Location
  • Greece
    • Athens
    • Crete
    • Paros
    • Santorini
Term
Short Term, Summer
Subject Areas
Anthropology Archaeology Art History Arts Classical Studies Communications Conflict Studies Creative Writing Cultural Studies Economics Environmental Studies European Studies Film Gender Studies Global Studies History Humanities International Business International Relations Journalism Language Studies Liberal Arts Literature Museum Studies Philosophy Political Science Psychology Public Policy Religious Studies Service Learning Social Sciences Sociology Sustainable Development Theater Tourism +25

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
High School Diploma Bachelors
Housing
Apartment
Language
English

Pricing

Price Details
Program fees include tuition, lodging in a furnished student apartment or hotel unit, course materials, a farewell lunch or dinner and, where applicable, field study and co-curricular activities. Cost varies by course; please check our website for more information.

Fee reductions are offered for students who:
- $100 per course for students who submit their application with full payment postmarked on or before March 1st.
- $100 per course for students who enroll and participate in two CYA summer courses.
- $250 per course for students from public universities.
- $100 per course for CYA semester students who enroll in a summer course.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Classes Some Meals Transportation Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Some Meals SIM cards Travel Insurance
Feb 02, 2021
Aug 17, 2021

About Program

Soak-up summer in Greece!
Students interested in short term, intensive study abroad are invited to take advantage of CYA's summer programs, which offer unique, experience-based opportunities for learning.

Summer is an exceptional time to study in Greece. Our unique courses are tailored to combine academics with authentic experiences, taking advantage of the sun, the sea and the vibrant summer culture from Athens to the surrounding islands. Explore our country's rich history, get involved in archaeological excavations and delve into the anthropology of food in Greece, and so much more, this summer at CYA.

Our summer courses are offered in two consecutive 4-week sessions that run between the beginning of June and the end of July. They are arranged so that motivated students may earn credit in complementary courses. Students take one course per session. Each 4 week course/session consists of 60 contact hours.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Onsite and experience-based classes.
  • Study-travel at breathtaking sites across Greece.
  • Personalized attention from dedicated faculty and staff.
  • Delve into a subject of interest with intensive course structure.
  • Experience the gorgeous Greek summer!

Program Reviews

9.75 Rating
based on 28 reviews
  • 9-10 rating 92.86%
  • 7-8 rating 7.14%
  • 5-6 rating 0%
  • 3-4 rating 0%
  • 1-2 rating 0%
  • Academics 9.1
  • Support 9.6
  • Fun 9.9
  • Housing 9.4
  • Safety 9.8
Showing 1 - 8 of 28 reviews
Default avatar
Leighann
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Missing Greece Already!

For four weeks in Summer 2021, I was able to take a class on the Anthropology of Food in Greece, taught by Aimee Placas (who is amazing!). The course, and Greece in general was amazing. I learned so much about food, traditions, culture, etc - and ate my way through 7 Greek islands as well (yum!). I'm missing the experience and the people I met along the way already.

I highly recommend taking the ferries from Athens (Pireaus) to islands like Aegina, Naxos, Poros, Paros, etc. Ikaria is another favorite - but fly there!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
Octopus! A must try on so many of the Greek islands.
Default avatar
Rachel
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

The summer of a lifetime!

CYA gave me the opportunity for a trip that I never would have been able to plan or execute on my own. For four weeks in the summer of 2021, I took The Strangeness of Ancient Greece: Diversity, Difference and Regionality among the Greek States, taught by Professor Pitt. Living among locals, learning about the history of the country, eating great food, and traveling around Greece made my education feel tangible and real. Not only did CYA give me the opportunity to travel and learn, but they made the process accessible, easy, and fun the whole way through.

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
As silly as it may seem, the deep and beautiful history of Greece was something that was continually surprising to me as an American. Walking in Athens and suddenly coming across an ancient bathhouse or part of the original city walls always left me surprised and facinated.
Default avatar
Lizzie
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Summer Session 1 Program: Writing as a traveler

The best way to spend my summer! In June, I travelled with CYA to Athens and Poros for an unforgetable study abroad opportunity. Even with COVID restrictions, CYA did an amazing and safe job of providing an in-person travel opportunity. Through excellent curriculum and exceptional recommendations, I travelled around Greece to the fullest in four short weeks. I am already preparing to return to see more of the wonderful country. Thank you so much to my classmates and teachers who made the trip on that I will never forget!

What was your funniest moment?
Horseback riding on Hydra with Harriet Hydra Horses was exceptional! The views were amazing and her philosphy and care of the horses made it even better!
Default avatar
Adam
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

I cannot wait to go back!

My experience with CYA was one of the coolest things I have ever done, and I would absolutely do it again, without question. In some sense, it’s hard to fully assess the benefits of studying abroad so close to my time abroad, but it is clear that the benefits of doing so are numerous.

I feel deeply grateful to have been able to visit places I have read about in my Classics courses for years, to see artifacts outside books, to get a whiff of the past while we walked along ancient roads, and to see the remnants of lives lived many years ago, which were not so unlike our own. The challenge the course posed to the dominance of Athenocentricity in Classics will be valuable as I move forward in my studies, but, perhaps the most meaningful part of the study abroad experience was just having the opportunity to leave my bubble and venture somewhere entirely new, which I felt even more deeply following the COVID-19 lockdowns. This is especially true as we see nationalism rising in waves across the world. Experiences like the one provided by CYA can help to counter ideologies that ask us to hate those that live beyond our borders. Participating in a program like CYA gives us space to stop and reflect on our place in this big, beautiful word of ours, and it nudges us to remember that there are people not unlike ourselves all over the world, and the awareness this brings is invaluable.

Upon arrival in Greece, I was immediately confronted by the fact that the people in Greece are exceptionally warm and kind, and they were willing to do whatever it took to help. The taxi drivers, the waiters and shop attendants, the locals I met walking around the city all went out of their way to make sure I was taken care of, and you will also probably find yourself receiving a lot of free food.

If you did this all over again, what's one thing you would change?
If it is financially feasible, I would recommend staying a little while after the program ends. Planning for some extra time will give you the opportunity to see sites that you may not have seen as part of a course, and it will give you time to do more tourist-y things, go to the beach, and enjoy some more delicious food. My flight out of Greece was extremely early the day after the program ended, and I definitely wish that I would have stayed longer.
1 person found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Rachel
10/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Time of My Life!

In this program, we were able to travel all around Greece. It was amazing to be able to experience the vastness of the country while also being able to learn from a very knowledgeable professor about Ancient Greece. The people were all amazing and it was very easy to connect with them! There is always something to do in Athens whether that’s hiking, seeing a theatre show, or eating at an amazing restaurant. You also have much more free time to explore than you would think so take advantage of that and go see the beach! It’s only an hour by tram!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
My advice is to never say no to something a friend or your program suggests you do. You only have a limited amount of time in Greece so make sure you enjoy it!
Default avatar
Parker
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

A Summer in Greece

I found my time in Greece with College Year in Athens enlightening, resourceful, and life-changing. I initially chose to study abroad in Greece to take in as much history and culture and possible and the course selections by CYA allowed me to find a perfect fit. Not only did the living situation and location allow me and my classmates to fully immerse ourselves in downtown Athens, but the faculty also gave us opportunities to interact with locals and learn about Greece first-hand. The actual class I took was based on the differences of ancient greek states based on historical and archaeological perspectives. This focus allowed CYA and our professor to spend most of our class time around Athens exploring archaeological sites and museums which created a fun, interactive experience to learn in. I have also heard that CYA tries to include some sort of travel to various Greek islands in all of their classes to show the students as much of Greece as possible. For my class, we visited the islands of Thassos and Aegina, along with having some free days to travel by ourselves if we wanted to. It was a beautiful time viewing incredible places, eating great food, and learning a wealth of knowledge about the Greek world. I would recommend this program!

What was the most unfamiliar thing you ate?
I was a stranger to most Greek foods before my travel so I was caught off guard a few times but Moussaka was very interesting. The kinds I ate were composed of minced meat and feta cheese inside of an eggplant.
2 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Alexandra
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

I had an amazing experience!

I did the excavating in the Aegean field school with CYA and had an amazing time. I was really scared to do my field school because so many of my friends in my major told me how hard and miserable their experience was (with field schools in general). This program, however, was so much fun and not miserable at all. I met so many people from all around the world with the same interests as me that I know I can count on in the future. The work was very hard but I never hated it and we always made it fun. The good thing about this program is that you have so much free time to go explore and experience the culture of Greece. You get weekends off which is enough time to travel to different islands. I do wish they helped you with travel plans a little more (they don't meet up with you until you get to your destination which can be scary for a first-time traveler). I would definitely recommend this study abroad program because they want you to pay attention to your classes but also realize how important it is to go out and experience the culture yourself.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
If you are very nervous about the program I would recommend talking to people in your program and maybe meeting up with them before the program starts. Be open to all experiences and say yes to anything (don't shut yourself off from things because you are nervous).
3 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Erin
9/10
Yes, I recommend this program

Despotiko Archaeological Field School

If you have any interest in pursuing archaeology, this is the best possible program for you to experience! I had come into this program still a little uncertain about my academic path, a little defeated after multiple other study abroad opportunities were canceled due to COVID-19, and very stressed out because I had not had a field school experience yet in my junior year of undergraduate. I not only left this program with a very clear sense of direction in how I planned on spending the rest of my undergraduate and postgraduate, but I also made some friends to last me a lifetime!

What was the most surprising thing you saw or did?
Swam back from Despotiko on a hot afternoon! Typically, we take a 10-15 minute long ferry across from Antiparos to Despotiko in the mornings, and back after digging. However, one particular day, a large group of us agreed that we were going to swim back instead! It only took us all about 30-45 minutes to get back across to our shore, and the water was very shallow and refreshing, but it was certainly an experience I didn't anticipate having!
3 people found this review helpful.
Response from CYA (College Year in Athens)

Erin, thank you for your review of CYA! We are glad that the CYA Despotiko program has had a lasting impact on your education and we hope that you will continue to remember your experience with CYA! Keep in touch!

Questions & Answers