Spanish Faculty-Led Study Abroad:
We have unique faculty-led short-term (summer or winter) study abroad programs in Mexico and Cuba which may include family home stays, intensive language classes, internships, and excursions. We also have specialized short-term (10 day) intensive study tours to Roman Arab Spain in Andalucía and the Camino de Santiago. We also have unique programs in Loyola Andalucía and Puerto Rico, as well as semester programs at various institutions in Spain and Latin America. Credits are variable. Required knowledge of Spanish varies by program, and often novices in the language can participate.
In addition to Faculty Led Short Term Study Abroad or Study Tours, the department collaborates with the Office of Campus Ministry and encourages our students to participate in Service Immersion trips, in particular with the program on Migration.
Internships
The department also helps sponsor students for a year of service abroad, and for internships abroad. For information on International Spanish language year of service, please contact the chair of Modern Languages. Some internships our students have participated in include:
- Spanish Course + Experiences
Spanish + Professional Internships - English Opens Doors in Chile.
- Kino Border Initiative
Puebla, Mexico
Canisius has partnered with Universidad Iberoamericana to provide a month long experience for students, staff and faculty from Canisius. The four weeks consist of classes at the university, home stays with families within the community, field trips, excursions every weekend, delicious food, rich culture, and of course, Spanish.
Camino de Santiago
The department also has a program taking students on the arduous Camino de Santiago walk, following the path of pilgrims to the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela. Read more here or here.
Cuba
Canisius has a unique program in Cuba where students live with families, take classes in Spanish language (with a Cuban flair), as well as a course on Cinema of the Revolution, and another on Cuban History, Culture, and Politics. In addition, students gain an intimate knowledge not just of Havana, but also of the provinces. Read more here.
Roman Arab Spain
This 10-day study tour entails an educated sightseeing of major Roman and Arab metropolises, as well as Jewish cultural and religious sites in the Southern region of Andalusia: Mérida, Sevilla-Itálica, Córdoba, and Granada. These historical sites are the archives of the ancient world and are declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Tour is offered occasionally during Spring Break.
Occasional Field Trips
New York City
Students went to NYC to attend a talk at the Museum of Modern Art by Spanish fim director Pedro Almodóvar, at the end of his US tour promotoing his latest film Julieta. This was the culmination of SPA 453: Almodóvar y la Movida, a course dedicated exclusively to the filmography of the renowned Spanish director. The trip also included family home stays with Latina students in the class who are natives of NYC. Sigma Delta Pi, the Spanish Honors Society also included 7 new members on this trip at the Hispanic Society of America. Read more about the trip.
Los Angeles
Students in a class on Latinos in the US went to Los Angeles to tour Gangland, meet reformed gang members and authors, tour a cultural center, and serve in a homeless shelter. Read more here.
Virginia
Students in a class on plantation narrative took a field trip to Williamsburg, VA, where they toured the historic district and visited a variety of plantations.
La Curiosidad te Cambia
En la misma línea se pronunció Margaret Stefanski, de la Canisius University de Buffalo, Nueva York, quien puso el foco en el cambio “post viaje”
“El cambio es increíble. Muchos de estos chicos salen de su país por primera vez y, a veces, es la primera vez que salen de su propio estado, así que es un choque cultural increíble”, señaló.
“Pero al volver, que los tengo a menudo en mis clases, se puede ver la confianza que ganan, tanto en sí mismos como en sus habilidades lingüísticas. También, y esto creo que es lo más importante, les despierta una curiosidad por el mundo. Muchos, después de experimentar todo lo que han experimentado este mes en Mar del Plata, deciden seguir viajando. De repente, también, son más conscientes de lo que pasa en el mundo, algo muy importante en estos días para los americanos”, concluyó.
En Mar del Plata el programa está a cargo de las profesionales Andrea Menegotto y Adriana Cortés, quienes recibieron una lluvia de halagos por parte de quien fue el fundador del programa. “Nada de esto podría haberse logrado sin ellos”, aseguró Pellicer.
Sigue leyendo
Sigma Delta Pi/Scholarships for Study Abroad
The Department of Modern Languages, Literature, and Cultures performs an induction of new members of Sigma Delta Pi, chapter Chi Tau every academic year. Eligible undergraduate and graduate students who are active members of Sigma Delta Pi may apply for grants and scholarships for use during summer and the academic year to study abroad in Spain or Spanish America. National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society (Sigma Delta Pi) honors "those who attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language and in the study of the literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking peoples". Inductees must meet the following requirements: completed three years of study of college-level Spanish (eighteen semester credit hours) or the equivalent thereof, including at least three semester hours of a course in Hispanic literature or Hispanic culture and civilization at the junior (third-year) level; a minimal grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale in all Spanish courses taken; rank in the upper 35% of his/her class–sophomore, junior, or senior–and must have completed at least three semesters or five quarters of college work.