This 6-week, 6 credit program gives engineering and environmental science students an opportunity to live, study and explore in two separate regions in the west of Ireland. Three courses, Statics, Geology of Ireland, and Contemplative Ecology, will be offered and students will select two to take for the duration of the program. The program also includes extensive outdoor activities such as hill walking, hiking, sailing, and cycling.
Students will start their Irish journey by spending the first three weeks of the program at Notre Dame’s Global Center at Kylemore Abbey. There they will experience a full cultural and professional development program immersing them in the Wild Atlantic Way and the landscape of the west of Ireland.
The program then shifts to Galway City where students will take classes at University of Galway and stay at the Goldcrest Village on the University of Galway campus. Galway City was recently awarded the European Capital of Culture and has world renown festivals such as The Cúirt International Festival of Literature, the International Arts Festival, and the Galway Races.
| Dates | Cost | Application |
|---|---|---|
| June 17 - July 29, 2023 | $8,800 | Deadline: March 30, 2023 |
Course Descriptions
Contemplative Ecology
This theology course, taught by Professor Matt Ashley, is an exploration of the possibilities for fleshing out Pope Francis's call for ecological conversion and an ecological spirituality. It puts classics from the Christian mystical tradition, including the desert fathers and mothers and Francis of Assisi, as well as contemporary figures such as Thomas Merton, in conversation with a rich U.S. tradition of writing on nature, often with the intent of inculcating environmental virtues and promoting an environmental ethic. The course will conclude with close readings of Pope Francis's writings, Laudato si' and Querida Amazonia. The course will include an experiential component that will take advantage of the beauty of Irish landscapes.
Geology of Ireland
In this course, Professor Jeremy Fein will provide an overview of the geology of Ireland and the regional geology of the site. Students will also learn how the geology fits into the larger geologic history of Ireland in general, get an overview of the geomorphology and the controlling forces shaping the landforms, and do a detailed dive into the research that has been conducted on the geology and/or geomorphology of each region visited.
Statics
Professor Brad Weldon will provide an introduction to systems of forces and couples. Other topics that will be taught are vector mechanics, equilibrium of rigid bodies, internal forces and moments, trusses and beams, distributed loads and properties of areas, and friction and virtual work.
