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ACG’s 146-year legacy of academic excellence and its location in Athens afford students the singular benefit of studying in a living laboratory that bridges the ancient and contemporary realities of Greece while receiving credit through a leading U.S. accrediting body (NECHE).

The Aghia Paraskevi campus, situated on the western slopes of Mt. Hymettus, some ten kilometers from the center of Athens, offers a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside in a park-like setting. Its original buildings, designed by the renowned Greek architect, Constantine Doxiades, rise along the hillside and offer splendid views of Athens. Many kilometers of wooded mountain trails are easily accessible by foot from campus.

Campus features include:

• Academic buildings with smart classrooms, computer and science laboratories, fine art studios and exhibition areas, the Pierce Theater and Black Box Theater.
• A spacious, modern library designed to hold 250,000 volumes.
• Athletic facilities including a gymnasium, state-of-the-art fitness center, outdoor swimming pool, tennis courts, running track and soccer field.
• The Student Success Center featuring a “one stop shop” for advising, registration, student affairs and cashier services.
• The ACG Art Gallery and a large collection of outdoor statuary.
• An open-air Greek theater with breathtaking views of Athens.
• A student center with dining facilities – including Dipnosofistirion (a high-quality Greek dining chain that has also been certified as a ‘Gold Class’ organic kitchen) and Starbucks – as well as student organization offices.
• A Byzantine chapel.
• Wireless and wired internet access.

The American College of Greece operates a modern Residence Complex just a short walk from campus. Students housed in ACG apartments live in a safe, clean, residential environment in a quiet neighborhood with nearby grocery stores, cafés, restaurants and shopping centers. Our Residence Complex features fully furnished studio, single and double bedrooms in shared apartments as well as laundry facilities and 24/7 residence assistance.

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The HSSS offers courses that explore diverse topics relating to salient aspects of Hellenic culture. Students examine various aspects of exciting themes from new and often unexpected perspectives, learn in unconventional and creative ways and engage in critical thinking. Courses are taught by highly qualified scholar-teachers who hold terminal degrees. Academic credit earned at Deree-ACG is easily transferred to all other colleges and universities in the United States.

Cultural activities, field trips and on-site teaching provide students a “hands-on” experience and maximize their learning potential. By directly observing sites, monuments, people and cultural events, students engage in an active in-depth investigation of objects, human beings, phenomena and ideas and draw meaning and understanding from these experiences and interactions. The program takes advantage of a stimulating environment to make teaching and learning more creative, to invigorate instruction and to help students discover new ways of expressing academic creativity.

Through experiential learning employed in the courses, direct contact with members of the host community and various co-curricular activities, participants have a rich cultural immersion experience and develop the skill to see things from the perspective of the local community members. They also develop an awareness of how they are informed by their own culture and make sense of cultural differences. These skills are becoming more important as students look for jobs in the global marketplace.

Furthermore, participants who attend language courses and hence develop the ability to speak the language to a certain extent have ample opportunity to practice it in a variety of natural settings. Participants seek and discover new, culturally appropriate strategies to achieve and maintain effective communication with the local people. This intercultural communication outside the classroom gradually increases their mastery of the language and their confidence in using it.

In this program, students are frequently engaged in critical reflection. This includes both written reflections and discussions through which students and faculty collectively draw meaning from their learning and experiences in Greece.