Elmira city is located in Chemung County of New York state and has a population of around 29,000. With a smaller population, the city offers a quaint atmosphere and features buildings that embody the city’s long history of being the administrative center for Chemung County.
Established in 1855, Elmira College is a private liberal arts college and is one of the oldest colleges still in existence that granted degrees to women that were equivalent to those awarded to men. The Collegiate Gothic and Victorian style architecture easily makes the campus stand out in terms of architectural beauty. In addition to its many disciplines, Elmira College is one of only two centers in the world for Mark Twain studies.
Given the town feel of the city, many of the best restaurants in the area are beautifully designed with natural, peaceful backdrops. Some of the best restaurants include Lib’s Supper Club, Hill Top Inn which is perfect for a lunch or dinner out given its remarkable view of the city, M & M Red Hots for classic all-American meals, Turtle Leaf Cafe, and StarLite Room.
Elmira College is one of only two schools in the world that offer studies on Mark Twain literature. As such, the city offers significance for lovers of the literature and those looking for writing inspiration; but, the city does not lack in things to do and see regardless of your interests. Be sure to visit Mark Twain’s Study, the exact place where the renowned author wrote many of his most famous works, including The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. For picturesque and historical
park adventures, head over to Sperr Memorial Park or Newtown Battlefield State Park. Other places worth a visit include Arnot Art Museum, National Soaring Museum, and Clemens Center. A day, or even weekend, trip to New York City is also definitely not out of the question.
Orientation
Orientation will be held for all Summer Session students on the day prior to the program’s start date. This will be your chance to meet your professors, interact with fellow classmates, and become more familiar with the campus!
24/7 Onsite Support
We understand that travelling to a new country can be somewhat intimidating. To help with this, CSO sends staff abroad to accompany students at each destination. Staff members will provide 24/7 onsite support and assistance as needed.
Accommodations
Most campus destinations provide students with residence or off-campus housing options. In any case, we will assist you with arranging your accommodations abroad and ensure you are located within commuting distance of your campus.
Visa & Insurance
Our staff will assist you in obtaining the appropriate documentation for a student visa as required by certain destinations. We will also provide you with travelling insurance that covers accidents, illnesses, or injuries while abroad.
Program Events & Activities
Outside of class hours, students will have the opportunity to participate in various fun events and activities organized by CSO staff members that are designed to enhance learning, encourage new friendships, and enrich the student experience of local culture.
Public Transportation Card
CSO will provide each student with a reloadable transportation card that will allow students to get around the city with ease using various modes of public transportation, including the local subway and city buses.
Credit Transfer
Our student service staff members will provide ongoing support and course consultations as they assist each student with submitting a Letter of Permission (LOP) to their home university ensuring successful credit transfer.
Transcript
Given the successful completion of summer courses, students will receive an official transcript from the host university which will be sent directly to their home university. Official transcripts will remain accessible to students for a period of 3 years upon program completion for those looking to request a copy for future use.
Academic Support
CSO recruits numerous Master’s and PhD-level students to become Teaching Assistants (TAs) for summer courses abroad. In addition to the office hours provided by your course professors, you can expect supplementary academic support from your TAs.
This course examines the history of Western Art (architecture, painting and sculpture) from the Ancient World to the Medieval by analyzing a selected group of representative monuments. The focus of the course is on the visual characteristics of different western civilizations, periods and styles. Besides, the course also introduces the social, cultural, and economic realities of various historical eras. The major chapters include the language of art, the art of ancient Greece, the art of the Etruscans, Romanesque art, and Gothic art.
Textbook：A History of Western Art by Laurie Scheneider Adams (5th edition)
This course examines the history of Western Art (architecture, painting and sculpture) from the 15th century to the 1960s by analyzing a selected group of representative monuments. The focus of the course is on the visual characteristics of different western civilizations, periods and styles. Besides, the course also introduces the social, cultural, and economic realities of various historical eras. Active learning tools are provided to support university students’ needs, especially for those who have little prior exposure to art history. The major chapters include the Early and High Renaissances, Neoclassicism and Romanticism, Post-impressionism, Conceptualism etc.
Textbook：A History of Western Art by Laurie Scheneider Adams (5th edition)
The course provides an introduction to the Euro-American art in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Students study the way in which the modern art is produced, and the historical contexts of specific art works. The course also discusses the historical and cultural practices of modern art, especially the work of impressionists and abstract expressionists. The major chapters include the origins of modern art, cubism, early modern architecture, postwar European art, conceptual and activist art.
Textbook：History of Western Art by H. H. Arnason, Elizabeth C. Mansfield (7th edition)
Movies are not only a way of entertainment and leisure, but fascinating combinations of arts that lead people to the imaginary worlds. This course fosters students’ aesthetics and the comprehension of arts from studying famous films, exploring the underlying information behind the films, and analyzing the characteristics of the main characters. The major chapters include principles of film form, types of movie, cinematograph, acting, editing, and sound.
Textbook：Looking at Movies: An Introduction to Film by Richard Barsam, Dave Monaham (3rd edition)
The course provides an introduction to the financial accounting system in modern firms, with an emphasis on the basic structure and the content of financial statements, as well as the reporting process. The focus of the course will be on the concepts and principles of financial accounting and how financial statements are measured, reported and interpreted. Specific topics includes monetary funds, company's wages and benefits, as well as the liquidation of various expenses.
Textbook：Financial Accounting by Robert Libby, Patricia A. Libby, Daniel G. Short (7th edition)
This course studies and surveys the theoretical foundations and basic principles of labor economics, with a focus on labor supply, labor demand and their interactions. The course also helps students develop knowledge of wage theory, theory of human capital, the development and influence of labor unions, and bargaining theory and models. By replicating research publications in labor economics, the course also encourages students to explore the theories of discriminations, unemployment and market equilibrium.
This course introduces the theory of macroeconomics. The contents involved are the determination of national income, the price level, interest rates, the money supply, and the balance of payments. The principles of monetary and fiscal policy are also examined. The major chapters include: the art and science of economic analysis, demand, supply, and markets, unemployment and inflation, federal budgets and public policy.
Textbook：Macroeconomics: A contemporary Introduction by William A. Mceacchern (8th edition)
This course introduces mathematical techniques through examples of their application to economic concepts. It covers mathematical techniques that are relevant to microeconomics, macroeconomics, and business economics. Topics include equilibrium analysis, linear models and matrix algebra, optimization of functions and their applications, economic analysis and integral calculus and so on.
This course provides an introduction to the theory of microeconomics. The contents involved are how markets work, markets and welfare, the economics of the public sector, firm behavior and the organization of industry, the economics of labor markets. How the behaviors of consumers influence the market will also be deeply discussed. The major chapters include ten principles of economics, supply, demand, and government policies, consumers, producers, and the efficiency of markets, monopoly, oligopoly.
Textbook：Principles of Microeconomics by N.Gregory Mankiw (6th edition)
This course is an introduction to financial markets, financial institutions and monetary policy. The first part of the course focuses on the application of economic analysis to understand the concepts of money, banking and financial market, the determination of interest rates and asset prices, as well as the financial structure and financial institutions. The second part of the course will be concerned with central banking, money supply and demand, monetary policy, inflation and wider issues in monetary authorities worldwide.
This course is designed for beginners or near beginners of Japanese, focusing on the four basic skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. It also offers an introduction to Japanese culture.
This course is designed for students who have taken JPN 101 Introductory Japanese I. It focuses on the four basic skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing skills, as well as Japanese grammar and vocabulary development. It also offers an introduction to Japanese culture.
FRN 101 French Language I is designed for students who have not studied French or have little knowledge of French. This course aims to help students develop a basic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Moreover, the course also exposes students to the francophone culture, including French in France, Quebecois French, Acadian French and others.
Textbook：Sur Le Vif by Hannelore Jarausch and Clare Tufts, Heinle Publication.
FRN 102 French Language II is designed for students who have taken the FRN 101 French Language I. This course aims to help students develop a basic proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Moreover, the course also exposes students to the francophone culture, including French in France, Quebecois French, Acadian French and others.
This course covers the basic issues and classic writers in the western philosophical tradition. Areas such as ethics, metaphysics, theory of knowledge and logic will be surveyed by examining the writings of philosophers such as Plato, Aristotle, Descartes and Hume, as well as modern writers.
The course provides a comparative study on a variety of religions around the world, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, religions in North America and South America, as well as African religions and East Asian Beliefs (i.e. in China, Korea and Japan). The course discusses the history and practices of different religious traditions and how religions are related to individual life.
Continued from RLG 101 World Religion I, the course provides a comparative study on a variety of religions around the world, including ancient religions of Iraq and Iran, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The course discusses the history and practices of different religious traditions and how religions are related to individual life. Furthermore, the course also explores the new forms of older religions and the relationship between religions and globalization.
The course aims to introduce the differential and integral calculus, emphasizing on techniques and applications as well as major theorems of calculus. Topics covered include Continuity, Derivatives and Rates of Change, Definite and Indefinite Integrals and the Net Change Theorem, Applications of Integration including Area between Curves and Volumes and so on.
With the background from MAT 110 Calculus I, students continue studying the differential and integral calculus for functions of a single variable, emphasizing techniques and applications as well as major theorems such as the fundamental theorem of calculus. Topics covered include trigonometric substitutions, miscellaneous substitutions, L’Hopital’s Rule, integrals, equations etc.
Textbook：James Stewart, Single Variable Calculus: Early Transcendentals, 8th Edition
This course focuses on the partial derivatives and their applications of both real scalar functions and real vector valued functions, double integrals and triple integrals, line integrals and surface integrals, several theorems about important relationships between different forms of integrals.
This course provides an introduction the descriptive and inferential statistics and data analysis strategies. Topics include basic concepts of elementary probability, discrete and continuous probability distributions, sampling distributions, estimation, and hypothesis testing.
Textbook：Statistics for Business and Economics (9th edition) by Jay L. Devore.
This course is designed for students who are interested in exploring the mysteries of the universe but without prior knowledge of Astronomy. Throughout the course, students will have an overall understanding of the Earth, the Moon and the planets in the solar system, as well as comets, and asteroids. Moreover, students will also learn to observe the night sky without a telescope. The topic will also include the use of telescopes and probes, the History of Astronomy, Human Activities in the Space and so on.
Textbook：The Cosmic Perspective by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, Voit (8th edition)
Building on the background knowledge from AST 101 Astronomy I, students continue to explore the nature of the galaxies and the universe. The focus on this course will turn to the Sun and the Stars, the Galaxies and the Universe. Beyond these topics, students will also get to know the origin and evolution of the universe, including the Big Bang Theory and some other relevant hypothetical components: dark matter, black holes, gravitational waves and etc.
Textbook：The Cosmic Perspective by Bennett, Donahue, Schneider, Voit (8th edition)
The course offers an introduction to the fundamental principles of chemistry, emphasizing on the structure of matter. The topics covered include the basic atomic theory, chemical bonding, organic chemistry, acids and bases, nuclear chemistry and so on. The laboratory exercises focus on experimental skills and techniques, writing skills and data analysis skills.
Textbook：General Chemistry: The essential Concepts by Raymond Chang (5th edition)
The course offers an introduction to the major unifying concepts and fundamental principles of biology. Students are engaged in the wonderful living world and see how their own existence are associated with the world they habit. The main topics include Cell Biology, Physiology, Genetics, evolution, biodiversity, Ecology and the interaction between humankind and the environment.
Textbook：Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections by Jane B. Reece et al.
Following BIO 101 Introduction to Biology I, this course continues emphasizing the major unifying concepts and fundamental principles of biology. Students are engaged in the wonderful living world and see how their own existence are associated with the world they habit. The main topics include plants, animals, hormones and endocrine systems, neurons and nervous systems, ecology, conservation and sustainability.
Textbook：Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections by Jane B. Reece et al.
The course introduces some basic concepts, principles and history of physics. Moreover, the course also illustrates the classical mechanics in physics by exploring some basic physical laboratory. Topics include in this course are mechanics, thermodynamics, vibration and waves, electromagnetism, light and electricity, and modern physics.
Textbook：College Physics by Raymond A. Serway, Chris Vuille, Jerry S. Faughn (8th edition)
This course examines stereochemistry, physical and chemical properties of simple organic compounds; methods in structure determination; introductory concepts of reaction mechanisms and methods for determination of mechanisms. The major chapters include: Alcohols, Ethers, Sulfides, and Epoxides.
Textbook：Organic Chemistry by William Henry Brown, Brooks/ Cole (5th international edition)
How are men and women defined? How does an individual’s sexuality change historically in social institutions like family, work and public life? In this course, students will get a deep insight into the social definition of women and homosexuality. The topics include the current ideologies, previous research on gender, gender and social class, gender and age, gendered power and etc.
Textbook：Michael S. Kimmel, Amy Aronson & Amy Kaler, The Gendered Society Reader, 3rd Canadian eds.
The previous classes in SOC 121 Gender and Society A have introduced students to the social definition of women and homosexuality. In this course, students will continue exploring the roles gender plays in social institutions. The focus of the course is gender and inequality: gendered institutions, the dilemma of heterosexual “masculine” males in family, education systems, and workplace. The topics also include the sexual revolution, feminist activities, and equal sharing.
Textbook：Michael S. Kimmel, Amy Aronson & Amy Kaler, The Gendered Society Reader. 3rd Canadian eds.
Sociology is the science of social behavior and human groups. This course introduces the basic discipline of Sociology and how the contemporary society works. This course concentrates on social relationships: how the social relationships develop and change over time, and how they influence individual behaviors. The topics also includes culture, social structure, crimes, social mobility and etc.
Textbook：Sociology: A brief Introduction by Richard T. Schaefer 10th edition
The course is the second part of the course, Introduction to Sociology. In this course, the main focus is transferring to different aspects of the modern society from the view of sociologists. The key concepts include gender, ethnicity, family, education, religion, economy and environmental issues.
Textbook：Sociology: A brief Introduction by Richard T. Schaefer 10th edition
This course leads students to explore the psychological world with an emphasis on personality. The course focuses on the foundations of personality theories, relevant research and their findings. The topics cover personality traits, personality assessment, the neuroscience of personality, self-determination theory, and sexual orientation.
This course provides an introduction to the world of psychology: the science of behavior and mind! Students will explore the main concepts and theories of psychology, including perception, cognition, learning, motivation, emotion, individual differences, and social psychology. Students will also apply the theoretical concepts to real world.
Textbook：Mastering the World of Psychology by S. Wood, E. G. wood and C. Boyd (5th edition)
Based on the course concepts in PSY 101 PSYCHOLOGY PART 1, this course continues encouraging students to explore the main concepts, assumptions and theories of psychology, including child development, motivation, stress, psychoanalytic theories, humanistic theories, psychological disorders, social psychology and etc. Students will also apply the theoretical concepts to real world.
Textbook：Mastering the World of Psychology by S. Wood, E. G. wood and C. Boyd (5th edition)
A scientific study of how people’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. This course provides a general overview of research and theory in social psychology, based on both classic and contemporary findings from the social psychological literature. Topics covered include Psychological methods, social cognition, social perception, attitudes and attitude change, interpersonal attraction, aggression and prejudice.
Textbook：Social Psychology, New York: McGraw-Hill (6th Canadian edition)
The course examines the overview of management information systems, information systems technologies and how to build information system. Students are exposed to the most up-to-date and comprehensive information systems used by business firms today. Topics like social business, big data, cloud computing, social, legal, and ethical issues are also provided.
Textbook：Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm by Kenneth C. Laudon et al.