Any full-time or part-time student is eligible to participate in the program. Students from institutions that are not part of the University System of Georgia will be admitted on a space available basis.
Application forms are available from European Council Campus Representatives and from the European Council Office. Completed applications should be submitted to the campus representative, along with a required application fee of $200 and five passport-sized photos. Completed applications are forwarded to the program office at Valdosta State University only when the application fee has been paid.
Because of space limitations, acceptance will be on a first come-first served basis, according to the date of receipt of the application and application fee. Students are encouraged to apply well in advance of the application deadline to assure themselves of a place in the program. The application deadline for the 2009 program is Friday, March 7, 2008.
Program Costs
The package cost of $4765 for the five-week program includes:
Round-trip airfare from Atlanta to Ireland, transportation to and from the airport to the campus, lodging at the WIT, six meals per week, a primary health insurance policy providing coverage for medical expenses, all fieldtrip transportation, and a two-weekend Bus Eireann pass (which will enable you to visit anywhere in the Republic of Ireland on two consecutive weekends).
The package cost does not include tuition, additional meals, passport and related expenses, spending money, travel to Atlanta, or other costs beyond those listed above.
Registration
Council institutions will identify courses and course numbers of their own
that are comparable to the courses being offered by faculty members from
other institutions. This will enable most students to register for courses
through their home institutions. Students from non-member institutions, or
from institutions that do not permit registration for certain courses,
should contact the European Council Office at Valdosta State University for
assistance. For students at institutions actively involved in the European
Council, the first step in registration is meeting with the campus
representative.
Students must take at least 4 semester hours of academic work and may enroll
for up to 7 hours of credit. Courses are three-hour courses, except for the
mandatory 1-hour Introduction to Irish Culture course. The exact course
numbers assigned to classes differ from institution to institution. Check at
the school where you plan to register to find out the numbers for the
courses you wish to take. To find out more about any course, email the
faculty member teaching it.
Note that the program package cost does NOT include tuition fees. Tuition is
paid directly to the college or university where you are registering.
Health Matters and Insurance
Participants are provided with health-care insurance that covers them while they are abroad.
Information about local doctors and medical facilities will be
available at the Waterford Institute of Technology. Students with
special medical problems may be required to provide a physician’s
assurance of their ability to undertake foreign travel and study. It is
not possible for the European Council to guarantee accessible facilities
abroad for students with special needs.
Participants should bring medications they regularly depend upon and
should have copies of prescriptions in generic form in case they need to
acquire additional medications. No special immunizations are needed to
enter Ireland, and the International Immunization Certificate is not
required.
Mobile Phone Rental
The European Council has teamed up with international cell phone company Piccell Wireless to provide you with a reasonably priced mobile phone rental for your time in Ireland. For $19.90 you will receive a tri-band handset, SIM card and return postage for the handset return at the end of the program. You will receive a local Irish number so you will be able to receive calls on the phone AT NO COST to you.
Passports and Visas
Everyone who travels to Ireland must have a valid passport. Participants
who have old passports should have them renewed. Participants who have never
had a passport should begin the process of obtaining one immediately; it
sometimes takes six to eight weeks to get a passport. Local post office have
information on where to get application forms and directions for obtaining a
passport.
Holders of U.S. passports do not need visas to enter Ireland for summer
study. Participants traveling on passports of other countries should contact
their campus representative for assistance in determining whether they will
need to acquire a visa.
