Participating University
Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM),
Santiago
Description Santiago de los Caballeros is the second largest city in
the Dominican Republic. Known as la Ciudad Corazón, Santiago
is the commercial and cultural center of the fertile Cibao Valley
region. Santiago still retains many features of a small town, in
particular, friendly people. Founded by noblemen of Columbus’s
early expeditions, the city has a rich historic and cultural tradition,
including the creation of the commercially popular merengue music.
Liberal Arts Program Track (Academic Year, Fall
or Spring Semester)
This program is ideal for highly independent students who have the
ability to pursue an individual academic program. Learn about the
realities of Dominican society, culture, and politics and take part
in an optional community service course with a practicum in the
areas of health/medicine, education or neighborhood assistance,
and optional ESL teacher training course with a hands-on teaching
practicum. An extensive selection of extracurricular cultural activities,
excursions, and field trips, including weekend work retreats in
the campo and local volunteer opportunities are available. Class
excursions range from visits to Santería altars in Santiago
(in Folklore class) to the Free Trade Zone (Contemporary Dominican
Republic).
Service Learning Progam Track The service learning progam integrates theory and practical
learning in a community-based and cross-cultural context. An integrated
approach to academics and urban and rural community development
provides students the analytical tools to engage in active service
and reflect on the complexities and challenges facing Santiago's
Cibao region.
Summer Community Health Program Track This seven-week program is designed for students with an
interest in Spanish language, medicine, and the allied health professions
in the context of underdevelopment and public health. Participate
in a week-long field experience in semi-rural health clinics and
take part in an urban community service project in and around Santiago.
Curriculum Liberal Arts program students must
take a minimum of five courses during the semester: a required language
course, the CIEE core course, and three Caribbean or Latin American
area studies courses, ESL, or community service.
Service Learning program students take
a three-part course course, a Spanish language course, and complete
a capstone project.
Summer Community Health
students enroll in three required courses: Pre-Professional Health
Care Issues, Community Health Practicum, and Advanced Spanish Conversation
and Grammar, which includes medical terminology.
Instruction in Spanish by Dominican and US faculty. Typical credits:
30-36 for academic year (Liberal Arts only); 15–18 for fall
or spring semester; 9 for summer session.
Eligibility & Application Liberal Arts & Summer Community Health
is open to sophomores and above with 2.75 GPA and four semesters
of college-level Spanish or equivalent. Service
Learning is open to sophomores and above
with 3.0 GPA, four semesters of Spanish or equivalent, demonstrated
experience in community service and demonstrated ability to perform
independent research.
Applications deadlines are March 15 for fall semester,
academic year, and summer session, and October 1 for spring semester.
Academic Fit with a University of Minnesota Degree Plan
With good academic planning this program can fit well into
the degree plans for many majors.Search for courses that fulfill Liberal Education
Requirements or submit a course you want to take for review. Study Abroad
in Your Major advising sheets explain why study abroad is important for a
major, indicate what the department wants students to consider when selecting
a program, and provide academic planning hints. This program may appear as a special
recommendation on an advising sheet. If your major is not listed, talk to an adviser—this
program may still fit your academic, career, and professional goals.
Estimated Cost Students from the University of Minnesota participating
on this program are charged a program fee that is inclusive of the cosponsored
program's fee and a University of Minnesota fee to cover the cost of application
processing, advising services, orientation, course registration, grade transfer
and posting for resident credit, assistance with financial aid, and international
health insurance. This administrative fee ranges from $500 to $1,500 and varies
by program. The cosponsored program's portion of the program fee can be used to
assist in estimating cost and is available at the program site linked below. In
most cases, airfare, field trips, meals, and personal expenses are additional.
An adviser in the Learning Abroad Center can help you find complete cost information.
See Financial Resources
to find resources about comparing costs.
Financial
Aid & Scholarships Most financial
aid may be applied to study abroad. In addition, University of Minnesota students
are eligible for more than $500,000 in study
abroad scholarships. Visit the financial
resources web page for additional information on using financial aid and scholarships
for study abroad.
Students on this program may also apply for CIEE's
scholarships. A limited number of fee
reductions are available for select CIEE sites.
Program Contact For further information or questions about studying
abroad as a University of Minnesota student, please call 612.626.9000 or 888.700.8636,
email UMabroad@umn.edu or visit our online
staff directory.
For specific program questions, contact the program directly.
