Northern Ireland: Human Rights, Law and Justice

Overview 

Spend spring break in beautiful Northern Ireland for an experience of a lifetime! Throughout this program students will see large metropolitan areas and small country towns, meet local Irish folk and absorb all that this small region has to offer.  Explore the legacy of the conflict known as "the Troubles" through interactions with human rights lawyers, ex-political prisoners, victims associations, and restorative justice practitioners. Law, culture, history, and politics are combined into a unique and engaging experience that offer 3 credits in just one week for undergraduate students and 4 credits for graduate students!

Highlights and Excursions

• Action packed itinerary - Students will start in Dublin and visit Belfast, Omagh, and Derry while visiting museums, wall murals, historic sites, universities, memorials, and more!  Whether this is your first trip abroad or one of many, you will have the opportunity to travel with an OU faculty member and see sites normal tourists would never get to see.  
• Experiential learning - This program is focused on engaging with the local culture to gain a deeper understanding of the themes and concepts discussed in class. This is not a lecture course - students are encouraged to interact with the local people and places that bring the topic of human rights, law and justice to life in this post-conflict area. 
• Fascinating landscape – See the rugged beauty of this region while learning about the history and culture of its people. Northern Ireland is fascinating not only for its beauty but also for the people! 

Good To Know

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

Information Sessions

• Northern Ireland spring break study abroad information sessions:
  • September 18 at 5 p.m. in Bentley Hall 124
  • September 19 at 6 p.m. via Microsoft Teams

Living Arrangements

Shared (2-3 students per room) occupancy housing in centrally located budget hotels will be provided for students in each location. Breakfast will be provided daily and group welcome and farewell dinners are included.

Program Dates 

March 8, 2025 - March 16, 2025

Note: Students will need to depart the U.S. on March 7th in order to arrive in Dublin on March 8th.

Academics 

The course focuses on the post-conflict transition of Northern Ireland after its long legacy of violence and human rights abuses. Students will learn about the current peace-building efforts, with much of the course material being drawn from on-site activities and interactions. 

This study abroad program satisfies requirements for Anthropology majors and minors, Global Studies - War and Peace majors and certificates, and students earning Law, Justice & Culture Masters or certificates.  

Students will earn a total of 3-4 credit hours:

• ANTH 4620 (undergraduates - 3 credits) 
• ANTH 5620 (graduates - 4 credits)

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 3-4 credit hours of tuition*, administrative fee, and out-of-pocket costs. Below is the student budget worksheet for this program, which outlines these costs.  

• Undergraduate Student Budget Worksheet 2025
• Graduate Student Budget Worksheet 2025

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: 

• 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. 
• For programs completed over winter-break and spring break, the credit-hours associated with the program are part of the spring semester. Students taking between 12 to 20 Athens campus hours, including those associated with the program, will not incur additional tuition costs for the spring semester. Students taking less than 12 or more than 20 Athens campus credits for the spring term will see their tuition charge adjusted accordingly.  

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:

• A personal statement:  A 1 - 2 page typed essay describing your academic and career goals, and your interest in participating in this particular study abroad program as well as your interest in human rights, law, and justice.
• 1 Reference Name: The name and contact of individual who may serve as an academic reference
• A copy of your DARs

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