You will need to be able to understand lectures and take notes with relative ease, since you will be competing for grades with native speakers of Spanish. A large number of American universities offer programs of study abroad for American students. It is possible to earn credit during the summer, during one semester, or during the entire academic year. Some programs offer the option of sharing apartments with other students . In general, these programs specialize in courses in language development, literature, civilization and culture.
Some programs offer courses of study in business, environmental issues, women s studies or art.
With these courses, no matter what you are studying, you generally attend classes with other American students under the guidance of a professor from the country you are visiting. The programs are monitored by an American university, and the credits are easily transferable to the University of South Carolina. The costs vary widely from institution to institution, but study abroad in Spain tends to be more expensive than study abroad in Central or most of South America. We recommend that you complete the 200-level course of study before studying abroad. This allows you to gain a firm basis in the language before dealing with the intense experience of studying abroad.