Central & South America (including Mexico and the Caribbean)
Alison Caine '07 at the International Vicuna Festival, Lucanas, Peru
This list of programs and universities is provided to assist students in the identification of study abroad opportunities in Central & South America. A great deal of variation exists in the locations, durations, foreign language expectations, housing options, and educational formats. In general terms, there are three types of program: programs at Central and South American universities, thematic programs, and general Latin American studies programs. The Spanish language requirements are listed so that students may avoid programs that are inappropriate in terms of having either too much or too little language training. Other programs exist in many of the countries on this list, but have been excluded because their duration, academic program, or sponsoring organization does not conform to the principles established by the Off-Campus Study Committee. (Students may petition the Committee to participate on an unapproved program if they believe it provides a compelling academic advantage compared to the listed programs.)
Each program page is linked to its sponsor's web site where more detailed information is available and to student evaluations (2007 and later). To access these evaluations you must log in (lower right corner) with your Bates username and password. Student evaluations prior to 2007 and program brochures are available in the Off-Campus Study Library.
The "number of participants" in the Comments column is per semester. Numbers often fluctuate from semester to semester, and we provide them to give a general sense of program size.
The programs that are based at universities generally follow the southern hemispere academic calendar with first semester extending from late February to early July, and second semester from early August to early December. (The actual dates vary each year.)
Approval of participation, including completion of a Bates application, is required to receive credit for study on any of these programs or universities. Please see Dean Sawyer or Mr. Das, in the Off-Campus Study Office in Lane Hall, for further information and discussion.