Study Abroad

NEW Columbia University Summer 2013 Program in Brazil!

The Department of Latin American and Iberian Cultures recommends strongly that all all majors and concentrators in Hispanic or Portuguese Studies engage in study abroad if their other academic commitments allow it.

Studying abroad represents an unique opportunity to provide substance and linguistic depth to the department's academic program. Most courses taken abroad can be used to fulfill the requirements for the major and concentration in the department, and with adequate planning, even some of the requirements for a second major or concentration in another department or program. Students interested in studying abroad should seek information as early as possible so that they may plan their course of study to accommodate the experience.

A maximum of four (4) courses taken abroad may be applied to the major, and a maximum of three (3) to the concentration in Hispanic or Portuguese Studies. These courses will count as if you had taken them in the department at Columbia. Credit will be generally awarded only for courses that have contact hour and workload scales equivalent to Columbia University courses (semester and summer sessions). Language courses taken abroad will not count toward the major or concentration even if they are required by the program you attend.

All students are strongly advised to take either Spanish 3349 ("Hispanic Cultures I: From Islamic Spain to the Age of Empire") or Spanish 3350 ("Hispanic Cultures II: From the Enlightenment to the Present") before studying abroad. Actual or potential majors and concentrators in Hispanic or Portuguese Studies should seek tentative approval of their program of study from the Director of Undergraduate Studies before their departure.

The department requires that the following materials be provided to the department's DUS upon returning to campus when applying for credit for the major or concentration for work done abroad:

the actual course syllabus followed
a list of assigned readings and texts used
corrected and graded tests, examinations, and papers used for evaluating the student's work. If work was not returned by the professor, please provide a copy of the original work handed in

The Office of Global Programs has a list of programs that have been approved to receive Columbia credit. Columbia College has a comprehensive web site devoted to all aspects of the experience abroad. See in particular the requirements for receiving departmental credit or credit toward a major or concentration.