The host institution offers different levels of language instruction and will be in charge of the placement exam at the beginning of the term. Students who are very advanced in the language may take a literature or film course instead. The Seminar is required for all students and is designed and conducted by the Director. It will function as an integrative forum of collaborative learning and will provide a theoretical background to help conceptualize the experience abroad. For Fall 2000 Professor Raphael Nu ez-Cade o of University of Illinois at Chicago will be conducting the seminar course on Dialectology with a special emphasis on Caribbean Spanish.
Students can, however, opt to take another elective from the list of core courses offered.
The four credits earned through this program will count towards graduation. Two credits may count towards a concentration in Latin American Studies. Credits for other departments such as Spanish, Education, Political Science, SOAN, etc., will have to be negotiated directly by participating students with the Chair of those programs. Students continue to be eligible for financial aid in this program. Travel to and from the Dominican Republic is not included.