Study Abroad Destinations

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese hosts several study abroad programs designed for immersion language learning for undergraduates; Majors and Minors. These programs offer real world settings for language skills practice and cultural awareness development under the guidance of our faculty and local educators.

Alcalá de Henares, Spain

The academic program is designed to accommodate the needs, interests and qualifications of the individual students while taking advantage of the environment to increase students' facility in the Spanish language and heighten their awareness of Spanish culture through direct contact.  Students may elect to study for one semester, for the entire academic year, or in summer.

Students may enroll for 12 credits per semester (or 6 credits in summer) and choose among the following courses:

  • SPAN 325  Intermediate Grammar and Writing
  • SPAN 330  Intermediate Conversation
  • SPAN 340  Phonetics
  • SPAN 350  Readings in Literary Genres
  • SPAN 371A Spanish for Business and Economics
  • SPAN 400  Survey of Spanish Literature
  • SPAN 401  Survey of Latin American Literature
  • SPAN 425  Advanced Grammar and Composition
  • SPAN 430 Spanish Civilization
  • SPAN 435 Cervantes
  • SPAN 449A Topics in Hispanic Literature

Course offerings are subject to sufficient enrollment.  Acceptance into the program will be based on academic standing and approval by program director.  Each student must be interviewed by Professor Berigan who will also verify the selection of classes. 

Full Program Details for Spring Semester

Full Program Details for Summer


Fortaleza, Brazil

The University of Arizona offers students the opportunity to study the Portuguese language intensively during a six week summer program. The summer program will include cultural visits around Fortaleza and to nearby sites such as Jericoacoara, Cumbuco, and Canoa Quebrada.

The growing relationship between Brazil and the United States is the rationale behind the development of this program; as Brazil develops on the world economic scene, there will be a growing range of opportunities for Portuguese speakers.

During the Summer, the UA offers an intensive 6-week summer language and culture program, which is supplemented by several lectures on modern Brazil, Brazilian cinema and literature, and visits to nearby cultural sites. Students at all levels of Portuguese instruction may participate in the Summer program, as well as students who are fluent in Spanish. Students will earn 6 units of UA credits in Portuguese during the Summer program.

Full Program Details


Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Our program in Costa Rica will occur during Summer Session 1 and consist of five weeks of Spanish immersion. Students will receive a total of 80 hours of classroom instruction with experienced professors from the University of Arizona and the Universidad Isaac Newton. Local families host our students, providing them with a taste of the real "Tico" life. By the end of the program, participants will fully understand the meaning of "Pura Vida," the Costa Rican national phrase. As part of the program, students will participate in class projects and community outreach programs, which give them the opportunity to further develop their conversational skills.

Courses Available

Students may enroll in up to 8 credits per session. Courses include:

  • Span 101: First Semester Spanish
  • Span 102: Second Semester Spanish
  • Span 201: Third Semester Spanish
  • Span 202: Fourth Semester Spanish
  • Span 251: Intermediate Spanish

Other courses can be arranged as needed by students. Class placement will be based on courses previously taken and pre-departure interviews conducted by the program director. Students may also register for UA journalism courses, including environmental journalism, ethics, feature writing, and international media systems (contingent on enrollment).

Full Program Details