How do we maintain our cultural heritage as our society changes? And how do we decide what of our culture we ought to keep, and what we can lose? This Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) program seeks to answer questions like these by learning about a particular period in British history that still affects us today by immersing ourselves in significant places throughout Britain and through a study of the period’s literature.

This 10-day AIAD takes a literary and historical journey through the Viking era of the Medieval Ages, from the perspective of the Scandinavians and their settlement of Iceland. Nationality, society, religion, environment, and war will be examined from a combination of reading Crawford’s translation of the Poetic Edda, museums, tours, and personal interactions in Iceland.

During this academic trip, cadets examine how authors of speculative fiction engaged with, depicted, and represented the philosophy, ideology, and history of their respective cultural settings, often in service of creating a larger sense of national identity. 

The specific focus is the 20th century from the end of World War I, when the Czech and Slovak people first gained their independence as a country, to the fall of the Soviet Union, which was the point where the nations of the Czech Republic and Slovakia emerged as the independent countries that they are today. 

Through a process that involves daily seminar-style discussions, intensive historical and literary reading, literary analysis, critical and creative writing, and cultural engagement with the city of Prague, cadets explore how literature, culture, and history interact to produce a sense of national identity and shape civic notions of morality.

Spend your summer immersed in Arabic language and culture in Jordan, Oman, or Morocco, earning academic credit and greatly improving Arabic proficiency.

Study at the Royal Military College in Kingston, Canada, offering robust opportunities for cadets to excel both in and out of the classroom, including academic offerings in all disciplines, and individual and collective garrison and field training with Canadian cadets and officers.

Study Chinese for three weeks at Taiwan’s most prestigious universities while learning about the culture, politics, and history of Taiwan.

Study in France at the French Military Academy, Saint-Cyr, the oldest military exchange with West Point, or the French Gendarmerie School in Rochefort, providing full military immersion, including rigorous academics and field training with French cadets and officers.

Study at one of three military schools in German-speaking Europe, including the Helmuth-Schmidt University in Hamburg, the Bundeswehr University in Munich, and the Theresian Military Academy in Wiener-Neustadt, Austria. These programs offer robust opportunities for cadets to excel both in and out of the classroom, including intensive German language courses, individual and collective training at the German Army Officers’ School and Austrian Mountain Warfare School, and spring internships at German Bundeswehr units.

Study for a semester at the Japanese National Defense Academy, where cadets improve their Japanese proficiency, expand cross-cultural awareness,  and experience cadet life in Japan.

Study Persian language, history, and culture during short-term trips to Tajikistan and Armenia, interacting with Persian-speaking communities and experiencing Persian culture first-hand.

Study for a semester at either the Brazilian Military Academy (AMAN), the Brazilian Military Engineering Institute (IME), or the Portuguese Military Academy (AMP), where Cadets can sharpen Portuguese proficiency, expand cross-cultural awareness, and participate in rigorous military training, and excel both in and out of the classroom.

Immerse yourself in Russian culture in the former Soviet Union with immersion courses in Latvia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan with summer academic internships.

Study at either the Spanish Military Academy (AGM) or the Chilean Military Academy for a semester, providing full military immersion, rigorous academics, and the opportunity to excel by participating in both individual and collective field training with fellow cadets.