Department of Philosophy
The Philosophy Department offers summer opportunities for students to obtain college credit in innovative ways, including time outside of the classroom. Most programs are made up of a small group of 8-20 students with one or two professors. These opportunities allow students a firsthand experience of how philosophy has shaped the world and the people in it.
Dr. Justin McBrayer
In 2016, the Philosophy Department and USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium) partnered to offer a new innovative month trip to Costa Rica during the second summer session of 2016.
Hosted by Universidad San Jose, the four week session gave participants opportunities for independent research, internships, or volunteer work in field-related institutions.
Where: San Ramon, and Tortuga Island, with optional exploration of Southern Costa Rica.
In 2013, the Philosophy Department and Continuing Education partnered to offer a new innovative month trip to Greece during the first summer session of 2013. The trip was called Greece: The Cradle of Civilization and focused on the cultural and philosophical contributions of classical Greece. As part of education for global citizenship, the course explored some of the recent turmoil in Greece including the Euro crisis.
When: First summer session of 2013 (3 days of class in Durango and 19 days in Greece)
Where: 4 cities on the mainland and 3 Greek islands
2012: France Through Art & Philosophy
Dr. Justin McBrayer and Mr. Paul Booth
This course introduced students to France and French culture with a focus on art and philosophy. The class traveled from Paris to Tours to Vezelay to Dijon and finally back to Paris. Cultural/Academic sites included the Louvre, Musee ‘d Orsay, Gaite Lyric Museum, the palace of Versailles, Chartres Cathedral, Giverny (home of Monet), Centre Pompidou, Notre Dame Cathedral, the hometown of Rene Descartes, and more. We also had a dinner cruise on the Seine river in Paris, a bike ride through portions of the Loire valley, and a canoe trip outside of the medieval hamlet of Vezelay.
2011: Italy Through Art & Philosophy
This course introduces students to Italy and Italian culture with a focus on art and philosophy. The class traveled from Rome and the Vatican City to Orvieto to Florence and finally to Venice. Cultural/Academic sites included the Pantheon, the Coliseum, St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, Ostia Antica, the caves under Orvieto, the Uffizi Gallery, the Florentine duomo, and much more.
2010: India: Theory & Practice of Meditation, Yoga & Service
Dr. Reyes Garcia
This course introduces students to the theory behind yoga and the practice of yoga. The class travelled to Dharamsala, India, home of the government-in-exile of Tibet and its head of state, the 14th Dalai Lama. The goal of the course is to become acquainted with Mahayana Buddhist meditation, especially as practiced at the Tushita Meditation Centre in nearby Dharamkot and with Hindu meditation and yoga as taught at the three ashrams (Hindu retreat centers).
2008: India: Theory & Practice of Meditation, Yoga & Service
The goal of the course is to become acquainted with Mahayana Buddhist meditation, especially as practiced at the Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamkot and with Hindu meditation and yoga as taught at the three ashrams (Hindu retreat centers) that we will stay in: Rishikesh, “yoga capital of the world,” an ashram near Uttarkashi directed by the reknowned Swami Premanand, and Gangotri, the village in the Himalayas nearest the glacial headwaters of the Ganges. The pinnacle of the trip is a stop in Dharamsala, home of the government-in-exile of Tibet and its head of state, the 14th Dalai Lama.
Dr. Sarah Roberts-Cady
In 2019, the Philosophy Department and USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium) partnered to offer a month trip to Alicante, Spain during the first summer session of 2019.
Hosted by the University of Alicante, the four week session on political philosophy will explore different theories of political legitimacy and secession, from the historical debates between Hobbes and Locke to contemporary work by Allen Buchanan.
Although the primary focus of the course will be political philosophy, the course will also draw upon work in history and political science, with the goal of better understanding contemporary political debates within Spain about the independence movements in Catalonia and the Basque country.