Summary
“The Religions and Peoples of India” is a spectacular introduction to the religions, beauty, diversity, history, and challenges of the world’s largest democracy.
Travel Dates
January 1-24, 2020
Locations
Chennai, Madurai, Thanjavur, Puducherry, Mamallapuram, Varanasi, Khajuraho, New Delhi, and Agra, India
Required In-Person Orientation
*each school can note date here, and note that it is on their own campus
Required Online Orientation
There will be a required online orientation for this course in late October. The date/time of the orientation will be communicated by October 15. Every effort should be made to participate in the live orientation session, as it will be interactive, provide a chance to virtually meet the course professors and other participants, and should be considered the first class meeting. Students who do not participate will be required to view the recorded session once it is available.
Minimum Enrollment: 16
If the course does not meet the minimum enrollment, students will be given the option of switching to another course (as space is available) or withdrawing their application and receiving a refund of the program deposit.
Maximum Enrollment: 26
Accessibility Information: This course includes extensive walks outdoors with limited accessibility. Students must be able to navigate crowded streets, uneven terrain, endure considerable heat, stand for several hours. Most locations are not accessible on wheelchairs or walkers.
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UMAIE (pronounced “U-may”) is the Upper Midwest Association for Intercultural Education, a consortium of six colleges and universities offering intercultural courses during the January Interim. UMAIE was founded in the fall of 1963 when several colleges adopted the 4-1-4 academic calendar. The UMAIE pioneers recognized that they could expand the international curricula, control costs, and increase participation in study abroad if several campuses cooperated in offering courses overseas. This vision has enabled hundreds of students to study abroad every January since 1964. Current UMAIE member schools are Augustana University (Sioux Falls, SD), Elmhurst College (Chicago, IL), Hamline University (St. Paul, MN), St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA), St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN), and St. Thomas University (St. Paul, MN) |
Academic Overview
The Religions and Peoples of India" is an interdisciplinary study of the pluralistic culture and religions of India. Students will arrive in Chennai where Madras Christian College will host the class for the first portion of the course. From Chennai, students will travel to Madurai to experience its famous Meenakshi Amman temple and the Gandhi Museum. Then we will go to Thanjavur to visit Brihadisvara Temple. Other day trips will include cultural, religious, historical, and recreational sites such as the Mamallapuram Dance Festival, a beach resort on the Indian Ocean, ancient religious ruins, an artists' colony, temples, mosques, Protestant and Roman Catholic churches. Course lectures will address India's religions, caste system poverty, political economy, population, family issues, and the fine arts. Students will have the opportunity to practice yoga with a guru, play cricket, attend a Bollywood blockbuster, and learn to cook with Indian spices. From Chennai, students will travel to the holy city of Varanasi and take a boat ride on Ganges at dawn before visiting ancient Buddhist and Hindu sites, before visiting the unforgettable temple complex of Khajuraho. Students will stay in New Delhi to study the history of India from its ancient roots to the contemporary moment. This will include a day trip to Agra and visit to Taj Mahal, the National Museum of India, the oldest mosque in India, as well as the largest mosque of India, the Baha’i Temple of India, a Sikh Gurdwara, and the Gandhi Smriti, a museum built at the site of the Mahatma's tragic assassination. Altogether up to ten UNESCO World Heritage Sites will be visited.
Prerequisites
A genuine interest in cultural and religious diversity in India is required but there are no academic prerequisites for this course.
Course Equivalency
*Each campus can list their own course equivalency here
About the Professors
 turkm@elmhurst.edu |
Dr. Mladen Turk, Elmhurst College
Dr. Turk is Associate Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Elmhurst College. His area of specialization is religion and science with special focus on scientific theories of religion and methodology of the study of religion but teaches broadly in the areas of history of Christianity in 19th and 20th century and religious traditions of South Asia. Dr. Turk studied philosophy, ethnology, Indology and theology in Zagreb, Croatia; philosophy of religion at University of Bergen, Norway; and religious studies at Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. |
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Required Readings
Trautmann, Thomas R.
India: Brief History of a Civilization. 2nd Edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
Clothey, Fred.
Religion in India: A Historical Introduction. New York: Routledge, 2007.
The Bhagavad-Gita. trans. Juan Mascaró. London: Penguin Classic, 2003.
Recommended Readings
Lopez, Donald S. ed.
Religions of India in Practice. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995.
Luce, Edward.
In Spite of the Gods: The Strange Rise of Modern India. London: Abacus Press, 2007.
Mahabharata. trans. R. K. Narayan. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1978.
Ramayana. trans. R. K. Narayan. London: Penguin Classic, 2006
Evaluation
15% –
Attendance: Students are required to attend all course activities (e.g., lectures, group discussions, cultural events, common meals, and site visits) unless they are indicated as optional.
15% –
Participation: Students are required to engage each other and the course activities constructively.
20% –
Readings: Evidence of readings will appear in and be evaluated through the students’ journals and the final papers. While in India, students will also read one of the several English language Indian daily newspapers evidence of which will appear in their journals and final papers.
30% –
Journal: Students will keep an academic journal through which they will reflect critically on their experiences, observations, readings, and group discussions. The professor will review journals regularly, at least once a week.
20% –
Comprehensive Response Paper: Students will write a final paper that requires a synthesis of their experiences, readings, and judgments into a coherent response to the religions and peoples of India
Program Estimate Cost
$X,XXX - $X,XXX
Cost estimates will be available on or after April 1, 2019. Final costs will be available in late October.
There will be a $500 deposit, due at the time of application. Please see the Cancellation Policy tab for information on when this deposit is refundable.
Included in the Program Cost
International airfare
Hotel accommodations in twin/triple rooms
Ground transportation
All entrances and activities required for class
Continental Breakfast Daily
23 lunches
23 dinners
Visa fees
Application Procedures & Deadline
Applications will open on April 1, 2019·
To Apply:
1. Select the Apply Now button at the top to start your online application.
2. Login using your username and password
3. Complete all the application requirements. Your application will not be considered complete until ALL requirements have been completed.
All applications received by the Priority Application Deadline will be sent to the faculty in a batch at the end of the priority application period. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis after the priority deadline for programs with space still remaining until the final application deadline of October 1, 2019.
Priority Application Deadline
*Schools can enter own priority deadline here
Final Application Deadline
October 1, 2019
UMAIE Scholarship - The George and Betty St. Angelo Memorial Scholarship
In memory of the vision and commitment to social justice by George & Betty St. Angelo, UMAIE and Seminars International are able to grant three $2,000 travel scholarships to students from UMAIE member institutions applying to study abroad on a 2020 UMAIE course.
The UMAIE Travel Scholarship is designed to broaden access to study abroad participation. Successful applicants will have demonstrated financial need and will fit one or more of, but not limited to, these diverse groups:
- Underrepresented racial/ethnic identities
- First generation college students
- Students identifying as LGBTQ+
- First time travel abroad
General Eligibility:
- Must be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at a UMAIE member institution.
- Must be in academic and disciplinary good standing.
- Must be approved to study abroad by their home institution.
- Must submit a complete UMAIE course application to their home institution by the priority deadline.
- Must have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
- Must have demonstrated financial need documented by a current financial aid award letter.
Scholarship applications will be open from
April 1-15, 2019. Students MUST complete a priority application and be accepted to a UMAIE course to be considered for the scholarship.
Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship
Students who are U.S. citizens and receive a Federal Pell Grant who will be traveling on a program that lasts a minimum of 3 weeks in the same country are eligible to apply for a Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship. This UMAIE courses meets the program requirements. Applications for the J-Term cycle open in mid-August, with an application deadline of October 2, 2019. Please see the
Gilman Scholarship website for more information.
Passport Requirements: All course participants must have a current, valid Passport that expires no less than 6 months from the date the program returns. A legible scan of your passport must be submitted to your home school Study Abroad Office by October 20, 2019. STUDENTS WHO APPLY AND ARE ACCEPTED IN SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER AND DO NOT HAVE A CURRENT PASSPORT MUST EXPEDITE THEIR PASSPORT APPLICATION. Students who do NOT submit their passport by the deadline will be subject to a $100 Late Passport fee.
Visa Requirements: Please note that a visa IS required for U.S. Citizens to travel to the country(ies) included in this course. Students accepted to the course will receive more information about the Visa process from their home school study abroad office in late October or early November. Please note that the visa process for this course includes mailing passports to an Indian consulate; therefore, students on this course should not plan for international travel during late November/early December. Citizens of countries other than the United States or people who have Travel Documents (Issued by the United States or any other country) should contact their school's Study Abroad Office as soon as possible.
U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories: The U.S. Department of State uses levels to indicate risk in travel to particular locations. Please see the
U.S.Department of State website for more information on the particular locations of this course.
U.S. Department of State STEP Enrollment: The U.S. Department of State has a Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, which is a free service to allow U.S. citizens and nationals traveling and living abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The UMAIE Consortium encourages all travelers to ensure that they are enrolled before travel. Some students' home campus Study Abroad Office may enroll student travelers automatically. Please check with your home campus Study Abroad Office for more information on your school's process, and see the
STEP website for more information and to enroll.
Health and Travel: The Center for Disease Control issues travel vaccine recommendations by country. Please see the
CDC Traveler's Health website for more information on the particular locations of this course.
Please note that the CDC recommends that travelers to India take precautions against Malaria - see more information
here, and plan to discuss your travels with a certified travel physician no less than 6 weeks before your scheduled departure.
CISI Insurance: All UMAIE participants will be enrolled in an international emergency and medical insurance policy with CISI through their home institution. Please see your home campus Study Abroad Office for more information.
Flight Deviations: Airline tickets are booked as Group Tickets. If a student wishes to deviate from the group (go early, stay after, etc.), the student will need to submit that request as part of the application. The final date to request a flight deviation is Oct. 1, 2019. Please note that there are additional costs to flight deviations. It will be the responsibility of the student to pay the additional costs at the time the booking is made.
UMAIE Withdrawals and Refunds
Once students have completed a UMAIE application and been notified of their acceptance, the following Withdrawal and Refund policy applies:
Refund Available Withdrawal Date
No cancellation fee and full refund of deposit September 15, 2019 (must be received by 4:00pm)
No refund of $500 deposit September 16 – October 1, 2019
No refund of $500 deposit & refund of RECOVERABLE COSTS ONLY* After October 1, 2019
No refund 30 days or less prior to departure
*NOTE: Recoverable costs will not be calculated until after the group returns in February. The ENTIRE COURSE COST, INCLUDING AIRLINE TICKET, may be forfeited.
NOTICE OF CANCELLATION MUST BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING TO YOUR SCHOOL'S STUDY ABROAD OFFICE. The date this is received is the official date of cancellation
Travel cancellation insurance is recommended for students with preexisting medical conditions. This insurance must be purchased at the time of application. Please discuss this with your Study Abroad Office.
If a course price increases by more than 6% over the highest price in the range (due to general inflation or lower enrollment) a student may cancel without penalty.
No refund is given to students who wish to omit portions of the course.
