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One of the unique features of Elmira College is our special third term in April and May, which offers students an opportunity to explore new curricular areas as well as travel domestically and abroad.
Term III is all about gaining knowledge through experience. We provide you with opportunities to do immersive and intensive work in different fields. These special cocurricular study options are designed to enhance your traditional coursework through innovative and adventurous approaches to learning. If you're an Education student, you can student teach, while Nursing students have the opportunity for clinical work. Many students elect to travel internationally for the term.
Term III has multiple ways in which you can take your education beyond the classroom. Whether you want to immerse yourself by traveling to specific locations, have a more relaxed approach to learning, or do field research, we look forward to seeing you take your knowledge to another level.
Term III allows you to have an immersive learning experience where you get to be right in the action of your travels. The locations and historical artifacts you visit are direct points of reference that will inform your studies.
What’s great about our program is that it’s a low-stakes approach for students to gain knowledge since there are no performance evaluations or grades given. You simply get to gain a new experience and learn for the love of it!
For those of you who are interested in field research, our Term III trips offer you the chance to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations and learn how to collect data, analyze, and problem-solve, all the while fostering understanding of diverse perspectives.
Discover how society, culture, policies, and law impact the health, wellness, and resilience of vulnerable populations during this two-week trip to Ireland. Learn how health care needs and resources are balanced within a society or culture through an exploration of social concepts, art forms, and legal policies within a global context. You'll explore cultural arts, religion, architecture, paintings, music, handcrafts, dance, and food as you visit castles, cathedrals, Trinity College, the Irish Famine Museum, gardens, shopping districts, and more.
Study the flora and fauna of the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska while hiking glaciers, sea kayaking, dog sledding, visiting a wildlife refuge, and whale watching. As you explore Alaskan culture and society you'll focus on Alaskan ecology, wildlife conservation, and environmental/social issues.
Experience India first-hand through immersive cultural encounters and daily excursions like learning to cook Indian cuisine, taking a wildlife safari, and experimenting with yoga, revealing what life is like in the world’s most populous country. You'll explore India's religious diversity; the caste system and its contemporary relevance; gender dynamics and social change; the impact of colonialism on Indian society; and the interplay between tradition and modernity in 21st-century India while engaging in a comprehensive exploration of India's diverse landscapes including bustling cities, jungles, and beaches.
Compare the economic and regional differences between northern and southern Italy. Start in cities like Milan, Turin, Verona, and Venice before heading southward through Florence and Rome on your way to Naples, Matera, and Bari. Walk and bike around historic landmarks and museums while visiting factories, wineries, olive groves. artisan, and cottage industries.
Explore ecological concepts with direct observation of organisms on a tropical island in The Bahamas. You'll learn methods for sampling and identifying plants and animals in different environments while examining the geology, history, and culture of the island. You'll keep a field journal to record your observations and participate in a field research project.
No art experience is required for this studio art travel course, where you'll draw and paint the natural forms and phenomena within a tropical ecosystem in The Bahamas. Learn to observe and sketch scientific illustrations in the field to create drawings, illustrations, and watercolor paintings.
Over the spring break in March, you can gain an appreciation of the challenges in achieving accessible healthcare in settings outside of the United States with a trip to Panama. The trip is part of an online course that investigates the leading causes of illness, death, and disability in resource-constrained settings. During the trip, you'll learn first-hand about approaches to prevention and control of those conditions and learn to critically evaluate solutions to improve global health.
Explore our past Term III excursions and gain a better understanding of how exhilarating experiences like these can bring your classroom studies to life and change the way you see the world.