Intensive Learning (May Term)
Study and Travel With Your Professor and Classmates
The Intensive Learning Term, commonly called May Term, is a chance to immerse yourself in a unique learning experience. May Term students tackle interactive projects, explore new frontiers and, in some cases, travel the world with a Roanoke professor. Each course takes a deep dive into a subject in ways not possible during the normal academic year. Students enroll in one course only during their Intensive Learning Term in order to fully engage with the material through in-depth projects and real-world experiences. Courses are often three-week programs offered during the month of May. But an array of Intensive Learning Term opportunities, both on-campus and off-campus, are available. Students must complete one Intensive Learning course before graduation.
A Classroom Without Walls
During May Term, our students have opportunities to travel the globe — from Europe to Africa to Micronesia — to engage in unforgettable, immersive learning and research programs. Check out these snapshots from just a few trips:
Each year, we offer 30+ new May Term courses, both on-campus and off-campus, on subjects as wide-ranging as "Urbanism in Argentina," "Forensic Chemistry," "Law and Film" and "The Science of Cooking."
See what Roanoke's students do for May Term
The mountains are calling
In her May Term course, "Spirituality in the Pacific Northwest," Rose Sande '23 (right) was part of a team that traveled into the Cascade Mountains of Washington state with Environmental Studies Associate Professor Laura Hartman and Chaplain Chris Bowen.
May Term travel courses
A sampling of travel courses:
- Walking the Camino de Santiago (Spain)
- Sustainability and Spirituality (Pacific Northwest)
- The Legacy of the Incas in Contemporary Peru (Peru)
- Learning Team Dynamics through International Service (Belize)
- Desperately Seeking Dragons (UK)
- Nature and Culture in Japan (Japan)
- Pausanias' Grand Tour of Greece (Greece)