Course at a Glance
Course: ARTH 489M (3 Credits)
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
When: To be announced
Register By: To be announced
Highlights:
Rijksmuseum
Van Gogh Museum
Stedelijk Museum
Works by Seurat, Gauguin, and Cezanne
Tuition and Fees:
$744.00 Undergraduate 3-credit hour tuition cost
$650.00 Field Study Fee includes: Lodging, (7 nights, double occupancy), museum/ticket fees, excursions
Not included: Meals, transportation to and from the location, voluntary excursions
Explore one of the most influential figures in the history of Western art during this field study program at UMGC Europe.
Rich resources in Amsterdam allow students to follow Van Gogh's development through a study of his paintings. At the Rijksmuseum, masterpieces of the Dutch Golden Age highlight influences in his early years. A visit to the Rembrandt House Museum underscores the spiritual and artistic impact of Rembrandt throughout Van Gogh’s life. In the Van Gogh Museum, students can observe the changes produced by the artist’s contact with Seurat, Gauguin, and Cezanne. The Stedelijk Museum provides the class with an opportunity to see how Van Gogh has influenced painting in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Topics include:
- Background and early years
- Rembrandt’s importance
- Theo Van Gogh: Brother, advisor, confidant
- Impressionism: A new way of seeing
- Post-Impressionism: Color and feeling
- Descriptive vs. expressive color
- Descriptive vs. subjective content
- Van Gogh’s radical spirituality
- Van Gogh’s writing: A life in letters
- Summary: Changing the direction of art
May apply toward upper- or lower-level credit for art history, humanities, or electives.
Faculty member: Angela Maria LaDelfa, e-mail angela.m.ladelfa@faculty.umgc.edu
Course Details
Pre-Course and Week 1
The official course start date is to be announced. Students will gain access to the online classroom 1 week prior to the start of the course and should take a virtual walk-through to become familiar with the content and syllabus. On-site dates in Amsterdam are to be announced. The remainder of the class will be held within the online classroom.
On-Site in Amsterdam
* All times are approximate
Sunday, Day 1
- 1530-1730
- Orientation, lecture, description of the itinerary, and guidelines for the project assignment
Monday, Day 2
- 0900-1700
- Meet in the hotel lobby
- Lecture
- Site visit to Amsterdam city center and religious buildings
Tuesday, Day 3
- 0900-1700
- Meet in the hotel lobby
- Lecture
- Visit to Rijksmuseum
Wednesday, Day 4
- 0900-1800
- Meet in the hotel lobby
- Lecture
- Visit Van Gogh Museum
- Personal time for students to enjoy the Van Gogh paintings
Thursday, Day 5
- 0900-1500
- Meet in the hotel lobby
- Lecture
- Visit Rembrandt House Museum (Rembrandthuis)
- Break out early to work on project
- Faculty member available for questions and to meet with group or individuals
Friday, Day 6
- 0900-1600
- Meet in the hotel lobby
- Lecture
- Visit to Stedelijk Museum
- Return to hotel for lecture and discussion
- Break early to work on projects
- Faculty member available for questions and to meet with group or individuals
Saturday, Day 7
- 0900-1600
- Meet in the hotel lobby
- Lecture
- Visit to Van Gogh Museum, presentations by students
Sunday, Day 8
- 0900-1200
- Check out of hotel
- Final lecture
- Q&A, course summary
- 1200
- Course concludes
COVID-19 Information
Do I need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to register for this course?
Students must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 to attend this course.
Do I need to wear a mask during class?
Students and faculty must observe host nation requirements in effect for COVID-19 during the course. This includes wearing a mouth-nose covering in enclosed rooms, which are publicly accessible or open to visitors or customers, unless requirements are modified prior to the course dates.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Accommodation and Transportation
For your convenience, UMGC coordinates the hotel and excursion arrangements for a field study fee of $650 per student per field study course. This fee will be charged to your student account and covers seven nights of lodging (double occupancy room), as well as local transportation costs and entry to all excursions.
The $650 fee does not include travel to and from the city where the course is held. Students must make their own travel arrangements to the course.
Textbooks and Course Materials
Please refer to the current course syllabus found on the schedule for details about course materials.
Registration Details
You may register for the 3 credit field study course with your local program coordinator or online at MyUMGC. Tuition assistance or financial aid can be applied toward tuition costs. For more information, contact the UMGC Field Study Office at CIV +49-(0)631-534-800, or e-mail fieldstudies-europe@umgc.edu.
Before completing your travel plans, please verify with your local program coordinator or the Field Study Office at UMGC Europe Headquarters that the course will be held as scheduled. If you drop/withdraw from a field study course after the registration deadline, you will be charged a fee of $100.
How is a field study course different from a regular course?
A field study course packs all of the 48 contact-hours of other courses into adventure-filled days on location, so you can earn one to three credits at an accelerated pace. In addition, rather than taking place in an education center, a field study course takes place in a historical European city where the subject being studied has its roots. You will visit historical sites and museums as well as participate in lectures that bring it all together for a one-of-a-kind learning experience.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page.
Helpful Hints
Before you leave:
- Contact your travel agency concerning insurance coverage for cancellations.
- Contact your health insurance company for information concerning coverage at your destination.
- Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of your destination country.
- Check the weather forecast for your destination.
- Obtain city maps for your destination.
- Leave contact information with people at home who may need to reach you during the course.
- Make sure your legal affairs are in order and leave a short-term power of attorney with someone you trust.
- Make two photocopies of your passport and the contents of your wallet--leave one copy at home and bring the other with you.
For more information, please visit the Field Study Resources page.