Art & Fine Arts Study Abroad Programs in Greece

When I decided I wanted to go abroad, I was nervous about a lot of things. First off, I was scared that when I went abroad I would have to settle for a location I did not want to be in because I needed my credits to transfer over. Luckily AIFS had a program in a wonderful city with a bunch of classes that would transfer back to my home university super well. When I chose this program, I was overjoyed but nervous about living in a homestay. When I got there I was happily surprised to find that my host family was amazing and provided me with an experience I would not have been able to have if I had been in a dorm/apt. The people that I met in the program were some of the coolest people I have ever known and am happy to call them my friends to this day. If you are looking for a great program in Paris where you have the freedom to meet new people, travel, and find yourself in a new place, I would 100% recommend this to you!

I had the most fun during CIS Abroad's Summer in Greece program! It included both excursions from CIS and from the university, the American College of Greece. Greece is beautiful and the area surrounding the college is safe and takes less than one hour to get to downtown Athens by metro or bus. There is so much to do in Greece - outside of the included excursions, I would recommend going to an island or doing a guided tour, and there are so many options for these! The program's staff were always extremely helpful and supportive, as well as my professors. The grading system was different than what I'm used to as someone from the U.S., as your final grade is usually split between two exams or projects, although I didn't find it too bad. Overall, I would recommend this program, especially if you love islands/beaches and history!

During my 4 months abroad in Greece, I was immersed in the culture, traveled the world, met lifelong friends, tried wonderful food, and gained a good education that will help me later on in my career. I was able to gain a global mindset, which helped me grow so much personally and will follow me throughout my future career. I genuinely had the best time abroad and would do it again in a heartbeat.

I studied abroad with CIS in Athens, Greece in the Fall of 2024 for a semester. The opportunities I was met with were life changing and I am so grateful for all of the people who made my trip a possibility. Meeting new people was easy because of the residential dorms as well as the welcome dinner that gave us all the opportunity to mingle with each other and meet like-minded others. I was unsure of what to expect from Greece, since I had only really seen movie depictions of it in my past. Some of my favorite experiences from the trip were the CIS excursions, especially the one traveling to see the Meteora of Kalabaka and Kastraki which is not something that would have been on my radar without the influence of CIS. Of course I had to see some of the most notable places like the Parthenon, Acropolis, and the Oracle of Delphi, but my favorite places to travel to during the trip were the islands that were only a short of Kea, Hydra, Agistri, and Aegina that were only a short ferry ride from the port in Athens. There are endless possibilities for adventures in this program and I would recommend anyone who wants to have an incredible adventure to take action and get involved with CIS!

During my time abroad, I was able to fully immerse myself in the culture of Greece and see many different islands with the help of Academic Programs International (API) and Hellenic American University. My program through API made the process enjoyable and easy to navigate. With excursions in the program, traveling was made easy. In addition, the program lead showed students around the city and even some favorite local spots. She became a mentor to me while abroad and made Greece feel like a home away from home. Overall, my experience with API and Hellenic American University was nothing short of amazing and I would go again in a heartbeat!

My semester abroad in Granada, Spain was absolutely unforgettable. I decided to stay with a host family and I lived in their home with another student in the same program. Living with a roommate, we became really close friends. My host family was so kind and welcoming, they included us in everything they did. I learned so much Spanish culture and tradition from spending time with the family. The school was called Center of Modern Languages and I had a mixture of Spanish and Business classes. I loved speaking Spanish in class and getting to know other students. AIFS provided a level placement test at the beginning of the semester so that everyone found courses that were appropriate for their knowledge of Spanish. The classes were very fun and I enjoyed going to class. The AIFS program excursions were some of the best experiences/trips that I went on. I was blown away by the Morocco trip as well as the Seville/Córdoba/Gibraltar weekend. The trips were well planned, affordable, and allowed for free time to explore with friends. I made so many connections with locals, got to experience once in a lifetime activities like riding camels next to the ocean, and tried amazing foods. The program application process was hassle-free and the program advisors in Granada are so helpful. I would often visit their office and just chat with them or ask their advice on where to visit on the weekend. They organized cooking classes, art classes, sporting events, and cultural activities like a flamenco show. Granada is such a wonderful city. It is very walkable and the people are very friendly. There are endless tapas bars in the city where you get free food with each drink purchase. I made friends with lots of locals and other students from across the US. I attended exchange club meetings where you get drinks and tapas, and you chat in whatever language you are trying to learn with people from around the world. AIFS did a wonderful job providing opportunities for all of the students in the program to get to know each other. I made a close-knit group of friends and we spent so much time together. I am so thankful for having met them thanks to AIFS. We even visited each other once we arrived back in the US! I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to experience Spain on a more personal scale compared to bigger cities. I think Granada is the most beautiful city, and the Alhambra is a must-see!

Berlin is a really wonderful and historic city to live in. My German is basically nonexistent and I still felt like I was able to get around fine. The AIFs staff are very supportive, and the organized actives were well structured and thought out. If you weren’t interested in some or all of the activities, you didn’t have to participate and there was plenty of time to do your own thing around Berlin or travel throughout Europe. I didn’t particularly enjoy my academic experience at Humboldt, there were a few good classes but also a few really awful ones. So, if I could do it again I would probably do the AIFS program with Freie Universität academic program.

My colleague and I have had the pleasure of accompanying 21 amazing humans on a 3 month journey that will most certainly change them for the rest of their lives. Thank you to AIFS for sharing Rome with us and attending to every detail that made this an experience that will live with us eternally. The AIFS Rome center staff were excellent in providing impactful excursions, extra-curricular courses, and ensuring that all of us were well informed and provided for in every part of our journey.

I had a lovely time here, although it was not without flaws. The amenities were not great especially considering how much we paid to be here. The company guilt tripped and body shamed us. But I made innumerable new friends and had experiences that I will cherish forever.

Very nice experience, learned a lot. People I’ve met here are now friends I will still be in contact with. The internship was where I learned new skills and networked with people within the fashion industry and got inspired by being here abroad

I definitely had a really exciting and wonderful trip. There were a few aspects like traveling and staying at more cities besides just Salzburg would have been a lot more fun. But the tours and field trips were absolutely incredible and the people who showed us around were amazing! Loved to see the history and beauty all over

From arrival to departure, AIFS made my study abroad experience a 11/10. Great staff through and through allowed for a complete cultural assimilation in the time I spent there. It was the experience of a lifetime that I would recommend to everyone.

Studying abroad in Athens Greece allowed me to pursue my ultimate dream of learning in a foreign country while also gaining so much experience of the cultural aspect of life it had to offer. I carried out research on International business and its transactions between countries while also meeting new people. I am still amazed by the wonderful opportunity and now, my endless dream to travel the world.

The American College of Greece provided me a ton of information about the school, COVID-19 policies at the school as well as in Greece. They provided us transportation from the airport to campus when we arrived which was extremely helpful, as entering a new country was very anxiety-provoking. At one point during my semester abroad, I became very sick. The school was very helpful in providing me a doctor, making the appointment for me, coming with me to the appointment, and assisting me getting there and back. Overall, I would continue to tell people to study abroad in Greece at ACG.

I am a none traditional student. Taking a semester abroad was an incredible experience. I had never lived in another country. The American College of Greece provided a better experience than I could have imagined. Learning from excellent professors and getting to eat, sightsee, and play in a region of the world that has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years was an opportunity for a lifetime. I used my VA benefits for my classes and The American College of Greece made that process easy. I will return soon and I hope I can do it at The American College of Greece as a student in my graduate program.

I always wanted to study abroad since before I started college. Due to COVID, my options became limited and I had to wait until the summer before my senior year. ACG was brought up to me by my college, which turned out to be a perfect fit for me as they had a ton of academic options for classes, and times throughout the year to go. Since I was limited in my class requirements and availability to go, I ended up going the for the first summer session. This was already a perfect fit as it allowed me to complete my psychology degree since they had the final two classes I needed for it. Overall, the academics were great at ACG. I loved going to my classes as the students, both international and Greek, were all extremely friendly and welcoming. The professors also wanted everyone to succeed and helped students where ever necessary. The classes were everyday, allowing for tons of material to be covered in a short amount of time. Outside of class, there was always time to explore the area, as the college was surrounded by tons of stores, food, residential areas, and hikes. I loved finishing classes and then going to eat amazing food with my roommates, going to study at nearby coffee shops, or going to explore other areas of Greece. The apartment complexes were also very close to the campus, with just a 10-15 minute walk to a beautiful campus. The apartment itself was very spacious, and allowed for people to meet a ton of other study abroad students! Transportation wise, it was very easy to call a cab, take the bus, or metro station. The college is about a 20-30 minute drive from central Athens, so it was very easy to get around and explore the places around us. Along with this, most people spoke English in Athens, making it very easy to communicate and explore Greece. I became extremely close with some of the girls I roomed with, we went on trips together, went downtown to Athens, and spent the time in Greece living our lives to the fullest. They were some of the best people that I met, and I still keep in contact with them, even living several thousands of miles away in the states. We also had opportunities to meet others through ACG and AIFS planned excursions to different parts of Greece. Here, I made so many more friends, and had the opportunities to explore parts of Greece that I never would have thought id visit. Through my program, I was able to visit the Parthenon, go to different cities, explore a new island, try new food, and experience true Greek culture. Outside of this, my friends and I took the weekends to take trips to Santorini, go to waterparks, downtown, and so many more amazing experiences. I also had opportunities to explore on my own, and took a day trip to Delphi, which was a bucket list item I didnt know I had, and I recommend anyone to look into it. On the last night of the program, I spent it with my closest friends going parasailing among the Greek farmlands and mountain side. We then went to go eat one last Greek meal in Monastiraki Sqaure in downtown Athens, with a beautiful view of the Parthenon. Overall, this experience was like no other, Greece became my home, my happy place. If you get the time, look up the meaning of "Meraki," this is a term special to Greece, and encapsulates how I feel about the experience, and about life after my time at ACG.

Study abroad at ACG was one of the best experiences of my life, I felt that the classes were interesting but not too hard allowing me to really take the time to immerse myself in the culture and get to see Greece. The students at the college were so kind and enjoyable to talk to. The housing had a couple of issues with some leakage from showers but overall I would say it was very liveable and comfortable and being able to live with 12 ppl gave me the chance to make many friends. I enjoyed all of the activities that the program offered and the freedom they gave us to do all that we wanted while we were in this country. I felt that the RAs were very helpful in situations (got me a doctor appointment once when I very much needed it since I couldn’t speak the language)! Overall a great experience!

I’m my case and in many of my friends Greece wasn’t the first option at the moment of thinking about studying abroad but by far is the best decision. Their people, culture, places, and school is just amazing and would definitely mark a before and after.

Saying this experience was amazing is an understatement. I remember anticipating my departure to Greece and being nervous for the experience. I found myself already anxious to return home. Once I arrived in Athens and met my roommates, my attitude changed. As the weeks flew by, I found myself happier than I have ever been and accompanied by people who taught me true lifelong friendship. We traveled to quaint and serene islands, visiting the church seen in the original Mama Mia movie, and even took a weekend trip to Paris! Although the travel was incredible, some of my best memories took place in day-to-day life at Deree. I remember waking up in the morning for my 11 a.m. creative writing class and stopping at the local bakery for coffee and a bagel along the way. I grew to know the owners of the bakery, and I would have meaningful conversations with them daily. I remember seeing the culture around me as I walked to class each day, and thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the Greek students in my classes. As I soared through these five weeks abroad, I can honestly say that it exceeded my expectations and dreams. Although I was nervous to embark on this journey, I would not trade it for the world.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at ACG. the professors were incredible and the people I met were also amazing. the excursions were an amazing opportunity to see more of the country, learn more about history and culture and meet people.