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A group of smiling fashion students and professors wearing warm weather clothing gathered on a boat in Laos at the golden hour.
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Join a group of globally inspired artists and designers on a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience.

Travel courses meet throughout the semester and culminate in a trip with your MassArt professor and classmates. These experiences go beyond tourism: Along with visiting local cultural and historic sites, students visit global artists & designers in their studios, create new work in classrooms, and connect with local students.

For over 20 years, MassArt faculty members have offered international travel courses across disciplines and to destinations all over the globe. The International Education Center supports both faculty and students in these courses, from conception to the flight home.

Students may participate in an approved exchange or provider program. MassArt reserves the right to cancel, terminate, or change approved programs at any time due to unforeseen circumstances, including but not limited to: pandemic, civil unrest, or natural disaster.

RELATED

  • Three-credit elective courses open to all majors, including first year students
  • Tuition for the 3 credits is included in full-time, undergraduate tuition
  • Graduate students, part-time students, and others will pay for the tuition by credit, and can inquire about tuition costs by emailing international@massart.edu
  • Each course has a program fee that covers the costs of travel, lodging, and all required on-site course-related activities
  • Financial Aid may be applied to the cost of the program fee
  • A limited number of partial, need-based travel course scholarships are available for international travel courses; no additional application is required, all eligible students are considered.
  • If you’re a Pell Grant recipient, check if you are eligible for the Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship
  • If you are considering studying abroad, it is critical to get a passport immediately. Visit the U.S. Department of State for instructions
Current MassArt Travel Courses
MassArt Stories

From Laos to Mexico: Student Travel Courses Emphasize Craft and Sustainability

Jenine Shereos & Jennifer Varekamp Program Area Chair, Fibers & Chair, Fashion Design
  • Fashion Design
  • Fibers
  • International Education Center
The Acropolis

When in Athens, Make Jewelry

Heather White Professor, Fine Arts 3D
  • International Education Center
  • Jewelry and Metalsmithing
  • Faculty
A student group photo in London, England

Creative Crossroads: MassArt’s Design Journey from London to Leeds

Scott Bakal Program Area Chair, Illustration
  • Communication Design
  • International Education Center
  • Faculty
Jenine Shereos & Jennifer Varekamp Program Area Chair, Fibers & Chair, Fashion Design
The Acropolis
Heather White Professor, Fine Arts 3D
A student group photo in London, England
Scott Bakal Program Area Chair, Illustration

Spring 2025 Travel Courses

Bohemia to Berlin

May-June 2025

Bohemia to Berlin is a 12 day immersive experience that showcases the dichotomy of modern Europe: the centuries-old artmaking traditions of the Czech Republic and the youthful, subversive energy of Berlin, Germany. During their visit to the Czech Republic students will be educated on the artistic history and the precedents of excellence that define the country. The destinations outside of Prague are selected to expose students to the historical traditions of glass artistry, craftsmanship and design that gives the area its moniker “the crystal valley.” During their visit to Germany students will be exposed to the youthful, edgy, artistic culture that defines the city of Berlin today. Trip leaders will be accompanied by a selection of German hosts who live in Berlin and who work in artistic fields. These native liaisons will introduce students and trip leaders directly to the Berliner cultures of contemporary art and street art.

Course Title: Bohemia to Berlin
Destination: Czech Republic & Germany
Travel Dates (tentative): May 23 – June 4, 2025
Faculty: James McLeod • jmcleod@massart.edu
Department: Fine Arts 3D – Glass (open to all majors)
Credits: 3-Credits, Studio Elective
Class Meeting Day/Time: TBD
Course Fee*: $3,700 Scholarships are available for eligible students!
Applications Open: September 2024
Scenes in America Deserta

May-June 2025

Scenes in America Deserta is an intensive special topics seminar in the History of Art that includes a 10-day road trip through the deserts and other geoenvirons of Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The course will focus on the artists of the 1970s that pushed art’s limits in scale, location, material, medium, relationship with the viewer, and relationship with place. Mary Miss, Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt, Michael Heizer, Alice Aycock, Walter De Maria, and Agnes Denes are the course’s protagonists, but many other important 1970s artists are also part of the story: Sol LeWitt, Lawrence Weiner, Ana Mendieta/Carl Andre, Gordon Matta-Clark, Robert Morris, to name a few. These artists and their site-specific massive land-moving and/or nature-implicating artworks not only pushed boundaries of art, but also challenged art history’s ability to theorize them.

Course Title: Scenes in American Deserta
Destination: Southwest U.S.A.
Travel Dates (tentative): May 23 – June 2, 2025
Faculty: Gabriel Cira • gcira@massart.edu
Department: History of Art (open to all majors)
Credits: 3-Credits, History of Art
Class Meeting Day/Time: TBD
Course Fee*: $2,700
Applications Open: September 2024

Fall 2024 - Winter 2025 Travel Courses (Applications Closed)

A purple lit room full of a seated audience with a geometric white grid of lights on the ceiling
Ottawa Go! Animation Fest

September 2024

Embark on a transformative journey with MassArt’s travel course to the Ottawa International Animation Festival, where you’ll dive into the heart of contemporary animation, gaining invaluable insights and inspiration from the world’s most innovative animators and industry leaders.

Destination: Canada
Travel Dates (tentative): September 24-29, 2024
Faculty: Ana Mouyis • amouyis@massart.edu & Alan Jennings • arjennings@massart.edu
Department: Animation (open to all majors)
Credits: 3-Credits, Studio Elective
large clay vessels
Laos: A Journey Into Culture and Craft

January 2025

This course will lead students on a journey through the country of Laos with a focus on the preservation of craft and culture. Working alongside the social enterprise Ma Té Sai, students will have the opportunity to both learn and contribute his/her/their skills. Students will travel to and work with artisans in northern villages of Laos who work with Ma Té Sai. They will participate in workshops and collaborate on design and educational projects. Students will have an opportunity to explore the unique natural landscape of Laos through a boat trip along the Mekong River, a scenic bike tour of Luang Prabang, walks in the villages, and visits to Buddhist Temples and other historic sites.

Course Title: Laos: A Journey Into Culture and Craft
Destination: Laos
Travel Dates (tentative): January 2-18, 2025
Faculty: Jennifer Varekamp • jvarekamp@massart.edu
Department: Fashion Design (open to all majors)
Credits: 3-Credits, Studio Elective
Threads of Oaxaca

January 2025

In this travel course, students will have the opportunity to engage with a community of textile artists in Oaxaca, Mexico through studio visits, conversations, demos and workshops focusing on natural dyes, weaving, embroidery, and papermaking in the context of cultural and environmental sustainability.

Course Title: Threads of Oaxaca
Destination: Mexico
Travel Dates (tentative): January 2-16, 2025
Faculty: Jenine Shereos • jshereos@massart.edu
Department: Fine Arts 3D – Fibers (open to all majors)
Credits: 3-Credits, Studio Elective + Sustainability Minor Credit
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