Spanish

Study Abroad

Interesting in a Study Abroad Graduate Assistant?

Every year the Hispanic Studies program sponsors several study programs in various Spanish speaking regions of the world. Students will earn six (6) credit hours by participating in this program. In addition to formal classes, group excursions to cultural and historical sites are an integral part of the programs.

Alicante

Five weeks on Spain’s central Mediterranean coast in the small port city of Alicante (for 300 level and higher students), studying advanced Spanish language, linguistics and/or culture.

Famous for its miles of white, sandy beaches (the nearby Playa de San Juan) and its palm-lined seafront walkway (the Esplanada), Alicante is a vibrant university town small enough (population 310,000) to be congenial, safe, and accessible yet big and modern enough to offer everything, including unexpected dimensions from the narrow streets of the old quarter (the Barrio de Santa Cruz) to the main commercial avenues downtown.

Alicante is within easy reach of Madrid, Granada, Seville, Málaga, Valencia, and Barcelona, and June is the month of Alicante’s ancient “Festival de las Hogueras,” in which huge paper sculptures are ceremoniously paraded and then burned in city squares.

Students will live with Spanish host families (one exchange student per family), meet locals and make international friends through organized social and cultural activities, and improve language skills by participating in cultural workshops. Excursions include a visit to the Costa Blanca, to sites in the interior of the province of Alicante, to Granada, etc.

The program is open to Spanish majors and minors who have taken Spanish 323. Classes will be held in the Escuela Mediterránea de Vela (Sailing School) in the harbor of Alicante and across the street from the beach.

This program runs from the last week of May to the end of June (5 weeks). Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive credit for 6 credit hours of upper-division Spanish. For more information and application procedures, contact the director.

San José, Costa Rica

San José is the capital of Costa Rica. San José is one of the oldest cities in Costa Rica, founded in the 16th century, has a population of about 2 million people, and is rich in history, folklore, and monuments, both pre-Columbian and colonial. Students live for a month with judiciously selected Costa Rican families in San José and take two upper-division courses that count toward a Spanish major or minor.

The classes are taught by UT faculty. Students will earn six (6) hours credit for the two classes they take.

Applications are due each year around Feb. 1. For more information, consult the program page.

Sevilla

Sevilla is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia. It is situated on the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of Spain. The Alcázar, the Cathedral, and the General Archive of the Indies are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The program is open to undergraduate students who have successfully completed either Span 112 or Spanish 123 or Spanish 150, or to students who have placed into a 200-level class via the Spanish Placement Exam.

This program runs from the last week of May to the end of June (5 weeks). Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive credit for Spanish 223 (6 credit hours). For more information and application procedures, contact the director.

Service Learning in Costa Rica

Students will engage in Costa Rican culture and society via service-learning. Placements will depend on students’ level of language proficiency, personal interest, and availability and will be assigned prior to departure. In addition to averagaging 30 hours per week of volunteer service in the San Jose or Cartago area, students will spend two class hours per week at the ISA office in San Jose. The remaining academic component of the course will occur asynchronously online.

Upon successful completion of the program, students will receive 3 credits in either MFLL 300 Global Cultures and Texts, Spanish 491 (via petititon) or Latin American/Caribbean Studies 491 (via petition). In addition to averagaging 30 hours per week of volunteer service in the San Jose or Cartago area, students will spend two class hours per week at the ISA office in San Jose. The remaining academic component of the course will occur asynchronously online. Students seeking Spanish credit will complete all work in Spanish while students seeking LAC credit may choose to write in Spanish or English.

Contact Dr. Lisa Parker

Additional Options

Alternatively, students can pursue travel opportunities to French-speaking countries or cities through participation in the University’s International Student Exchange Program (ISEP). The department is also prepared to recommend summer study programs and year abroad programs for students who are interested in foreign study.

Credits from recognized foreign study programs can readily be transferred to The University of Tennessee. Students should consult the department before registering for the foreign study course.

Visit ISEP

Visit UT’s Programs Abroad Portal

Study Abroad Graduate Assistantship

Graduate students interested in this opportunity must be aware that according to the Programs Abroad Office, a study abroad program needs at least 18 students enrolled in order to qualify for an assistant. Responsibilities include assisting with program outreach efforts through class visits, presentations, informational meetings, study abroad fair, social media, and pre-departure orientation. Work with the Program Director on-site to manage day-to-day operations of the program. In some situations (i.e. higher number of students), graduate assistants can teach for a program, but this must be approved before the trip.

Selection Process

At the beginning of the fall semester the faculty leader will send out a call to all graduate students, asking for letters of interest. The letter should include the year the student started the program, her/his GPA, and a short explanation of how the student can contribute to the program and how he/she will benefit from it.

The Hispanic Studies faculty will choose the GA based on the following criteria: