Site: Salamanca, Spain
Dates: June 4-30, 2017
Earn: 6 credits of Spanish & fulfills Global Perspective Liberal Education requirement
Who, What, Where
In 2017, 21 UMD students participated in the program along with our student program assistant. Nearly every afternoon, we met as a group to learn more about the city of Salamanca, its cultures, history, and art. We took tours with fabulous professors from the Universidad de Salamanca of magnificent, historic buildings in the city, including the cathedrals and convents, palaces, and universities. We strolled through gardens, orchards, and parks in Salamanca as the co-leaders led the group in discussion of literature and history. We visited museums and talked about historical events, like the Spanish Civil War. We were treated to several awesome artistic performances, including a guitar performance, the symphony, and a visit to the cathedral with music and a light show at night. Salamanca is so fun in the summer! On top of four hours of classes per day, we also enjoyed learning about urban art in one of Salamanca's oldest neighborhoods and caught an impressive avant garde light and art show in the beautiful Plaza Mayor. We also participated in three excursions to other parts of Spain.
Why participate in this program?
From my perspective as a professor, this program allows students to get to know an important medieval city in Spain, to immerse themselves in Spanish life by living with a family and taking part in all of the wonderful cultural opportunities that Salamanca offers, and to see other parts of Spain, all of which help students obtain a 'big picture' of the country, its cultures, its history, and its art. Salamanca is a great introduction to Spain because the program is established. People in Salamanca are helpful and friendly. Whether it is your first time traveling abroad or you are an experienced traveler, if you have an interest in Spanish and Hispanic Studies, this may be the program for you! Any Spanish professor at UMD will be pleased to talk to you more about the program. Stop by our offices on the 4th floor of the UMD Humanities building, or send us an email.
Student Perspectives
"I had an incredible experience. I feel so much more confident in my abilities with the Spanish language; immersion is definitely the most effective way to learn. I got closer with my classmates who were on the trip, sampled delicious cuisine, and witnessed beautiful architecture."
Thomas Djerf, Marketing major, Hispanic Studies, minor
“Traveling to exotic lands? Awesome. Traveling to exotic lands with an academic perspective thanks to UMD? More than priceless.”
Lee Peterson, Hispanic Studies & English double-major, Linguistics minor
"Studying abroad is the greatest decision I have made in college. It truly changed the way I see the world."
Christopher Timm, Teaching Spanish & Teaching Life Science double-major, Biology minor