Education Abroad
The Hispanic Studies Department offers a summer program in Cádiz, Spain. We also lead a semester program in Madrid and collaborate with the interdisciplinary program in Arequipa, Peru. Students on these programs can earn credits toward the minor or major.
Summer in Cádiz
This intensive two-course credit, five-week program is preceded by a week of travel around Spain before the group makes its way to Cádiz for the duration of the summer program. The pre-Cádiz travel itineraries vary from year to year.
Cádiz is a historical city in Andalucia considered by most scholars to be the oldest city in Western Europe, dating back to 1100 B.C. Known today for its golden beaches and constant summer sun, the city possesses a quaint and friendly learning environment for learning Spanish.
Students live with host families and the four-hour morning academic classes are enriched by afternoon cultural activities and excursions.
Davidson in Madrid, Semester Program
Davidson partners with IES-Spain to offer a semester-long program in Madrid. Normally, this program runs in the fall semester of odd-numbered years (i.e., Fall 2023, Fall 2025, etc.). Located in the geographical heart of Spain, Madrid is the nation’s capital and part of the Comunidad de Madrid, bordered by the autonomous communities of Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León. With a population of 3.3 million, it is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin. Founded in the 9th century, Madrid has preserved much of its historic feel and yet still boasts a modern, cutting-edge infrastructure.
Students live in downtown Madrid and participate in mandatory excursions as part of the orientation program and throughout the semester. Partnering with IES allows our students to enroll in a variety of courses including one offered by the Davidson Resident Director, who is a Spanish-speaking Davidson College faculty member; IES courses for Americans abroad; and direct-enroll courses with Spanish university students at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid or the Universidad Carlos III.
Please contact the Program Director listed on the Hispanic Studies faculty/staff page or the Office of Education Abroad for details.
Davidson in Peru (Interdepartmental Program)
Hispanic Studies also collaborates with the Davidson in Peru program. Experience Peru from the Amazon to the Andes, Lima, Bolivia, Machu Picchu, the Inca Trail and more. Based in Arequipa, a city known for its whitewashed colonial buildings at the foot of an inactive volcano roughly 7,000 feet above sea level, students live with Peruvian families while taking classes at the Universidad de San Pablo. You have the freedom to choose from a selection of program-designed courses:
- Taught by San Pablo professors
- A course taught by the Davidson professor and program director
- And the full (and extensive) complement of regular university courses
Many students also participate in volunteer activities. Two lengthy journeys bookend the 14 weeks in Arequipa and expose students to varied Peruvian landscapes from coastal desert to mountainous highlands to Amazonian jungle.
Hispanic Studies majors should discuss department credit with the chair before travel.