The location: Greece is a country in southeastern Europe with thousands of islands throughout the Aegean and Ionian seas. It is the cradle of Western civilization and is credited with the creation of democracy, political science, historiography, the Olympic Games, Western philosophy, drama, and literature.

In this field experience, hosted by the Discovery Foundation, students will be based on the island of Crete. Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, and Corsica. Crete rests approximately 160 km south of the Greek mainland. The program will be based in the cities of Iraklio and Chania with excursions planned to Rethymno, Margarites, Knossos, and Elafonissi. A day trip is planned to Santorini, where students will visit Oia, renowned for its idyllic sunsets, white‑washed houses, and blue‑domed churches, and Fira, the island’s bustling capital, overlooking the legendary caldera and volcanic islets.

Course Work and Highlights: The Discovery Course will focus on applied learning in the general area of health. Students will complete a group project with the help of a mentor. Six sessions focused specifically on academic work and/or personal and professional development have been planned at various locations throughout the 2-week period. The course will also be complemented by traditional Greek experiences. In addition, the curriculum will include experiential/active learning through interaction with the environment and culture in Greece.

This 3-credit field experience course will fulfill a GBL requirement.

Housing: Students will be housed in multiple occupancy hotel rooms in Iraklio and Chania.

Prerequisite course: Students must have taken one of the following courses prior to the field experience: BIO129, BIO144, EXS252, CHM102, CHM108, or SUS201.


Eligibility:
Chatham undergraduate students must have good academic standing and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher at the time of application and at the commencement of spring 2026 term. Students must have completed at least 30 undergraduate credits at the time of travel, including at least 15 credits completed at Chatham at the time of travel.
Students must have good judicial standing (to be verified by Office of Student Affairs) and good financial standing at Chatham (to be verified by Student Accounts).
Students must be current Chatham students at the time of the field experience to participate.

The minimum enrollment for this course is 20 students. Each field experience is self-supporting and must meet its minimum enrollment number or it will be cancelled.