Global Experience: Pioneers & Paradigms of Psychology in Europe
Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany
Learning Beyond the Classroom
In GLB 255: Pioneers and Paradigms of Psychology in Europe, you'll enjoy experiencing in person the cultures and regions of Europe that gave birth to the science of the mind and practice of Western-based counseling and therapy.
Explore changing cities in Europe where psychology as a science and practice evolved. Experience firsthand how models of thought and care for others have shifted over time through visits to historic hospitals, asylums, famous homes, and museums in Vienna, Austria, Munich, Germany, and Prague, Czech Republic. Guided sightseeing and lecture tours of popular cultural landmarks, events, and buildings will strengthen the connections you learn between the countries visited and the development of psychological practices and topics of the mind explored.
How does this work?
Students will apply what they are studying regarding the history of psychology over the semester and will accentuate their learning through an immersive experience over spring break, traveling for ten days to Munich, Prague, and Vienna to the birthplace of some of the first psychological laboratories, hospitals, and homes of psychological practitioners. This immersion will allow students to connect more deeply with understanding historical, psychological, and cultural forces that have influenced helping practices and the science of the psyche today.
Costs include tuition, flight, hotel accommodations, and tours.
Travel Highlights
Over Spring Break 2026, embark on an unforgettable journey through Central Europe, where you'll immerse yourself in a vibrant array of cultural experiences across the dynamic cities of Munich, Prague, and Vienna.
Vienna
Vienna
Prague
Experienced Faculty
Meet Your Faculty Guides
Rob Cooley
Susan Slamka
Global Experiences
Insights from Global Journeys
“I am very much a ‘put it in perspective’ kind of learner,” said human services & restorative justice student Madison E. Beasley, of Jersey Shore. “Seeing everything we’ve been talking about was a very good way to gain an understanding.”
Walking Darwin’s “thinking path” and seeing the way the theorists set up their homes and offices shed light on their personalities.
“You really get the backstory on these theorists that you never would if you just read about them in books,” Koons Slamka said.
Cooley recalled a student’s observation that the U.S. has “some catching up to do” in mental health care: “Travel has influenced this student to make things better here in the U.S.,” Cooley said. “To me, that’s what it’s all about.”
Contact
Interested?
For more information about this course, contact Rob Cooley and Susan Slamka, your Faculty Guides for this Global Experience.
Questions?
For general questions about Global Experiences, such as study-away programs and student exchanges at Penn College, contact Daniel Clasby, Assistant Dean of Academic Operations.