UK: From Appalachia to Wales-Coal, Culture, and Community

Overview

Learn about Appalachian and Welsh post-coal societies and explore the ways communities in both countries responded socially, culturally, and economically to coal boom and bust cycles. Learn about the history, people, and communities of Appalachia and how they may parallel or diverge from the experience of those living in mining communities in Wales. This program offers students the opportunity to gain in-depth experience with European communities in a short amount of time. Fundamentally, this trip will give students the opportunity to integrate academic learning about industrial and post-coal community issues with the actual experience of visiting people, groups, and sites in these communities. The interdisciplinary nature of the corresponding course and focus of the trip will foster connections across disciplines including history, music and the arts, social and public health, sociology, community development, and political science.

Highlights and Excursions

• Visit Rhondda Heritage Park where a former coal miner will take you underground and back in time.
• See the Blaenavon Ironworks and learn about the significance of this industry in Wales and the world.
• See the Onllwyn Men’s Choir, an ongoing cultural tradition based in the historical legacy of Welsh coal-mining communities.

Good To Know

• Students should expect a moderate level of physical activity (walking) on this program. 

Information Sessions

• TBD

Living Arrangements

Students will stay in hotels with 2-3 students per room. Breakfast is included daily along with a Welcome and Farewell dinner.

Program Dates 

May 12, 2025 - May 22, 2025. 

Note: Students will need to depart the U.S. on May 11th in order to arrive in Cardiff on May 12th.

Academics 

Students will earn a total of 3 credit hours. Student will choose from:

• HLTH 2230: Introduction to Appalachian Studies
• SOC 3090: Sociology of Appalachia
• SOC 5090: Graduate Sociology of Appalachia

Cost  

The program fee for this program includes: Student accommodations, breakfast daily, excursions, airport transfers, transportation to all program related activities, welcome and farewell dinner, and international health insurance.

In addition to the program fee, students should plan for 3 credit hours of tuition*, administrative fee, and out-of-pocket costs. Below is the student budget worksheet for this program, which outlines these costs.  

Student Budget Worksheet 2025 coming soon!

Items that are not related to the program (ie. additional entertainment, souvenirs, extra travel, contingency funds) are not included in the cost estimates provided and should be budgeted for separately.  

*Note: 

• Non-resident surcharge waived for the credit hours associated with this program. 
• If you are nominated to this program, you will be required to pay a deposit to confirm your participation. The deposit is a down payment on the total costs to be billed by OHIO and is determined by the total cost of the program. 

Funding Opportunities

More information on financial aid and scholarships can be found on our funding pages.

Eligibility and Requirements 

This program is open to all OHIO undergraduate and graduate students in good academic standing.  

Students who will be on probation at any point during the program for a conduct offense that took place less than a calendar year from the program start date may not study abroad. Read the entire conduct policy.  

This program accepts NON-OHIO students. For more information about this process visit the Non-OHIO student page.   

Participants must have a at least a high school diploma or the equivalent (e.g. GED) by the start date of the program to be considered for eligibility.  Students enrolled in College Credit Plus (CC+) are not eligible for study away programs.

Application Requirements

Applicants will be required to submit:

1 Personal Statement of around 500 words detailing why you are interested in this program

1 Reference contact information

Entry and Exit Requirements 

U.S. citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport when traveling outside of the United States. If you plan to study or travel abroad in the next year,  apply for your passport  now.

U.S. citizens  will not  need a visa or other special document to enter the country for the length of this program. Please also note that visa requirements may vary if you plan to stay in the country longer than the program dates or travel to other countries during or after the program. Please familiarize yourself with these recommendations and requirements prior to applying to this program. 

For more specific visa related information, please visit OGO’s  Visa Information Page 

Information for  Non-U.S. citizens 

Resources 

• Health and Safety
• Accessibility Requests and Accommodations