European Academic Tour | Humanities and Philosophy | BYU-Idaho

# Humanities European Academic Tour

****Tour Dates**** 
April 13-May 16, 2026 
 
****Application Deadline**** 
November 20, 2025

Apply Now!

Application 
 
FAQ

## About the Academic Tour

Embark on an unforgettable European Academic Tour through the captivating cities of London, Paris, Rome, Florence, Pompeii, Siena, Athens, and Delphi!

Open to students of all majors, this transformative journey offers both structured learning opportunities and ample free time for personal exploration and discovery.

From the historic landmarks of London to the artistic treasures of Florence, delve into diverse cultures and histories. Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity!

Dates

On-Campus Classes: April 13-21 
European Tour: April 22-May 16 
Student Presentations: TBD 
 
Itinerary 
 
(Subject to change)

Application Process

47 spots available 
All majors welcome. Priority will be given to Humanities/Art Majors and Juniors/Seniors. 
 
Accepting applications starting June 26 
 
Apply here

Courses

Students will enroll in ****at least 6 credits**** from the following courses: 
 
****HUM 201****: Searching for Meaning in the Ancient World (3 credits) 
****HUM 202****: Searching for Meaning in the Modern World (3 credits) 
****HUM 350R****: Junior Seminar in the Humanities (3 credits) 
****HUM 385****: Travel Studies in Humanities (1-3 credits) 
****ART 201****: Art History I (3 credits) 
****ART 202****: Art History II (3 credits) 
****ART 290R****: Independent Study (1-4 credits) 
****ART 395****: Travel Studies in Art (1-3 credits) 
****ART 396R****: Special Topics (Sketching/Gouache/Collage) (3 credits)

## European Academic Tour Cost: $5,600

Included:

- Airfare 
- Lodging 
- Meals 
- Ground Transportation 
- International Health Insurance 
- Major Museums/Sites Entrance 
- Tickets to a play/concert/opera 
- Transportation to Salt Lake City Airport

Not Included:

- Tuition 
- United States Health Insurance 
- Vaccines 
- Passport 
- UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) 
- Personal Expenses 
- Phone Plan 
- Transportation from Salt Lake City Airport

Funding:

There are currently no tour specific scholarships/waivers available. 
 
Consider applying for grants and scholarships from the following sources: 
 
- FAFSA 
- BYU-Idaho Scholarships 
- U.S. Department of State

Payment Plan:

The total cost will be paid in increments as follows: 
 
****Dec 12th, 2025:**** $500 (nonrefundable) 
 
****Jan 9th, 2026:**** $1700 
 
****Feb 13th, 2026:**** $1700 
 
****Mar 13th, 2026:**** $1700

Physical Health

****The Tour Entails****: 

- Walking (8 miles/day on average)
- Climbing stairs/slopes
- Carrying your own luggage over long distances

We advise participants to have a physical check-up prior to applying. BYU-Idaho cannot be responsible for any injuries or illnesses that might occur on the tour. 
 
***Currently, there are no Covid-19 vaccine requirements in Europe.**

Mental Health

Travel can be stressful and can worsen existing mental health issues. Please consider the advice found on the CDC's Mental Health and Travel page.

Passports & Visas

You must have a valid passport for international travel. Apply early as this process may take up to 6 months. 
 
Official US Passport Site 
 
In addition, you must have a valid UK ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) to travel in the UK. 
 
Official UK ETA Site

Packing

****Luggage Requirements**** 

- 1 suitcase: max. 26" x 18" x 12"--including wheels & handle; max. weight 35 lbs
- We strongly encourage you to limit your suitcase size to that of a carry-on (max. 22" x 14" x 9")
- 1 out-and-about bag: around 11" x 10" x 4"
- Most museums/venues do not allow backpacks, so please do not use a backpack for your out-and-about bag. Instead, carry a small over-the-shoulder messenger or day bag worn at the side.

See an example on Amazon. 
 
Sample Packing List

## Tour Directors

Brian Merrill

****Department Chair**** 
merrillb@byui.edu 
208-496-4350

Jonathan Austad

****Faculty**** 
austadj@byui.edu 
208-496-4354

Carla Jimison

****Faculty**** 
jimisonc@byui.edu 
208-496-4915

Student Experiences

Madison

Becca

Mary Lou

Claire

Sophia

Steven

Elizabeth

Charlotte

Shannon

Madison

Becca

Mary Lou

Claire

Sophia

Steven

Elizabeth

Charlotte

Shannon

Madison

Becca

Mary Lou

Claire

Sophia

Steven

Elizabeth

Charlotte

Shannon

## Student Experience - Madison

****"Seeing Picasso's Guernica has encouraged me to focus on my own patriotism.**** I, like many Americans, have great pride in my nation, but I think that it is important not to cross the border into ethnocentrism. I love my country, but I appreciate all others as well. No country has become what they are today without the help of others. The world is so intertwined that I don't understand how we cannot love and appreciate all other countries!

"I think that within the first few days in London, I became incredibly overwhelmed with the size and energy of the city. I was amazed at how different, yet similar our lives could be when we were living thousands of miles away from each other. ****This experience has encouraged me to think less of myself and realize that there are billions of people who are trying just as hard as I am to find their way through life. . . .****

"I learned so much about myself! I learned how to effectively communicate and cooperate in a group, how to use art as a form of communication, how to be independent, how to be flexible with my schedule and how to appreciate my surroundings at all times! Traveling has allowed me to think about things which I have never even dreamt of before . . .

"Because I had such a wonderful time in Spain I am now studying Spanish and hope to conquer Italian in the future. ****My educational goals have truly changed as a result of the trip! This truly was a once in a lifetime experience which has changed the way I think, learn and feel."****

## Student Experience - Becca

"Throughout this trip, ****I've become less afraid of the unknown. I've become excited about the future and now look forward to the unknown. I have learned more of who I am.****

"I had a major setback in the fall semester. I was so disappointed and confused about how my life was going. Life wasn't what I had expected and wasn't going where I planned. Fortunately, that set back kind of led me to apply to this trip. Thinking of my trip to Europe makes me so happy. It was exciting doing new things with new friends. Although I was hurt by the setback, I realized that everything worked out better than I ever planned.

"I saw famous artwork IN REAL LIFE. ****I was in Europe exploring each city on my own!**** I know my testimony and self-confidence have grown. I met new people who I really came to love.

"I came back a different person. This really has been the best experience of my life so far. [In the end], life can seem disappointing at times, but when things look really, really bad, push forward and keep going. Life turns out so much better than you would have ever planned."

## Student Experience - Mary Lou

"I [studied the] Notre Dame Cathedral before . . . but nothing could have prepared me for the reality of that beautiful place.

"The architecture is phenomenal. I nearly cried as I walked along inside it. . . . Standing in the middle of the cathedral, looking at the stone walls and stained glass . . . made me feel something. People would work their whole lives, give everything they owned, to build that cathedral and others like it. . . . They had so much faith; it's inspiring to see the results of their labors still standing, still incredibly beautiful."

## Student Experience - Claire

****Stones:**** 
"Old, crumbling, and ancient, Lining paths of once traveled roads. Stacked like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, creating refuges from the storm. Alone, bold, and strong sitting in fields like great magical toads. The chiseled and worn marks give the hard surface good form. What stories you can find within a stone!

"Mont St. Michel - Huge ancient city on an island . . . What would their time have been like? One of the great mysteries, desires, and fantasies of man is to surpass progression into the future and instead travel back in time. ****Just like when you study and learn of art and architecture, when you actually get to see what you've only just spoken of in person, it means so much more . . .****

"It is so true that as I walked the streets of jolly London, climbed the winding stairs of Notre Dame and went to old, small towns like Mont St. Michel, I wanted **so** much to see them when they were first made. To be there in the crowds, rubbing shoulders with the people who lived then.

"I've always wanted to meet great people like Aristotle, Michelangelo, Charles Dickens, Columbus, Jane Austen, Mozart . . . how incredible it would be to go back and see them in their element. . . to just see the mannerisms of the people in those times.

"****Like the old saying, 'You don't know a man until you've walked in his shoes,' I want to walk in their shoes, to really know that time era in history!"****

## Student Experience - Sophia

"This is not my first time to visit Europe and most of the places in London I have visited, but when I walked into the National Gallery, I was awed and speechless once again.

"I saw Van Gogh's Self-Portrait, da Vinci's Virgin of the Rocks, Georges Seurat's Bathers at Asnieres, and Degas' Combing the Hair, among others.

"I have seen these paintings many times in textbooks, classrooms, and magazines, but they continue to fascinate and capture my attention. Why? . . .****To see something you have learned about offers a real, personal experience that no one can make or take away. Each time I see these great works of art, my imagination is whetted, my mind opened, and my confidence grows . . . First-hand aesthetic experience is an education all on its own**** . . .

"However, the main thing I have learned is about me. I have learned that I have an inner confidence and independence that helps me calmly handle potentially stressful or dangerous situations. I have accumulated all my education learned from BYU-I and applied it to my life and my adventures . . .

"****Throughout this trip, I have lost my fear of the future and unknown, but learned to embrace it and learn from it . . . I have learned what I am all about.****I have learned from my experiences and I am thankful for the opportunity to do so . . . ****I did not realize my growth until it was tested."****

## Student Experience - Steven

****"[Mauthausen Work Camp] was the single most moving experience in Europe. I remember every detail and the feelings that overwhelmed me****. I remember the rain and the quiet. I remember the pain and sorrow I saw in the faces on the walls. I remember how awful it was to see this tiny glimpse of what these men suffered. . . .

"Visiting this place made me realize that we cannot ever let something like this happen again and the only way to prevent it is to fight ignorance and apathy.

"We need to be involved in the lives of others no matter how easy it is to ignore the world's problems. Those who lived next to some camps didn't even know what was going on. What was their excuse? What is mine?"

## Student Experience - Elizabeth

****"This has been a trip of 'firsts' for me. Not only in the fact that this is the longest amount of time I've been away from home . . . but with some first-time eye opening culture shock**** of how people live outside the Mormon bubble.

"Now, not all the firsts on this trip were bad. My first professional theatre show, my first castle exploration, cathedral viewing, and dress up concert . . . ****This trip has shown the world to me - the good, the bad, and the ugly. Because of my experiences, I now have a broader scope of people and how their choices influence their lives . . . I have a bigger world out there, and because of this newly acquired knowledge, I feel so much more educated.****

"I don't want or intend to rub everyone's nose in the fact that I've been [to Europe] and they haven't, but I feel that I have more to contribute now because I've seen the flip side of the coin."

## Student Experience - Charlotte

****"The skills I gained in preparing to go to six [European] countries made a trip to San Francisco easy.****

I was so excited to go that I started planning six months in advance, which ended up really paying off . . . While I counted down the months, I researched things to do . . . I searched online for prices and times (open hours) to further plan our days. But I also allowed for time to explore too, because I learned over and over in Europe that some of the best experiences were stumbled upon.

"In order to remember the trip, I used the same [journaling] form I did in Europe. During lunch or quiet moments, I would jot down thoughts in my sketch book (which had all the trip's information in it, too). Then that night I'd pick a couple of the more poignant experiences and flesh out those stories.

"My husband did something similar by blogging from his iPhone. He'd take a picture, write about it, and post it almost immediately. We now have an extensive record of the fun we had . . . We saw sights, relaxed and improved our photography skills . . .

"****I discovered that we can afford to go on vacations if we plan well and save up, even though we're a young married couple."****

## Student Experience - Shannon

"[W]hen I saw Michelangelo's **David**, it was such a feeling of accomplishment. For Michelangelo to have spent 3 years on that sculpture is . . . amazing. I tried to imagine how he felt when he finished it. I'm sure he felt accomplish[ment]. I did because I viewed such an amazing piece of art.

****"[It] is such a satisfactory feeling to view something and feel accomplished. . . This [experience] caused me to appreciate hard work. I love to feel accomplished after working hard on something; I'm sure Michelangelo did."****