Short courses range in duration from 14 to 50 days and are scheduled during traditional University breaks, winter, spring, summer and fall. In most cases, a professor or a group of professors from the home University lead the delegation of students and assess student performance during the various academic and cultural meetings, delivering grades as if the student were attending classes at the home institution. Credits earned during the short course count towards graduation. This has made short courses a very popular option for studying abroad during graduate and undergraduate studies.

• Spring Break Short Courses:
If the home University has a Spring Break of 10+ days, it is possible to schedule a short course to Europe during a March or April Spring Break. The majority of Universities offer 3 hours of credit for Spring Break short courses to European countries. Although somewhat challenging because of the cooler weather patterns in most of Europe, Spring Break short courses are also on the rise, especially in the warmer southern European countries.

• Summer Break Short Courses:
Summer Break short courses are very popular for Europe, and offer more flexibility as many of these courses can run as long as 40+ days visiting 5-6 cities. These are available from mid-May to late August. Summer Break short courses are usually 3-6 hours of academic credit. The majority of summer break short courses visit a string of countries from Western Europe through to Eatern Europe, this gives them a taste of the vast cultural and social differences found throughout the European Union.

• Winter Break Short Courses:
Winter Break trips to Europe run anywhere from late December to early February (December 26th – February 7th or 8th), depending on when the individual University resumes regular classes for Spring semester. Some Universities with the “trimester” system are able to schedule short courses that continue into mid or late March and take advantage of the winter ski season. The majority of Universities offer 3-6 hours of credit for these courses during winter break.

• Fall Break Short Courses:
A few Universities offer a Fall Break that is long enough to allow for the organization of a short course. These are typically between 10-12 days of travel in early September – mid October. Most provide 3 hours of credit for participating students and visit a host of destinations in Europe, which still has a relatively mild climate at this time of year.

• Customised Itineraries:
Phi Beta Euro is equipped to support University faculty and administration in planning the detailed itineraries for all of these short course options. We provide the flexibility you need to design exactly the right course depending on your needs and time available for travel. Everything is customized, we handle all academic subjects and we never run the same itinerary twice.

“If you want to visit only one city in one country on a 10 day program with only 12 students and one faculty, you will receive just as much attention and consultation as a University that wants to visit 10-12 locations in Europe with 60 students and 5 faculty over 40 days.” Stephen Pattillo, Managing Director

Please feel free to contact us at info@phibetaeuro.com for sample itineraries and consultation about your desired short course to Europe. For itineraries to Asia, contact info@phibetaasia.com and for Australia and New Zealand, contact info@phibetadingo.com.