Program Description

The trip to the Czech Republic affords you the opportunity to live in one of the most beautiful, exciting, and culturally rich cities in the world. While hundreds of thousands of people visit Prague every year, few of them have the opportunity to stay longer than a few days. You, on the other hand, have nearly an entire month to experience what this incredible city has to offer, to live life as a Prague resident, and to make this city your own. To facilitate your enjoyment of Prague and to enhance your learning experience, I have planned carefully an itinerary that includes tours of important political, cultural, and historical sites, visits to the legislative chambers and executive offices of the Czech Republic, meetings with Czech politicians, prominent Czech academics, former"dissident" leaders that helped bring an end to the Communist regime, and other cultural and political figures, and excursions to important sites outside of Prague, including the concentration camp, Terezin, and the ancient capital of Moravia, Olomouc. Assignments are crafted carefully to reflect the unique opportunities available to you while studying in the Czech Republic, including an academic and personal journal, a small interview project with native Czechs, and a "Czech list" of experiences one should have while living in Prague, such as attending an opera at the National Theatre, a puppet show, a church concert, a Jazz concert, a sporting event, visiting a museum, church, and supermarket, spending an afternoon in a Czech cafe, and riding a tram from one end of the city to the other.

Course Description

PolS XXXX Post-Communist Democracy in the Czech Republic, 4 cr

This course offers students the opportunity to study the politics of the new democracy in the Czech Republic via analysis and discussion of texts, guest lectures by politicians, academics, journalists, interest groups, and dissidents of the former Czechoslovakia, and visits to important political, cultural, and historical sites throughout the country.

Faculty Profile:

Dr. D Christopher Brooks, instructor of Political Science at the University of Minnesota, Morris, earned his Ph.D. from Indiana University in 2002. As a specialist on the politics of East-Central Europe, he has lived, worked, and traveled in the Czech Republic and surrounding states extensively. Prior to his appointment at UMM, Professor Brooks taught a range of courses including East-Central European Politics, Democratic Transitions, Social MOvements, and Ethnic Conflict at St. Olaf College. He has led previous study abroad programs to the Czech Republic in 2004 and 2006.

Program Costs:

Program Fee: $3850

Includes: Meals, excursions, insurance, tuition and administrative fee.

Estimated Extra Costs: $1,800

Includes: Airfare and personal spending money.

Application Deadlines:

Initial - Friday, December 14, 2007
- Receive a $150 program fee reduction
- Entered into a $500 fee reduction drawing

Early—Friday, January 25, 2008
- Receive a $100 program fee reduction

Final—Friday, February 15, 2008

Regardless of when you turn in your application, you may be eligible to apply for UMM scholarships worth up to $750. For scholarship applications, contact the Center for International Programs.