Traveling Seminar is designed for students interested in an academic and cultural experience in Greece, Italy, and France.”
Students see different historical sites as part of the seminar. The webpage states, “The experiential learning component consists of a series of site visits made by academic experts from IAU in addition to local guides and faculty in the fields of history, art history, and archaeology.” Students may choose from one of several courses to take for the seminar, such as Archaeology 385, “Greek and Roman Archaeology,” or Religious Studies 385, “From Polytheism to Monotheism, The Early Christian Period in Italy, Greece & France.” You can visit the webpage here for more information.
Slotkin also highlights how different options may arise in the future for students to study abroad in Greece. “We’re always reflecting on Pace’s portfolio of study abroad programs to provide students with the most impactful experiences, so it’s possible that different opportunities will come available in Greece in future terms. For instance, we’re working on developing a new semester study abroad program in the lively city of Thessaloniki along the Aegean Sea for Pace [Biology] majors.”
Students also do not need to know the Greek language to study in Greece. Ms. Slotkin states, “While students often have the option to learn the local language and it can be useful on the ground, knowing the language in advance isn’t a requirement for most of the study abroad opportunities through Pace.”
Slotkin, who has worked at Pace for five and a half years, discusses the joy she feels when she listens to students’ study abroad experiences. “Getting to hear stories from students coming back from abroad about the experience has impacted them, like the ones from the Greece Travel Course, makes me very happy.”
Slotkin also enjoys seeing the positive impact that traveling to other countries has had on students. “I also love to see the new-found confidence students have when they return, whether they are on a short-term or long-term program. For instance, I remember one student who had never traveled outside the US before and by the end of his Pace Travel Course experience in Denmark and Sweden, he wanted to apply for internships abroad the following summer!”
In addition, Slotkin offers some important advice to students. “Be curious! Whatever it is that you choose to do, whether study abroad, personal travel, or a student club on campus, do it with a sense of adventure.”
Slotkin also provides tips to students who are interested in studying abroad. “Do some self-reflection, talk to your family, let your Academic Advisor know this is something you are interested in, and take some time to thoughtfully research on Pace’s study abroad portal to find a program that fits your academics, budget, and interests. We have [over seventy-five] programs in [fifty] different countries.” You can find the study abroad portal is here. Slotkin also advises students to obtain a passport or renew their passport, which is crucial to traveling to other countries.
Ms. Slotkin recommends that students attend information sessions hosted by The Study Abroad office. “For any student interested in study abroad, get started by attending an Abroad 101 info session, offered every week. If you know you want to do a Pace Travel Course, there’s a specific info session for this type of study abroad program every Wednesday. The schedule details for all info sessions are on our website.” You can access the webpage on The Study Abroad office’s information sessions here.
Students must also be aware of application deadlines for study abroad opportunities. “Application deadlines for January Intersession 2026 and Spring 2026 semester programs are due September 20,” Slotkin said. Applications for Spring Travel Courses with Spring Break or Summer travel will open in September and we strongly recommend applying by the early action deadline of November 15 for the best chance of securing a spot.” You can find more information on application deadlines here.
Students can also attend the Study Abroad Fair. This event allows students to talk to their peers who have studied abroad, as well as professors offering studying abroad courses and representatives from Pace’s partner universities throughout the world. The Study Abroad Fair is on Tuesday, September 9 from 11am-2pm in the 1 Pace Plaza Student Center on the NYC campus. Information on the Study Abroad Fair on the Pleasantville campus will be available to students soon. Information on The Study Abroad Fair is on the “Upcoming Study Abroad Events” webpage on Pace’s Study Abroad website. They can access the webpage here.