make the world your classroom
For students interested in learning beyond the virtual or Hyde Park classroom, our optional Travel Study offers the opportunity to earn course credit while engaging with significant texts, ideas, and historical questions in remarkable locations around the world. Â
Learn Through Places
Travel with Master of Liberal Arts faculty and curious peers, learn from local scholars and experts, and visit the collections, institutions, and historic sites that illuminate your area of study.
Travel Study combines the intellectual rigor of the MLA with the perspective that comes from encountering ideas in the settings where they emerged and evolved.
Depending on the program, you might examine the history of anatomy in scientific collections across Europe, explore literature and culture at University of Oxford, or consider foundational works in the cities and landscapes that inspired them.
During a Travel Study experience, you will:
- Engage deeply with texts and ideas through faculty-led discussion.
- Learn from local scholars, curators, and subject-matter experts.
- Visit museums, archives, universities, historic sites, and cultural institutions.
- Examine course material within its literary, historical, scientific, or cultural context.
- Share conversation and discovery with fellow students and alumni.
- Earn credit toward your MLA degree through an independent study course.
Current MLA Travel Opportunities
From Body-Snatching to Darwin: Travels Through European Anatomy
Explore the history of anatomy across Paris, London, and Scotland and learn how scientific discovery transformed our modern understanding of human life.
A Historical Adventure at the University of Oxford
Travel with members of the UChicago Graham School community to study and explore at the world’s oldest English-speaking university.
Earn MLA Credit Through Travel Study
MLA students may participate in select UChicago Graham School Travel Study experiences for academic credit. Students enroll in an independent study course and work with the lead faculty member to complete additional assignments related to the Travel Study experience.
Each journey fulfills different MLA degree requirements. Students should review the academic information provided for each trip and speak with the MLA team to determine how a particular experience may apply toward their degree.
Travel Study is entirely optional. Students who prefer to complete the degree remotely can fulfill all MLA requirements online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Master of Liberal Arts students participate in Travel Study for credit?
Yes. MLA students may participate in select Graham School Travel Study programs for academic credit. For trips led by an MLA faculty member, students enroll in a credit-bearing MLA course at the same time they enroll in the travel study experience and complete additional assignments related to the experience. For trips not led by an MLA faculty member, like the Oxford program, students can still receive course credit by working with MLA staff to enroll in an independent study course supervised by a UChicago faculty member.
Each trip fulfills different MLA course or concentration requirements. Academic details will be listed with each eligible Travel Study program.
Is Travel Study required for the MLA?
No. Travel Study is an optional way to earn credit and complement your online coursework with an immersive, in-person learning experience. The MLA can be completed fully online.
How does Travel Study apply toward my degree?
The applicable course or concentration requirement varies by trip and subject. Before enrolling, students should speak with the MLA team to confirm how a Travel Study experience will apply toward their individual degree plan.
What does Travel Study cost for MLA students?
MLA students are responsible for paying the standard MLA course tuition. They also pay a reduced Travel Study program fee, which includes accommodations and other items specified on the individual trip page. The program fee varies by trip. Airfare and certain other expenses are not included.
Who participates in Travel Study?
Travel Study programs bring together intellectually curious learners from across the Graham School and wider University community. Depending on the trip, participants may include MLA students, students from other UChicago Graham School programs, and UChicago alumni.
How do I participate?
Review the upcoming opportunities on this page and visit the individual program page for dates, eligibility, itinerary, pricing, and application information.
Before applying for a trip, MLA students should contact Tim Murphy at timmurphy@uchicago.edu to discuss academic credit and degree requirements.