Program not offered in 2021 due to COVID-19
Scholarships & Funding
Program Brochure
Contact the Program Director
Dr. Barry Vaughan
Philosophy & Religious Studies Department
P: 480-461-7620
Office: BP 43A - 44
barry.vaughan@mesacc.edu
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Program Location
The program is held on the campus of Athlone Institute of Technology located in the medieval city of Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland. Situated in the heart of Ireland astride the River Shannon, the city is rich in culture and history.
Spend summer school in Ireland and see for yourself why the country is nicknamed the Emerald Island! Students will spend a full month immersing themselves in the study of Irish culture and history while exploring and experiencing the rich and diverse heritage of Ireland!
Using picturesque Athlone, Co. Westmeath as a home base, participants will make field trips to locations such as Dunamase and Emo Court, the megalithic monuments at Loughcrew and Trim Castle, spend several days in Ireland's Cultural Heart, Galway, and take a boat to Clonmacnoise.
Cultural Excursions
- Cliffs of Moher (Ireland's most scenic location)
- Clonmacnoise (6th Century Monastery)
- Dublin City
- Dunamase Castle (Fortress of Strongbow)
- Emo Court (18th Century Palladian Style Manor)
- Galway City - 3 nights in Ireland's Cultural Heart
- Hill of Uisneach (sacred Iron Age site)
- Inis Mor (largest of the Aran Islands)
- Loughcrew (5ooo year old passage tombs)
- Trim Castle (Normal Castle of Hugh de Lacy)
- The Burren National Park (one of the most unique ecosystems in the world)
Courses Offered (6 credits)
- REL250 17463 Religion in Ireland: Neolithic to Early Medieval (3 cr) [HU, H]
- Instructor: Dr. Barry Vaughan
- STO290 17477 The Irish Storytelling Tradition (3 cr) [G]
- Instructor: TBA
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Ireland Program Details
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- Study Abroad Ireland is held on the campus of Athlone Institute of Technology (AIT) located in picturesque Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland.
- Participants will be housed in the Croi Oige Student Village apartments conveniently located across from AIT's campus. Each 4-bedroom apartment is fully furnished and comes equipped with TV, iron and ironing boards, oven, microwave oven, refrigerator, electric kettle, all kitchen utensils, and bedding. Each bedroom comes with a study/computer desk and is internet ready with high speed internet access.
- Modern Athlone is a center of industry and education and home to one of Ireland's major institutes of technology. Because of its central location (between Dublin and Galway) it is a transportation hub by road and rail, and makes access to the rest of Ireland convenient.
Did You Know??
- Ireland is home to Newgrange, an ancient stone-and-earth burial site that is older than Stonehenge or the Egyptian pyramids.
- At least one million people died in five years in Ireland during the great potato famine of the 1840s.
- Ireland did not legalize divorce until 1997.
- Ireland is nicknamed the Emerald Island because of its expansive lush, green fields.
- Currency used is the Euro (sign: €; code: EUR).
- Read more detailed cultural information on Ireland provided by CultureGrams™
Ireland (2020). CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest. - Diversity Abroad Ireland Destination Guide
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Estimated Program Costs & Deadlines
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Expense Type Estimated Cost Deadline Program Fee
Includes lodging, academic facilities, cultural excursions, in-country ground transportation, and secondary medical insurance.$1,662 Program Fee Due: Friday, February 28, 2020
$250 Confirmation Deposit Due (towards total program fee): upon acceptance
Confirmation deposit is non-refundable after the program fee payment deadline.
Registration Fee
Tuition: 6 credits
In-state: $85 per credit hour
Out-of-state: $205 per credit hour$ 15
$510
Registration for Summer term begins in March.
Tuition Due: Monday, April 27, 2020
If not a current MCC student, you must admit yourself to MCC prior to registering for courses.
For tuition payment options, visit: www.maricopa.edu/become-a-student/tuition-paying/payment-options
For payment assistance, call 480.461.7400 or contact Cashier Services.
Airfare (estimated cost) $1,500 Your program director will provide you with instructions on purchasing airfare for your program. Only after you have received these instructions should you purchase airfare.
Meals
Meals are NOT included in program fee
$1,000 Not needed until you land in Ireland! TOTAL Estimated Costs $4,687 (program fee, tuition, airfare and meals) ADDITIONAL COSTS Course Fee $ N/A Textbooks
Dependent upon chosen courses$50 Prior to start of class Passport Passport Info Here
Your passport must be valid at least 6 months beyond the date of your return to the USA.$145/110
(new/renewal)Be sure to allow at least 6 weeks of processing time for first time applicants and renewals.
Visit the U.S. Department of State website for current fees and processing times.Program Application Deadline
Space is limited.Apply early to reserve your place!
Application Deadline: March 1, 2020
Late applications will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.Complete online application.
Applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis. -
Scholarships and Funding Your Program
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Title Date(s) More Information International Education
Scholarship1 application for 2 scholarships!
IE Study Abroad Scholarship
- Does NOT require FAFSA
- If you are receiving financial aid from another MCCCD college, please share your FAFSA with MCC (school code 001077) two weeks prior to scholarship deadline.
- Maximum Award: $1,000
Maricopa Grant
- Requires 2019-20 FAFSA
- Maximum Award: Tuition for classes
Deadline: Friday, February 14, 2020
11:59 pm MSTGet information on financial aid & grants, scholarships, and misc. resources for study abroad here.
PRIOR to applying for a scholarship, student must:
- Be accepted into the program you are a applying for a scholarship to
- Pay the program deposit of $250 online, at Cashier Services, or by calling 480.461.7400.
2020 Study Abroad Ireland Scholarship Application:
TBAGlobal Ties Arizona Study Abroad Scholarship Deadline: October 1, 2019
5 pm MST
Award: $2,000For students interested in international relations, diplomacy, international trade or any area of international business, Global Ties offers a $2,000 scholarship opportunity.
Eligibility:
- Demonstrate an interest in any of the following areas: international development, international relations, international trade, international economics, or international business
- Completed at least 12 credit hours of college work
- Maintained a 3.0 or better GPA (transcripts must be submitted)
- Priority will be given to youth representing a minority or disadvantaged group in the community that meet all the qualifications as indicated by Global Ties.
- Letters of recommendation (2 professors/instructors).
- Submit a 1,500 – 2,000 word research essay on the following subject: How can citizen diplomacy lessen conflict among nations?
MCC Honors Program Scholarship
Up to $500 Award
Deadline: February 14, 2020
Submit to Honors Office
If you are a current MCC Honors Program student in good standing, you can apply for up to a $500 study abroad scholarship!
Title Date(s) More Information 
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
Students apply through the college they are receiving financial aid from.
Early Summer Application Deadline
1st Tues. of October (awards announced in February)October 1, 2019
11:59 PM CSTSummer Application Deadline
1st Tues. of March (awards announced in April)
11:59 PM PSTMaximum Award: $5,000
- Must be a Pell Grant recipient. Students apply indicating the school they are receiving their Pell Grant funding from.
- Applications are reviewed holistically, with consideration of the following selection criteria. View Gilman Presentation here!
- Review Gilman Statement of Purpose Writing Tips.
- Review Gilman Follow-on Service Project Writing Tips.
- Watch videos of Gilman scholars abroad, alumni interviews, and tips from advisors and application reviewers on YouTube.
- For essay writing tips, feel free to contact Jenna Parker, Gilman Alumni Ambassador (studied abroad in South Korea 2014), at JennaLParker4@gmail.com.
- Note for Gilman application: For Program Administrator, select "Other" and indicate Mesa Community College
Gillman-McCain Scholarship Deadline: March 3, 2020
11:59 PM PSTMaximum Award: $5,000
- Must be a Title IV federal financial aid recipient. Title IV funds include:
- Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans
- Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
- Direct PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOGs)
- Federal Perkins Loans
- Must be a child dependent of an active duty military service member.
- Use the same Gilman application system as other Gilman Scholarship applicants. Applicants will simply confirm that they are child dependent of an active duty military member of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, or Coast Guard).
- If a student is receiving a Federal Pell Grant and is also a child dependent of an active duty military member, then the student is eligible for both Gillman scholarships and will automatically be considered for both but eligible to receive only one. If they are selected for the Gilman-McCain Scholarship, then they will no longer be considered for the Gilman Scholarship.
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Information Sessions & Mandatory Orientation
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