University of South Florida
| Program Terms: |
Summer |
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| Eligibility: | Please see below for requirements. |
| Dates / Deadlines: |
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| Fact Sheet: |
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 Language of Instruction:
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English |
Language Requirements:
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None |
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Program Type:
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USF Sponsored |
Eligibility Requirements:
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Degree Seeking |
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Level of Study:
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Graduate, Undergraduate |
Open to:
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USF Students Only |
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Credit Offered:
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USF Credit |
Program Advisor:
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Jim Pulos |
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Minimum GPA:
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2.0 |
Sponsoring College:
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The Arts |
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Program Primary Subject:
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Architecture | ||
| Program Description: |
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- Program Overview
- Location
- Host Institution
- Academic Program and Course Information
- Faculty
- Program Costs
- Living Arrangements
- Who Can Participate?
- How to Apply
- How and When to Pay
- Getting There
- Medical Insurance and Travel Documentation
- Health & Safety
- Financial Aid and Scholarship Funding
- Special Terms
- Contacts for More Information
- Talk to our GloBull Ambassadors
Program Overview
Over the past decade, global sea level rise is an issue which has achieved little political consensus, yet has gained great momentum in the popular culture of television, film, and the internet. Living below sea level however, is no fiction. Since the roman times, humans have been building dykes to reclaim land from the sea. Such reclamations, known as polders, have become the seat of great cities around the world, but most famously in the Netherlands, where the oldest established poldern "water bodies" have held independent elections and have levied taxes for nearly a thousand years. As such, the political substructure of the polder is the oldest continually operating democratic consensus in the world. The "Polder Model studio" concept is designed to address both urban and architectural issues of building cities in lowlands while simultaneously examining the environmental, political, economic, and engineering harmony which must exist in order to literally keep one's head above the water, when one's place of residence must exist beneath it. Students will travel to and immerse themselves in the design, urbanism, culture, and politics of the most notoriously low-lying city in the western world: Amsterdam.
The studio explores the city of Amsterdam for six weeks in order to examine a historic poldern city which has functioned to define an entire culture of land reclamation through democratic consensus. The polder model studio will be organized vertically, serving to integrate beginning and advanced architectural design students as well as urban design students within the same research context. The assignment organizes students into four ideological camps, each consisting of both urban design students and architectural design students who are then challenged to tackle a proposed Floridian reclamation project at both the macro and micro scales. This fresh polder will strive to leverage the strength of both the European and American models to create a consensus between an increasingly conservative regional government and a highly charged and empowered environmental movement to create a new democratic model for a low-lying Floridian city.
Location
The Netherlands is well known as a safe and healthy country. Nevertheless, all reasonable precautions will be undertaken to protect the health, safety, and welfare of students. The American Consulate General in the Netherlands will be made aware of our plans, students will be instructed on the avoidance of pickpockets and other petty criminals.
Host Institution
Academic Program and Course Information
The class will be conducted through exercises in the field using cameras, sketchbooks, pencils, rulers, and the proportions of the human body. A host institution and faculty is being actively sought from Architecture schools in Amsterdam to provide local expertise as well as a studio space for classroom exercises, though this is not essential to the success of the program. Day trips on foot will be conducted within the city of Amsterdam on a regular basis to examine and document notable works of both contemporary and traditional architecture, as well as the city plan and polder infrastructure. Day-trips to outlying areas via public transportation will also be undertaken, always returning to Amsterdam proper by evening. Contact hours to be provided from field experience will consist of roughly seventy-five percent of the coursework.
Credit Type:
Students enrolled in this program will be enrolled in direct USF credit.
Faculty
Mark Weston has travelled extensively in Europe and within the Netherlands. He does not speak Dutch, but the level of English proficiency within the population of the Netherlands is outstanding. Travel within the Netherlands requires no use of the Dutch language. In cases of where the need should arise however, the program director speaks proficient French, and has working knowledge of Spanish and German.
Living Arrangements
Students will be lodged in affordable apartments with kitchenettes. Students will be able to shop for food affordably at grocery stores for cooking in their own lodgings. Students will be responsible for packing meals for any excursions which span meal times. A classroom is actively being sought through local Universities. Students will travel on standard tourist visas, free of charge.
Who Can Participate?
- Desirable: Masters Students in Architecture in the Design A or Design C sequence of the curriculum.
- Minimum: Enrolled student in good academic standing.
How to Apply
In order to enroll in the program, you must complete the Education Abroad Application, which can be found on our office's website. In addition, your Course Approval form must be signed by your major acacdemic advisor. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Upon submitting a completed application pages and confirming your place on the program, a $500 charge will be placed on your OASIS account, and you will be given a form to take with you to the Cashier's Office to remit payment.
How and When to Pay
Please click here for further details regarding payment.
Getting There
You will be responsible for reserving and purchasing your international transportation to Amsterdam. Please do not purchase your air ticket until you have been advised to do so by the program coordinator. They will advise participants of a group-designated flight schedule. All who wish to travel with others in the program will receive this information well in advance so they can book these flights. You must provide the program coordinator with your final flight itinerary.
Medical Insurance and Travel Documentation
USF provides program participants with sickness/accident and emergency medical evacuation insurance for the dates of the program. Those who will travel independently, either in advance of the program or after the program ends, must ensure that they have insurance coverage that is valid outside the U.S. If not provided through your domestic health insurance carrier, this can be purchased separately through CISI or through another agency. The USF Card Center sells the International Student ID Card (ISIC), which has a health insurance benefit in addition to providing student discounts overseas. For information, call the Card Center at (813) 974-2357 or visit the office located in the Marshall Center on the USF Tampa campus.
U.S. citizens must have a valid U.S. passport with at least one year of validity remaining on the passport. Non-U.S. citizens should check with the Italian consulate in Miami and with their own country's consulate regarding visa requirements.
Financial Aid and Scholarship Funding
Students who are eligible for loans and grants to take classes at USF may be able to use their assistance to study abroad. USF students should contact the University of South Florida Office of Financial Aid (813) 974-4700 or visit http://usfweb2.usf.edu/finaid/ for further information. Students attending other universities should apply to their home institutions for financial aid. Please inform the Education Abroad Office early if you expect to receive financial aid. Note that students are responsible for meeting program payment deadlines regardless of financial aid disbursement time-frame.
The Education Abroad Office offers Compass Study Abroad Scholarships for study abroad. These are partial scholarships awarded on a competitive basis. Please visit:
Funding Page for application information and deadlines.
Safety & Health
The Netherlands is well known as a safe and healthy country. Nevertheless, all reasonable precautions will be undertaken to protect the health, safety, and welfare of students. The American Consulate General in the Netherlands will be made aware of our plans, students will be instructed on the avoidance of pickpockets and other petty criminals. The CDC recommends the following immunizations for travel to the Netherlands:
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Vaccination or Disease
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Recommendations or Requirements for Vaccine-Preventable Diseases
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Recommended if you are not up-to-date with routine shots, such as measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DPT) vaccine, poliovirus vaccine, etc.
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Recommended for all unvaccinated persons who might be exposed to blood or body fluids, have sexual contact with the local population, or be exposed through medical treatment, such as for an accident, even in developed countries, and for all adults requesting protection from HBV infection.
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Additionally, students will be made aware of resources from the US Department of State and the CDC through a handout prior to travel. Housing will be selected which is safe and secure, and any travel will be conducted in groups.
Participant's safety and well-being are paramount to USF. Because of the added stresses associated with operating in a foreign culture and language, even the safest foreign locations are likely to carry more risk to your safety and health. For this reason it is vital that you learn as much about the places you will be traveling to as possible; the more you are familiar with the host country's geography, culture and language, the safer you will be. All participants will be required to attend a general study abroad orientation as well as program-specific orientations. In addition to these sessions, you should consult the USF Safety website as well as the websites listed below that provide useful information regarding your host country, and preparation for your international travel.
Additional information will be provided to registered participants, but we encourage you to consult the following websites as soon as possible.
USF Education Abroad Safety Website: https://educationabroad.global.usf.edu/index.cfm?FuseAction=Abroad.ViewLink&Parent_ID=68F3A9B5-26B9-58D3-F510C48834927734&Link_ID=AB587820-26B9-564D-D64F800E47E9200B
Country Information Sheets:
US Department of State:
Country Specific Information: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1006.html#crime
Preparing for your trip: http://studentsabroad.state.gov/html-site/StudentAbroadHome.html
Special Terms
Students should review carefully the Education Abroad Participant Contract, included in the Education Abroad application process. It describes students' responsibilities with regard to participation, and includes information on insurance, and cancellation and refund policies. Students will be asked to electronically sign this document. To view this document before applying, please click here.
Contacts for More Information
Jim Pulos
USF Education Abroad
Phone: (813) 974-4043
Email: jpulos@iac.usf.edu
or
Professor Mark Weston, Assistant Professor
School of Architecture, HMS 301
Phone: (813) 974-4031
Email: MW@usf.edu
