Extra-Cost and Off-Campus Short Term Courses


There will be four off-campus study short term courses offered in 2027; they are listed below. Please review the description and summary information and continue to the link supplied for each course that you are interested in. Applications are due by 11:59pm EST on Thursday, December 3, 2026. You may apply for more than one course. Costs, dates, and itineraries are subject to change. Please contact the faculty with any questions about the individual courses. You may contact globaleducation@bates.edu with general process questions.

Scroll down for more information – the courses for Short Term 2027 are:

  • [ASRE S26] The Buddhist Himalaya in India
  • [CC s##] Bridging Communities – Dialogue and Peacebuilding, Ireland and Northern Ireland
  • [CC s##] Textiles and Tourism in Guatemala
  • [EUS/GER/THEA S33] – Central European Theater and Film in Germany and Hungary

[ASRE S26] The Buddhist Himalaya
Prof. Alison Melnick Dyer, amelnick@bates.edu
Estimated Extra Cost: $5,500
Estimated Program Dates: April 27 to May 27, 2027
Enrollment: Up to 12 students 
Location: Ladakh, India 
Learn more and apply here.

Pre-requisites: There are no formal prerequisites for this course, and it is open to all class years. Successful applicants will demonstrate: 1) Ability to be flexible, independent, and considerate of others, and ability to work well as a team. 2) Interest in the content of the course, which might include any of the following: prior study of Buddhism, coursework relating to Buddhism or Ladakh, sustained engagement with the course topics, or a particularly strong enthusiasm to learn about Himalayan Buddhism.

In this experiential course, we learn firsthand about Buddhist religion and culture in the Himalayas during 3.5 weeks of travel in Ladakh, India. Through interaction with traditionally Buddhist communities in rural Ladakh and in the city of Leh, students will learn about the history and development of Buddhism in this region, and its modern formulations. Students will conduct ethnographic fieldwork relating to modern Buddhist practice, and will also examine these practices from historical, cultural, and literary perspectives. They will visit temples and monastic institutions, engage in participant-observation of rituals and festivals, interview practitioners, and participate in the daily life of the Buddhist community. Daily journaling, brief research papers, daily readings and discussion meetings, will all contribute to the group experience of learning together. During our travels we will camp in villages and stay in monastery guesthouses, giving the students the opportunity to engage in sustained dialogue with a diverse community of practitioners.

Travel Considerations:

  • Please review traveler information provided by the U.S. Department of State for India, including information on health considerations. Of note, pollution can impact students with sensitivities. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/India.html 
  • Gastrointestinal issues are common for travelers from the US when going to India. Students are advised to avoid street food and drink only treated or bottled water.
  • Most of this trip will take place at high altitude (above 12,000 feet). Students should be prepared for a slow acclimatization to high altitude.
  • Most participants will require a visa to travel to India. This process will be coordinated by the Center for Global Education. Due to Indian immigration regulations and the short time frame for preparation, students with passports from specific countries will be unable to participate in the program.

[CC s##] Bridging Communities – Dialogue and Peacebuilding
Prof. Alex McAuliff, amcauliff@bates.edu
Estimated Extra Cost: $5,900 
Estimated Program Dates: May 3 to May 25, 2027
Enrollment: Up to 20 students
Location: Ireland and Northern Ireland
Learn more and apply here.

This off-campus Short Term course will travel to Ireland and Northern Ireland to explore how communities build bridges across deep divisions. The central question guiding the class is: How do we build across the divisions that exist between people and create the ground for lasting connections within and among our communities? Students will engage directly with organizations and practitioners who have spent decades fostering dialogue, reconciliation, and cooperation across all axes of identity on the Island. Through exploration of the shared and distinct experiences of Maine and Ireland/Northern Ireland, students will identify commonalities across experiences, while also examining how communities generate context-specific responses to division. Students will identify a community issue within the broader Lewiston or Maine context that they will examine throughout the course. While in Ireland and Northern Ireland, they will meet with community organizations in Dublin, Belfast, and Derry/Londonderry, learning from practitioners who have navigated sectarian division, immigrant integration, and community capacity building. Students will apply these insights to their chosen issue. Upon return, students will have the opportunity to apply their learnings to their identified community issue through collaboration with the Harward Center or through pilot projects supported by Samara Strategies.

Application considerations:

  • Prior community engaged activity  (broadly defined) is encouraged, but not required.
  • There are no prerequisites for this course, however, students who have been involved in any of the following courses or activities are highly encouraged to apply: PLTC 293: Negotiation and Dialogue; PLTC 237: Processes of Peacebuilding; BOND programming; Harward Center community-engaged work. Students without these courses or  experiences who demonstrate a strong interest in dialogue and community engagement are still welcome to apply.

[CC s##] Textiles and Tourism in Guatemala
Prof. Joyce Bennett, jbennett2@bates.edu
Estimated Extra Cost: $4,100
Estimated Program Dates: May 3 to May 26, 2027
Enrollment: Up to 14 students
Location: Guatemala
Learn more and apply here.

This short term course will explore pressing global issues about intellectual property rights among Indigenous peoples, focusing on weaving and weaving designs of Maya peoples around Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. Students will stay in the Kaqchikel town of Panajachel and visit nearby towns that are predominantly Kaqchikel, Tz’utujil, and K’iche’. Bates students in this course will contribute to on-going ethnographic research at the intersections of tourism and intellectual property, actively gathering ethnographic and visual data as part of the course. Bates students will learn and understand traditional weaving techniques while also traveling to and learning from various actors in the region, including non-profits, cooperatives, and development agencies. Students will have the opportunity to code and analyze original data and present it at the end of the course. Topics of interest include intellectual property, tourism and development, social movements, sustainable food systems, migration, market systems, and language and cultural revitalization. Prior coursework in Anthropology preferred but not required.

Travel/health considerations: Students should apply bug spay daily, as mosquito borne-illnesses are on the rise in the area (zika, dengue, chikungunya). Students should also prepare for altitude sickness, as we will be traveling between 5,000 and 7,500 feet. Hepatitis A and typhoid vaccines are recommended prior to travel; please consult with your doctor’s office. 

[EUS/GER/THEA S33] – Central European Theater and Film
Prof. Katalin Vecsey, kvecsey@bates.edu & Prof. Jakub Kazecki, jkazecki@bates.edu
Estimated Extra Cost: $5,900
Estimated Program Dates: April 24 to May 20, 2027
Enrollment: Up to 20 students
Locations: Germany and Hungary
Learn more and apply here.

This Short Term course combines study of Hungarian and German history, politics, theater, and film since about 1945, focusing on the impact of the cataclysmic social and political changes in Central Europe. Key historical contexts explored include the post-WW2 division of Germany, the 1956 Hungarian uprisings, the collapse of the Soviet bloc in 1989, and the reunification of Germany. Traveling to both Budapest, Hungary, and Berlin, Germany, students will participate in discussions led by Bates instructors and local guest artists and scholars. Students will attend live theater performances, such as the renowned MITEM festival in Budapest and major venues in Berlin, view relevant Hungarian and German films, and engage in guided site visits to historically significant locations like the House of Terror in Budapest, the Berlin Wall Memorial, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.

Eligibility requirements: 

  • Recommended background: at least one course in European studies, theater, politics, or German studies.
  • Academic or practical background in Theater or Film is considered, along with coursework in modern European literature/history.
  • Demonstrated interest in Central European culture and politics.
  • Capacity for engaged, respectful participation in an intensive off-campus learning environment.
  • Open to all class years.
  • No prior language study is required.

You can learn more about previously offered off-campus short term courses here.

Important Policies Related to Short Term Off-Campus / Extra Cost Courses

General Student Eligibility for Off-Campus Short Term Courses

In order to be eligible for the Off-Campus Short Term Courses, students must meet each of the following criteria:
– Good academic and behavioral standing.
– Students can participate in up to two (2) Off-Campus Study Short Term Courses in an effort to allow participation by as many students as possible.
– Students must be enrolled at Bates, on campus, during the Winter term. Students on leave, graduating in December, or on study abroad/off-campus study are not eligible.
– Students must complete the Off-Campus Study Short Term application by the stated deadline.

In addition to these eligibility guidelines, each course may have additional pre-requisites or requirements needed at time of application. Please review the individual course’s details for more information.

Financial Aid for Short Term Off-Campus / Extra Cost Courses

Financial aid is available to cover all or a portion of the costs associated with an off-campus/extra cost Short Term course for eligible students. Each instructor provides Student Financial Services with a list of students who have been given permission to participate in their course and this information is used to determine who will receive financial aid for the course, there is no additional application process. You must currently be eligible for Bates institutional grant funds to receive this additional assistance. In past years, students have been asked to contribute between $0 and $2,500, depending on their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for the academic year and available financial aid funds. Official financial aid awards will be available to students prior to committing to the program. Please note that withdrawal from a course, after committing to the course, may result in charges for non-refundable costs. Generally these are not able to be covered by financial aid.

If you have additional questions related to your specific financial situation, please contact Student Financial Services sfs@bates.edu.

Financial Responsibility and Course Withdrawal

After acceptance and course confirmation, students become financially responsible for costs related to the course. This can be up to the total cost of the course. Bates will attempt to obtain refunds for students who withdraw after confirmation but items like airline tickets, provider fees, performance tickets, and hotel deposits are often non-refundable.

Withdrawals within 30 days of the start of the course will result in a a charge of the full cost of the course.

Visa Costs and Travel

The application cost of necessary visas to participate in these courses is included in the extra cost. The extra cost may cover some but not all expenses related to visa application travel and biometrics. Please meet with a member of the Center for Global Education to learn more.

Personal Costs and Other Travel Costs

While most costs are covered through the course fee, students should expect and plan for other costs that are not covered. These might include visa travel costs, additional luggage fees, approved solo travel, non-course site seeing or meals, and similar items that aren’t part of the course structure.

Academic or Physical Accommodations

Students with disabilities that may require accommodations should be in touch with staff in the Center for Global Education and/or the faculty leaders of the course they’re interested in early in their considerations. The earlier these conversations can happen the better that accommodations can be determined for the course. This includes housing accommodations. Discussions related to the accessibility of the course must happen prior to the application deadline. Students may also ask the office of Accessible Accommodations for assistance in this process.