Study Abroad Library

CIEE Liberal Arts Program in Santiago, Dominican Republic

The goal of Liberal Arts program is to help students solidify their Spanish language skills, while gaining a deeper understanding of the society, culture, economics, and politics of the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean region, with a particular emphasis on the Hispanic Caribbean. These goals are achieved through intensive language coursework, social science area studies, literature and history course-work, sports and arts programs, and immersion into Dominican life. Academic Program The Liberal Arts program in Santiago was established in 1987 with a dual focus: to enable students to achieve advanced Spanish language skills, while studying and actively participating in life in a developing Caribbean country. The program is designed for students who have taken two years of college-level Spanish and would like to significantly improve their skills in conversation and grammar. Liberal Arts courses offer a solid foundation and unique insight into the evolution of society, culture, economics, and politics of Hispaniola and the Greater Hispanic Caribbean, providing courses on regional literature, history, and on the comparison of the widely variant socio-cultural issues that are pertinent for contemporary society in this region. At the start of the semester, all CIEE students are tested to determine their oral and written Spanish level. Students are then placed in one of three distinct academic tracks (Advanced Level I, II, or III) according to their language proficiency; each offering a different configuration of both required and elective courses. Those with strong motivation, independence, and a high level of Spanish may continue for a second semester at the CIEE Study Center in Santo Domingo or on the Service Learning program in Santiago. Academic year students have a three-week break between the first and second semesters. Academic Culture Most PUCMM students specialize in a profession such as law, medicine, engineering, architecture, education, or business. The only social science majors are psychology and social communication. Although PUCMM is considered to be the countrys premier private university, like other Latin American universities, it has limited resources compared to most U.S. colleges and universities. CIEE students take a combination of courses offered exclusively for them, as well as courses with other foreign students. Students who place into the most advanced levels of the program have the opportunity to take one or two classes with PUCMM students. CIEE students will find some striking differences between teaching goals and methods at PUCMM compared to what they are accustomed to in the U.S., which can be challenging, but also educational. Teaching methods are less formal, employing a mix of tutorials, readings, discussions, reports, and tests, but with more reliance on memorization than analysis. Many of the presentations for a particular class are researched and presented by individuals or student groups, not by the professors, thus stimulating students to take more initiative in their own learning process.