Singer Research Study Trip

STUDENTS MUST READ THE ENTIRE DESCRIPTION TO ENSURE THEY CAN COMMITT TO THE TERMS OF THIS AWARD.
The Singer Research Fund 2017: “Reforming Religions: Jews, Christians and Evolving Modernity” departs on June 17, 2017 and returns on June 30, 2017. These dates will be solidified prior to final acceptance into the program.

2017 is the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s “Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences” and his posting of 95 thesis on the church door at Wittenburg Castle. Though not the first and certainly not the only radical reformation of Christianity, Luther’s action – situated at a particular time and place in history – had and has a profound effect on the history of Christianity and, indeed, word history since the 16th century. Professors Alexei Sivertsev and James Halstead will lead a study excursion to Germany to study religious reform in Judaism and Christianity. Based in Munich and Berlin, with overnights in German cities significant to the Luther celebration and the German Jewish experience, students will learn the history of the past 500 years of reform movements in Judaism and Christianity, consider the dynamics of reform

The Singer Research fund is available for undergraduate Religious Studies majors in good academic standing who are not graduating in June 2017. If you are a graduating senior, you are not eligible for this trip. Preference will be given to those exhibiting financial need. Consideration may also be given to students majoring in Catholic Studies and Islamic World Studies and minors in Religious Studies, Catholic Studies and Islamic World Studies. If there are not enough applicants from the initial pool, further consideration will be given to Liberal Arts and Social Sciences students who have participated in or are currently participating in Religious Studies honors classes. These students must be engaged in these classes and open to extensive and critical research within Religious Studies. Unofficial transcripts and faculty will be consulted.

Selection process: Students who apply and qualify for the award through the DePaul Online Scholarship Tool will have their applications reviewed for initial assessment. Students are selected for interviews with Professors Sivertsev and Halsted. The interviews are conducted shortly after the application closes so please pay attention to email notifications. Once interviews are completed, students are notified of their status soon after. Students have the opportunity to commit to the class and trip once final selections are made. Once students are committed, further information about registration, funding and other important details will be disseminated. Please read the academic information, found below, before applying.

Academic Information/Financial Aid
Once selected, participants will registered for two courses taking place in spring quarter 2017 totaling 8 credit hours. You will not be allowed to register for these courses until final selections have been made. Classes will meet March 31, April 7, 21 and 28, May 5, 12, 19 and 26 from 2:00pm to 5:20pm. There will be two movie nights: Wednesdays, April 26 and May 25 at 6:00pm. A final paper will be due in fall quarter 2017 to complete the two courses and receive a final grade. Due to the timing of this trip, students must be committed to attending all classes in order to obtain the full travel funding. If there are conflicts, please divulge them in the interview process. It is also mandatory that students participate in any Study Abroad requirements and provide information, in a timely manner, to Study Abroad in order to ensure travel registration is complete. Further information will be given upon selection.

• If registration in the two courses push you above the allotted 18 hour mark, you are responsible for getting academic approval for the extra hours. However, you will not be required to pay for the extra tuition over the 18 hour cap. If selected to participate on this trip, please have a conversation with Professors Sivertsev and Halstead about how DePaul will work out the logistics of the extra tuition. Please do not let that dissuade you from participation.

Travel Costs
DePaul, through the generosity of the Singer Research Fund, will pay for round-trip airfare and ground transportation in Europe, housing, most meals, entrance fees, theater tickets and guide/speaker’s honoraria. Most travel-related costs will be covered, but personal expenses and entertainment and some meals are at the cost of the student. Books for the class will be the responsibility of the student. Again, students should expect to pay some incidental and personal fees depending on what they do with their free time on the trip, but those costs will be low.