CIEE Liberal Arts Program in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

  Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring 
Dates: Fall 19 weeks: late July-mid-December; Spring 19 weeks: early January-early May; Academic Year 39 weeks: late July-early May

Description: The goals of the program are to provide advanced Spanish language students with a critical appreciation of the Dominican Republic and the Hispanic Caribbean and its importance in Latin America from the social sciences perspective. These goals are achieved through coursework in the social sciences as well as through the opportunity to work in a structured and supervised internship with a local grassroots development project as well as non-credit volunteer opportunities, cultural activities, and living with a Dominican family.

Academic Program
The CIEE Study Center, established in 1998, gives students the opportunity to enroll in classes at El Bonó, UASD, and INTEC. In addition, FLACSO offers several special courses for CIEE students focused upon cultural, literary, artistic, political, and social aspects of the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean as a whole. This arrangement permits students to combine the specialized, more personalized think tank atmosphere of FLACSO with courses offered through INTEC, UASD, and El Bonó. The program is suitable for advanced undergraduate students with strong language skills and a background in the social sciences or Latin American studies.

Academic Culture
Academic culture in Dominican universities is distinct from that of the United States. Direct enrollment in Dominican universities is one of the richest opportunities for language immersion, meeting Dominicans, and learning not only about academics but about Dominican culture and society. However, it also brings many challenges, which include adapting to and learning from a more formal academic culture and dealing with limited or hard to find materials. Students must be prepared to assume both the challenges and the benefits of the direct enrollment experience.

CIEE students enrolling at INTEC can choose classes from the Faculties of Social Sciences and Humanities, with a smaller offering from the Faculties of Business and Natural Sciences. Students at INTEC tend to be middle- and upper-middle class women and men from Santo Domingo. Classes range in size from 30 to 40.

Most of the 100 students at El Bonó are young men studying philosophy on scholarship as part of their training to become priests. The classes are small (20-30) and lecture-based, but the small size of the institution fosters an intimate environment.

UASD, a large public university, has an undergraduate population of 100,000 on its main campus in Santo Domingo. Classes tend to be very large and resources and infrastructure may vary from department to department. The atmosphere of the universities is quite distinct in terms of the socio-demographic backgrounds of the student bodies, their political leanings, size of classes, and infrastructure. The opportunity to enroll in more than one Dominican university is quite unique and provides insight into the diversity of the Dominican educational system. At FLACSO, students will find that class content and structure is closer to that of courses at U.S. universities, and that the atmosphere is more intimate and relaxed. Class size is from 6 to 18 students. At each institution, students can expect three to four contact hours a week for each class, and should dedicate an hour of preparation for each hour of class. A tutor is available at LACSO to assist participants.

Students are expected to rely on the advice of the Resident Director for their final course registrations during orientation, and any communication with home institutions is the responsibility of the student. The add/drop period varies from institution to institution so students have to keep track of each institutions deadlines because after that point the course selections are final. There is a three-week break between the spring and fall semesters.

Highlights:

• Optional development internship working with local organizations on issues in early education, environmental conservation, Haitian immigrant rights, community building, and womens rights
  
• CIEE is the only U.S. semester study abroad program at INTEC and El Bonó
  
• Opportunity to focus studies through Caribbean Studies track
  
• Non-credit volunteer opportunities

In the fall semester, a trip to a market along the Dominican/Haitian border is also included as part of the coursework. One-day excursions are also offered to national reserves, an artisans workshop, a community where ritual Afro-Dominican dances are performed, and caves with Taíno pictographs. Cultural activities in the city have included theater performances, classical music concerts, and visits to museums.

Cost in US$: Please check the CIEE website for current program pricing

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to World Wide Participants.

Participants Travel to Dominican Republic Independently

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups

Scholarships are Available. - We have several scholarships that students can apply for. Contact CIEE for details.

Application Process Involves:

• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Transcript
• Written Application

CIEE's Mission Statement: Since 1947, the Council on International Educational Exchange, known as CIEE, has been in pursuit of its mission, "to help people gain understanding, acquire knowledge, and develop skills for living in a globally interdependent and culturally diverse world." Our services to young people studying, working, teaching, and traveling abroad are more important than ever. As we look ahead, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles and values that guide this mission statement.

Year Founded: 1947