Semester Study in Cuba

L iving and studying in Cuba will sharpen the abilities of students to think critically and to imagine creatively. Cuba is a society that has gone its own way against enormous odds and has developed a society unlike any other. For the United States student, the island offers the singular opportunity to question, debate and discuss, to get beneath the surface of the issues and to evaluate independently the art, culture, history and politics of this unknown but compelling world, 90 miles from our shores.

A fascinating destination in the Caribbean, Cuba has been isolated from nearly all contact with its northern neighbors in the United States since 1959 and, in turn, we have been isolated from the Cuban people. In an effort to open up the lines of communication, Burlington College has secured a license from the U.S. Department of Treasury to establish educational programs in Cuba. In 2007, the College entered into a cooperative agreement with the University of Havana to enroll up to fifteen students for a semester of full-time study at the University’s main campus in Havana. The program began successfully in the spring of 2008 and the College is now accepting applications for Spring 2009. A Fall semester program is currently under consideration as well.

The Academic Program
The Burlington College Cuba Program will be at the Faculty of Arts and Letters at the University of Havana. Founded in 1728, the University is one of the oldest and most acclaimed universities in the world. Located in the heart of Havana, the educational, political, and cultural capital of Cuba, many of its professors are famed writers and scholars.

Students who are accepted into the Burlington College program in Cuba should be prepared to live in a sometimes unfamiliar but always fascinating city and society. All participants will be enrolled as full-time students at Burlington College and will also enroll at the University of Havana. The program consists of a total of sixteen credit hours through the following courses:

• A Cuban Studies class designed and taught by faculty at the University of Havana;
  
• An Arts and Culture of Cuba course designed and taught by the Ludwig Foundation, a non-governmental arts foundation in Havana;
  
• A Spanish language course – the level to be determined by a placement test in Havana;
  
• One or two electives at the University of Havana chosen from a wide diversity of classes in all fields of the arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

Housing and Meals: Housing and most meals will be provided by Burlington College as part of the program. Students will live as a group in a townhouse residence run by a farmer’s cooperative in Havana. A Latin American and world capital and one of the most vibrant cities in the world, Havana is the center of Cuban life. Filled with buildings, parks, and squares of Spanish and Art Nouveau design, Havana offers students the experience of urban life in Cuba today, from its oldest neighborhoods in Old Havana to its newest sections in Vedado and Miramar. Students will live among Cubans and will experience the difficulties of life on the island as well as its joys, especially the pleasures of becoming acquainted with the people of Cuba.

Admission Requirements: Full-time students matriculated in Burlington College. Mature, responsible, independent students
Costs: Tuition $10,465 | Lab Fee $1,900 | Insurance $150 | Room & Board $3,360
Total BC Charges $15,875 | Estimated Airfare $900 | Total Cost: $16,775

Application Deadline: November 1, 2008 wwwwwwDownload Application Forms