People and Places of Peru

Summer 2010: May 17 to June 24 with on-campus sessions May 17 to June 3 (tentative dates)

Program Location

Peru, in western South America, is a land of rich natural beauty that stretches from the Pacific Ocean across the Andes Mountains to the rainforests of the Amazon basin.  Peru was home to the Inca empire and contains numerous historical sites, none more famous than Machu Picchu (the “Lost City of the Inca”).

Academic Program

The program consists of three weeks of classroom learning at JMU during the May session, followed by an 11-day tour of Peru.  Instructional dates on JMU campus: Monday, May 17 – Thursday, June 3, Mondays - Thursdays, 1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

The Geography of Peru will include study of

• the physical geography of Peru (geology, terrain, climate, location of major physical features such as mountains and rivers)
• a history of Peru, including a history of the Inca Empire, European colonization, and modern historical events
• the languages, religions, and cultures of Peru
• the historical and contemporary political milieu of Peru
• the human interaction with the environment, including issues such as the deforestation in the Amazon rain forest and global climate change
• contemporary challenges in Peru, such as the drug trade and its impact on Peru.

The tour will include visits to Machu Picchu (the “Lost City of the Inca”), Lima (capital of Peru since 1535), Cuzco (known as the “Archaeological Capital of the Americas, including the Incan historical sites Korikancha Temple, Sacsayhuaman fortress, Kenko, Puca-Pucara, and Tambomachay), Pisac, (a traditional Indian market town), Ollantaytambo (the oldest continuously occupied settlement in the Americas), two nights in a lodge in the Amazon rainforest, and a river-rafting trip on the Urubamba River.

Instructional methods include lectures, guided tours, journal assignment and/or papers and tests/exams.

Tentative course offerings:
GEOG 350: People and Places of Peru, (3)

Accommodations

Students will reside in hotels. Most group meals will be provided.  Participants will be responsible for meals while in the U.S., and five lunches in Peru.

Program Costs

For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.

Application

For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.

For More Information

For additional information about the Geography of Peru program, please contact the program director:

David K. McGraw, Esq.
Associate Professor
Department of Integrated Science and Technology
Tel: 540-568-2345
E-Mail: mcgrawdk@jmu.edu