Program Highlights for Galway, Ireland

• Live in a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with a thriving student culture.
• Enjoy summer festivals, especially the Galway Film Fleadh, Ireland’s most prestigious film festival, and the Galway Arts Festival, one of the most vibrant celebrations of music, theatre, and arts in Europe.
• Join in field trips that include the ancient Aran Islands and the rugged mountain landscapes of Connemara.
• Trace your Irish roots through a genealogy course.
• The USAC Resident Director and staff are present on-site full-time to welcome and support you during your term abroad.

Why Study in Galway?

The summer Galway program is ideal for students interested in learning about Irish studies in a lively, student-oriented city on Ireland’s west coast. Galway's magical combination of ancient history and contemporary culture makes it a great location for Irish studies.

The Galway program consists of one 5-week summer session offering academic coursework in literature, history, music, and the Gaelic language taught by established Irish and U.S. scholars. Many of these courses include enticing field trips offering hands-on experience with the subject matter, such as walking tours of Galway, outings to the Connemara Gaeltacht (Gaelic-speaking area), live theatre, and guest lectures by leading playwrights and directors, private Irish film screenings, and private in-class music concerts by leading traditional musicians and singers. Participation in additional program field trips also form an integral part of the program. Those with Irish roots can enroll in a 1-credit course to trace your family’s genealogy. Past students have even connected with local Irish relatives from their research in this course and two recent students even discovered they were related, dating back to the 1600s.