Study abroad in Georgia this summer

Georgia

Tbilisi: Beautiful and Strategic

May 17 – June 21 2026 (five weeks)

Georgia is the new "it country": hikers and foodies love the scenic mountains and legendary cuisine; global strategists see the crucial importance of this democratic contender for NATO status. Georgia was once a wine-drinking, cheese-making part of the communist Soviet Union; today it is a proudly independent country that retains its unique culture even as it tries to leverage its importance to both Asian and Western powers. Our program takes advantage of both the beautiful and the strategic: a course on Literature and Empire brings the history of Russian imperialism and the Soviet experience to life from the perspective of the Caucasus; a course of Food Anthropology teaches you the basics of food ethnography in a way that will be deliciously hands-on. Tbilisi’s hospitality and charm is legendary, but it is still very much the “path less taken.” Earn two units, including LTI gen ed credit. Business and science students very much encouraged to apply.

LLC 262: Literature and Empire (LTI)
1 unit

Imperialism and literature as we know it (novels, short stories, romance and adventure stories) are intimately linked. Colonial expansion and “great books” fortified each other. You will read classic short stories, discuss the complicated entanglements of history, politics, and art, and then have an opportunity to review some of the first contemporary Georgian writers whose work has recently appeared in English translation. Compare “literary landscapes” seen through colonial and post-colonial eyes with the real thing during fieldtrips to the mountains and seaside.

ANTH 279: Special Topics in Anthropology
1 unit

What is the anthropology of food?  Why should we study food as part of social, environmental, and technological modernity? This course,  taught by an American anthropologist who has written her dissertation on the Georgian wine industry, will give you hands-on practice in ethnography:  how to write about food and culture, including how agriculture and environmental issues intersect, global marketing, tasting, and restaurant reviews. 

 

Students take two courses for a total of two units; both courses will be designed to take advantage of the city of Tbilisi itself, as well as excursions to the mountains and seaside. Both courses also involve guided readings and discussion-based, interactive classes, as well as hands-on research assignments that are designed to get you out into the cultural, economic, and social life of the places to be visited.

$6,100

Costs are approximate, do not include airfare, and are subject to change without notice as a result of fluctuations in currency values and other factors.

• Scholarship Assistance: UR students are eligible to apply for the Holt Summer Study Abroad Scholarship. Selected recipients will receive approximately $2,000 toward the cost of an approved UR Summer Study Abroad program.
• Financial Aid: Students who anticipate needing additional financial aid should view the Nuts and Bolts section of this website and make contact with the Office of Financial Aid with questions.
• Student Athletes: You are eligible to apply for a Weinstein Grant to provide reimbursement toward the cost of airfare. The application deadline is February 16. More information and the application can be found here.
• Cost Calculator: Estimate total program costs and payments here.

Housing

Program participants are housed in a guest house/hostel with other UR students in shared accomodations.

What's included?

• Shared housing in well-managed guest house or hostel. Breakfast is included.
• On-site oversight by UR faculty leader and program assistant
• Orientation
• 24-hour on-call emergency support
• Faculty-led field trips and excursions both within the city and beyond, including transit tickets

Activities & Excursions

• Day trips in Tbilisi, including a city walking tour, and the surrounding area
• Georgian Dance and polyphonic singing workshops
• Day trip to Kakheti
• Overnight trip to Kitaisi and Batum

Application Deadline

February 16

Apply online through Gateway Abroad, our study abroad application portal.