Study Abroad

NEW YORK COLLEGE is a group of elite educational institutions offering high quality  multicultural education through academic collaboration with acclaimed US, UK and French universities. Today, more than 3,000 students from more than 60 countries enjoy the vast opportunities for personal and academic development at NYC in Athens & Thessaloniki , as well as in Prague where NYC Educational Group has established a private university.

NYC offers a unique opportunity for complete university studies in Greece in collaboration with its partner institutions in the UK, such as the widely recognized University of Greenwich & University of Bolton. NYC also offers degrees with the State University of  New York - Empire State College (USA) and Universite Toulouse Capitole (France).

New York College  offers Bachelors, Masters and Doctorate degrees in a wide range of subjects such as Economics, Business, International Relations, Communication, Psychology,  English  Language Teaching, Nutrition, Biomedicine, Computer Science, Film Studies, Shipping, Law, Tourism through its network of partner institutions.

The NYC Athens Campus is located a few steps from Plaka, the Acropolis, the House of Parliament, the Olympeion, the National Library, the Sports Venue of National Gymnastics Association and opposite to the National Garden. 

Partners in education for more than 25 years

New  York College and State University of New York, Empire State College

SUNY ESC is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. New York College is recognized by the British Accreditation Council. Faculty credentials, curriculum, and instructional resources are consistently monitored and supervised by SUNY ESC. Our study abroad program offers the opportunity for international students to experience Greece while earning easily transferrable SUNY ESC college credits toward a degree.

Greece, a member of the European Union since 1981, is a country of enormous contrast and variety, situated on the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It combines high mountain ranges with a wide coastline of crystal clear waters and unspoiled beaches. It is the place where one of the oldest civilizations was born, the legacy of which can still be seen in the numerous monuments throughout the country. Over recent years, Greece has developed into a rapidly expanding center of maritime, commerce, light industry and high technology. The Greek people are passionate and friendly, renown for their excellent hospitality which is deeply rooted in the country’s tradition. The combination of it's ancient culture and contemporary views has created a country rich in history and contrast.

Athens, the capital city of Greece, is a place with a very strong presence of memories of the past, preserving a remarkable sense of historical continuity. The Acropolis, the marvel of the “Golden Age” of Pericles, when the Ancient Athenian Wonder was achieved, stands on a visible rock surrounded by the old neighborhood of Plaka - the oldest and most picturesque part of Athens; narrow streets and lanes, neoclassical houses, traditional handicraft shops and many restaurants. Today, Athens is a busy modern and safe city with many shopping centers, many of which are pedestrianized with large department stores and smaller specialty shops. The city boasts of a great number of theaters, art centers, cinemas, museums, and nightclubs. Indeed, Athens is a city that never sleeps, offering nightlife for all tastes. Very close to Athens one can visit many places of outstanding natural beauty. On the sandy beaches of Aegina, Spetses and Hydra, you can indulge in all kinds of water sports or simply relax and soak up the sun, enjoying the unique dry weather of Greece.

New York College’s reputation is growing rapidly among international students, and multinational employers. Highly qualified international students from around the world choose NYC for the best in international, English language university education. At NYC we are all committed to making your transition to Athens as smooth as possible. For that reason our support starts from the day you will contact us. Before making your choice, our designated staff members in collaboration with your Advisor at your home university will guide you through your academic choices, visa and immigration requirements, travel information, housing, academic advice, and cost of living in Athens. Once you arrive in Athens, members of our staff are available to give advice, information and support in a wide range of topics. All staff and faculty are imbued with the traditional Greek sense of hospitality and a sense of honour together with an attitude of professional caring in our contacts with international students.

4 reasons to choose the NYC Study Abroad Program

1. Personal Growth: Adjusting to a new life in a foreign country, students soon discover their own strengths and weaknesses and grow in self-awareness and self-confidence.

2. Acquire a Different Perspective on the World: Perspective on the World Trips within Greece and to the countries of the European Union (at weekends during the summer session, or at its conclusion), new tastes, relationships, outdoors, outlooks, will provide a different perspective on the world and a new insight on yourself.

3. Career Benefits: International exposure gives college graduates a distinct competitive edge in the job market of today’s globalized economy.

4. Academic Enrichment: A study abroad experience will enhance your university education with a global perspective. You will experience the foreign languages, customs, and attitudes of people in another country and ultimately learn more about your own culture.

The Program offers students an opportunity to explore Greece with the support and guidance of a strong academic team. Studying the language, culture, history, archaeology, art history and theatre on site allows students to experience Greece beyond the page of their textbooks, in the heart of Athens, Plato’s Academy and Pnyx where Socrates taught his students. This two week Summer Program features lower and upper division courses taught by well-qualified and experienced international faculty. A series of exciting cultural excursions are provided as part of the course schedule and students are required to attend all planned activities which are marked as compulsory.  

Introduction to Ancient Greek Philosophy and the development of Western Civilization

PURPOSE 

This is an introductory level course in Ancient Greek Philosophy and Civilization, aiming at introducing students to the main ideas, theories and practices of the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Through a rich, vibrant, and interdisciplinary curriculum, students will have the unique opportunity to study the main precepts and milestones in the history of Hellenic civilization literally on site, at the heart of Athens, including visiting a number of historical monuments for engaging, interactive educational lectures and tours. The course explores the fundamental questions posed by Ancient Greek thinkers, and the different answers provided by various key philosophers, including cosmological, physical, philosophical, psychological and political queries.

• What is the origin and nature of the world?
• What are the main features of human nature?
• What is justice? Are ethical norms relative or absolute?
• What is happiness and how can we achieve it?
• What are the main goals of political organization?
• How can the principles of ancient philosophy be applied in modern science and business?
• Finally, the course will examine the impact of ancient philosophers on the foundations of modern thought, as well as the lessons that we can draw from the past in order to guide the present and envision the future.  

Upon completion of this course students will be able to:

• To know the basic ideas and concepts of Greek philosophy and their historical evolution
• Identify key historical milestones and facts in classical and Hellenistic history and their relation to the evolution of intellectual ideas
• Appreciate the interdisciplinarity of Hellenic thought, and particularly comprehend the interconnectedness between the various areas of knowledge in the ancient world
• Develop a solid background knowledge that will allow them to understand better not only philosophy, and its history, but also psychology, architecture, political science, aesthetics and the natural sciences
• Critically assess the points of continuity, discontinuity and evolution between ancient and modern philosophical thought, exploring the lessons that can be constructively drawn from Hellenism  

As a result of completing this program, students will have acquired the following skills and values:

• Critical understanding and interpretation of the history of philosophical thought
• Analytical and critical-thinking skills necessary to make sense of human nature, the political and the cosmos
• Appreciate the importance of interdisciplinarity and inter-culturality in thedevelopment of knowledge
• Enhanced self-awareness, open-mindedness, creative and increased appreciation of cultural diversity

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

The course is delivered through participative lectures and critical, interactive class discussions. Students will have the unique opportunity to attend educational, culturally immersive tours in key historical monuments (such as the Acropolis, the Athenian Agora, Delphi, etc.), guided by professional archeologists. Students are also expected to study primary and secondary sources as well as make use of visual aids, such as maps, online resources and DVDs.

METHODS AND CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION

• Class participation 20%
• Final Essay 80%

TOTAL POINTS: 100

PLAN FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

The formative assessment will be based on class participation and discussion as well as the midterm written examination and a final essay. The latter will assess the student’s comprehension of the course material in conjunction with the overall understanding of the main notions, concepts and events associated with Ancient Hellenic Philosophy and Civilization. The two types of examination will serve as the basis of the summative assessment and recorded as a letter grade.

INDICATIVE COURSE CONTENT

View the course content here

Events, activities, and excursions include visits to museums and other local points of interest, and they supplement the classroom experience.

Plato's Academy

When was it built: 338 BC, when Plato founded his famed philosophical school here. Formerly, the sacred woods with one of the ancient city’s three gymnasia—training grounds for athletes—founded in the 6th century BC. 

What's the story: This small open-air archaeological site may not be as impressive as others but you’ll definitely feel a thrill knowing you stroll the same paths as the man who inspired Western philosophy. 

Why it's important: This is the first ‘university’ of the Western world where the foundations of Western science and philosophy were laid two-and-a-half millennia ago.

Fun fact: Thanks to Plato, we associate the word ‘academy’ with education. The word actually originates from the owner of the land on which his school was located—the mythical hero Academus.

Tour of the Acropolis and it's ancient surroundings

The Acropolis the marvel of the genius of Pericles and of the “Golden Age” of Athens when the Athenian Wonder of the Ancient World was revealed is a rock hill visible from the entire city, crowned by the majestic and mysterious Parthenon, with its geometric and architectural secrets well hidden within it. It is surrounded by Pnyka where St. Paul preached to the Athenians; the theatre of Herod Atticus, where significant cultural events continue taking place to this day; the Cave in which Socrates was imprisoned after his sentence to death for his “unorthodox” philosophical beliefs; the “Agora” where Plato and Aristotle taught and the citizens of Athens discussed public matters and, for the first time in human history, participated in the democratic process by reaching decisions by majority vote, the old neighborhood of Plaka, the oldest and most picturesque part of Athens.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion, is a former colossal temple at the center of the Greek capital Athens. It was dedicated to "Olympian" Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman period the temple -that included 104 colossal columns- was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

Cape Sounio

Following a bus trip along the southern shore of Athens we will visit the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion with its breathtaking view of the Saronic Coast and Islands. We will see the promontory from which King Aegeas waited for Prince Theseas to return from Minoan Crete after his love affair with Princess Ariadne and his slaying of the Minotaur. After a tour of the archeological site and a brief review of the myths and legends of antiquity, students will have an opportunity to enjoy swimming in the crystal clear waters, sunbathing on the nearby sandy beach, and enjoy traditional sea food at a local tavern.

National Archaeological Museum

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece from prehistory to late antiquity. It is considered one of the greatest museums in the world and contains the richest collection of artifacts from Greek antiquity worldwide. It is situated in the Exarcheia area in central Athens between Epirus Street, Bouboulinas Street and Tositsas Street while its entrance is on the Patission Street adjacent to the historical building of the Athens Polytechnic university.

Pnyx 

The Pnyx is a hill in central Athens, the capital of Greece. Beginning as early as 507 BC, the Athenians gathered on the Pnyx to host their popular assemblies, thus making the hill one of the earliest and most important sites in the creation of democracy. The Pnyx was used for popular assemblies in Athens as early as 507 BC, when the reforms of Cleisthenes transferred political power to the citizenry. It was then outside the city proper, but close enough to be convenient. It looks down on the ancient Agora, which was the commercial and social centre of the city. At this site all the great political struggles of Athens of the "Golden Age" were fought out. Pericles, Aristides and Alcibiades spoke here, within sight of the Parthenon, temple of Athena.

Anafiotika

Anafiotika is a scenic tiny neighborhood of Athens, part of the old historical neighborhood called Plaka. It lies in northerneast side of the Acropolis hill. TThe neighborhood was built according to typical Cycladic architecture, and even nowadays gives to visitors the feel of Greek islands in the heart of the city, with white walls and small spaces, usually with the presence of bougainvillea flowers. Houses are small and mostly cubic, small streets that often end up to ladders or even deadends at terraces, where one can sit and enjoy the night view of the city. 

Delphi

A once in lifetime opportunity will be provided to those who participate in this excursion to visit the magnificent ancient treasure city of Delphi, the panHellenic sanctuary of Delphi, where the oracle of Apollo spoke. Delphi was the site of the 'navel of the world'. The stadium, the theatre, and the “charioteer” still stand witness to the magic, the mystery, and the miracle of a people, a culture, and a way of life, which have excited the imagination of all lovers of beauty, knowledge, peace and excellence. 

Poros - Hydra - Aegina One Day Cruise

One of the beauties of traveling to Athens is a captivating cruise to the magical islands of the Saronic Gulf. NYC Study Abroad Program offers you the beauty of a day cruise to three islands, Hydra, Poros and Aegina. Your Greek island cruise from Athens begins with the colors of the sea, fresh salt air and the gentle breeze of the Saronic Gulf to heighten your senses. Imagine a day filled with golden moments on a day cruise from Athens, island hopping from Hydra, Poros and Aegina with every comfort and convenience to meet your expectations!

Ancient Agora 

The Ancient Agora of Classical Athens is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill known as the Agoraios Kolonos, also called Market Hill. The Agora's initial use was for a commercial, assembly, or residential gathering place. The museum is housed in the Stoa of Attalos, and its exhibits are connected with the Athenian democracy. The collection of the museum includes clay, bronze and glass objects, sculptures, coins and inscriptions from the 7th to the 5th century BC, as well as pottery of the Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation. The exhibition within the museum contains work of art which describes the private and public life in ancient Athens. In 2012, new sculpture exhibition was added to the museum which includes portraits from Athenian Agora excavation. The new exhibition revolves around portraits of idealized gods, officially honored people of the city, wealthy Roman citizens of the 1st and 2nd century AD, 3rd-century citizens and finally on work of art from private art schools of late antiquity. 

Byzantine Museum

The Byzantine and Christian Museum is situated at Vassilissis Sofias Avenue in Athens, Greece. It was founded in 1914, and houses more than 25,000 exhibits with rare collections of pictures, scriptures, frescoes, pottery, fabrics, manuscripts, and copies of artifacts from the 3rd century AD to the Late Middle Ages. It is one of the most important museums in the world in Byzantine Art. In June 2004, in time for its 90th anniversary and the 2004 Athens Olympics, the museum reopened to the public after an extensive renovation and the addition of another wing.

Museum of Cycladic Art

The museum was founded in 1986 in order to house the collection of Cycladic and Ancient Greek art belonging to Nicholas and Dolly Goulandris. Starting in the early 1960s, the couple collected Greek antiquities, with special interest in the prehistoric art from the Cyclades islands of the Aegean Sea. The Museum's main building, erected in the centre of Athens in 1985, was designed by the Greek architect Ioannis Vikelas. In 1991, the Museum acquired a new wing, the neo-classical Stathatos Mansion at the corner of Vassilissis Sofias Avenue and Herodotou Street.

National Historical Museum

The National Historical Museum is a historical museum in Athens. Founded in 1882, is the oldest of its kind in Greece. It is located in the Old Parliament House at Stadiou Street in Athens, which housed the Hellenic Parliament from 1875 until 1932.

Nafplio

Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was an important seaport held under a succession of royal houses in the Middle Ages as part of the lordship of Argos and Nauplia, held initially by the de la Roche following the Fourth Crusade before coming under the Republic of Venice and, lastly, the Ottoman Empire. The town was the capital of the First Hellenic Republic and of the Kingdom of Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the regional unit of Argolis.

Epidaurus 

Epidaurus was a small city in ancient Greece, on the Argolid Peninsula at the Saronic Gulf. Two modern towns bear the name Epidavros: Palaia Epidavros and Nea Epidavros. Reputed to be founded by or named for the Argolid Epidaurus, and to be the birthplace of Apollo's son Asclepius the healer, Epidaurus was known for its sanctuary situated about five miles (8 km) from the town, as well as its theater, which is once again in use today. The cult of Asclepius at Epidaurus is attested in the 6th century BC, when the older hill-top sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas was no longer spacious enough. The asclepeion at Epidaurus was the most celebrated healing center of the Classical world, the place where ill people went in the hope of being cured. The prosperity brought by the asclepeion enabled Epidaurus to construct civic monuments, including the huge theatre that delighted Pausanias for its symmetry and beauty, used again today for dramatic performances, the ceremonial hestiatoreion (banqueting hall), and a palaestra. The ancient theatre of Epidaurus was designed by Polykleitos the Younger in the 4th century BC. The original 34 rows were extended in Roman times by another 21 rows. As is usual for Greek theatres (and as opposed to Roman ones), the view on a lush landscape behind the skênê is an integral part of the theatre itself and is not to be obscured. It seats up to 14,000 people. 

Mycenae

Mycenae is an archaeological site near Mykines in Argolis, north-eastern Peloponnese, Greece. In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centres of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades and parts of southwest Anatolia. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae. At its peak in 1350 BC, the citadel and lower town had a population of 30,000 and an area of 32 hectares. The first correct identification of Mycenae in modern literature was during a survey conducted by Francesco Grimani, commissioned by the Provveditore Generale of the Kingdom of the Morea in 1700, who used Pausanias's description of the Lion Gate to identify the ruins of Mycenae.

View the program here

NYC faculty members have working experience and credentials in business, industry and academia, and teaching qualifications, along with postgraduate degrees, Masters and PhDs from acclaimed American and European universities:

 Dr Despoina Athena Potari

Dr Potari received her PhD from the University of Oxford, specializing in the fields of Political Philosophy and Political Theory. She also holds an MA in Political Theory summa cum laude from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and a BA in Economics, Politics & International Relations from the University of Warwick. She is currently a research collaborator at the Research Centre for Greek Philosophy of the Academy of Athens. Dr Potari has previously taught Ancient Greek Political Philosophy and Political Theory at the University of Oxford, the University of Patras, University of Athens and the Hellenic School of National Defence. In between her academic studies, she also worked as researcher in the House of Commons, UK, and the Hellenic Parliament. She was the first Greek Ambassador to represent her country at the first One Young World global summit for young leaders in 2010. Her interests lie at the intersection between Ancient Greek Philosophy, Political Theory and Epistemology, with a strong interest in interdisciplinary studies. Her research focuses on the contemporalization of Hellenic Philosophy as a practical humanistic worldview that can help us address inner and outer existential, ethical and social challenges in ways that can expand our horizons of consciousness and, therefore, our social practice.

 Dr Constantine Niarchos

Constantine Niarchos is an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He received his Phd degree from the University of Oxford where for many academic years he taught ancient Greek philosophy. His academic career continued in the post of Professor of Philosophy at the Department of Philosophy-Pedagogy-Psychology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. His research interests include ancient Greek and Byzantine philosophy. He has published a large number of articles in Greek and international scientific journals, and is the author of many scientific textbooks. He is president of the International Scientific Society of Ancient Greek Philosophy.

 Dr Philip Dracodaidis

Dr. Philip Dracodaidis (PhD Philosophy, Montpellier University-France, 1997, MOOC Crete University-Greece on Ancient  Philosophy, 2016-ongoing) Greek citizen,  is a free lance international expert (1998-2018) for inter-disciplinary cultural programs and projects financed by international donors (EU, World Bank, OCDE) and private funds. He headed, implemented and assessed joint activities all over Europe, in the Middle East and the Caucasus, in Africa and in the Maghreb focusing on cultural material and immaterial heritage in the context of local social, economic and political realities. He worked in the private sector multinational companies (1967-1985) holding strategy, marketing and communication top management positions (Greece, Switzerland, France, Spain). He joined the consultancy sector (1985-1998). He is "Officer of Arts and Letters" (France), "Member of the Order of Isabel la Catolica" (Spain), citizen of honor (Romania). Lecturer (Athens Public Technical Institute on "Greek Philosophy Principles Related to Public Governance". He participated in research projects on Economy and Politics, Arts and Philosophy converging/diverging trends. Lecturer on inter-cultural heritage affinities and outputs. He is the author of essays on contemporary issues ("Terror Development in the 20th Century", "Historical Memory and Computer 'Memory'", "Rational of Ruins" (assessing 19th-20th Centuries and current culture/civilization outcomes), "Out of Context" (4th Industrial Revolution and the Anthropocene). He is a literature/philosophy critic in Greek daily papers. Contributor to Higher Education and Research publications on Political Economy, Philosophy (Ancient Greece, Agamben, Karl Shmitt, Myung Chul Han). Translator: Montaigne Essays, Baltazar Gracián (Oráculo Manual, El Héroe).

 Dr Konstantinos Kalachanis 

Konstantinos Kalachanis was born in 1981 in Athens. He received his degree in Philosophy-Pedagogics and Psychology, from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Athens. Furthermore he has a PhD in Philosophy and a Master’s degree in “Environment and Health, Capacity building for decision making”” in the Medical School of the University of Athens where he teaches the course “Bioethics”.  Also he teaches the course “Environment and Cancer” to the students of the Post Graduate Program “Neoplasmatic Diseases in Human: Diagnosis, Τreatment and Research”. His scientific works includes more than 80 articles in greek and international refereed scientific journals, in conference proceedings and scientific volumes. He has also participated in greek and international scientific conferences. Furthermore from 2012-2016 was Research Associate in the Faculty of Physics of the University of Athens (Department of Astrophysics-Astronomy and Mechanics). His scientific interests are: Ancient Greek Philosophy, Bioethics, Theories of creation and evolution of the Universe, Cosmology and Philosophy of Sciences.  Currently he is Research Fellow in New York College.

In order to become eligible for the program, please submit the following by April 24th

the Application Form completed.

• A copy of your transcript
• A copy of your Medical Insurance
• A copy of your International Student ID Card
• Certificate of English Proficiency (e.g. TOEFL 550 or above, or the equivalent)
• A deposit of 500 Euro

The Deposit will ensure a place is reserved for you.

• Your deposit will be credited to your program fee when you register. 
• For more information and registration details, contact the International Office of NYC at: nycath@nyc.gr

Program Costs: The program fee of 5.500 Euros

INCLUDES:

• Tuition for course
• International Student Fee
• Housing Double occupancy, or single at an additional cost.
• Breakfast and lunch, during the weekdays that classes are held.
• Transportation from and to the Airport
• Guided Tours of Athens Acropolis and Cape Sounio site visits & Museums
• Seminars & Workshops

The program fee DOES NOT INCLUDE:

• Textbooks
• Round trip fare
• Optional outings & excursions
• Personal expenses
• Medical Insurance
• Transportation costs within the city of Athens