For the sixth year, Dr. Mariano Lopez will lead a group of students to Costa Rica for a six-week immersion in the Spanish language and culture.
Lopez, foreign languages professor and resident director of the program, said the purpose is to give students a greater understanding of the culture than they could ever acquire in the classroom alone.
"Speaking the language with the natives and living in their homes gave students from past trips firsthand experience with the Spanish language, culture and work ethic," he said. "And it helps in our effort to promote global understanding."
The 1996 visit to San Jose, Costa Rica, is set for June 29-Aug. 10. The six-week tour offers four program options: Study-Internship, Internship, Study, and Graduate.
The Study-Internship program is especially recommended for foreign languages majors, international business double-degree majors, double majors and minors. Participants will take two upper-division courses--advanced Spanish and business Spanish--at the University of Costa Rica in the morning. The courses are taught specifically for Mississippi State students by UCR faculty. Each course will carry three transferable hours.
In the afternoon, participants will serve internships in businesses selected and supervised by the Chamber of Commerce of Costa Rica. Three hours of credit will be given by MSU for a project on the internship, so the total number of possible credit hours is nine. The cost is $2,500.
The Internship program allows participants to work full time in San Jose. They will not attend classes at UCR, but will receive three hours credit from Mississippi State for a project on the internship. Cost is $2,250.
The Study program allows participants to take both advanced Spanish and business Spanish, receiving six transferable hours of credit from UCR and one from MSU. Cost is $2,334.
Finally, Graduate program participants take two graduate courses_Spanish stylistics and special problems. They will receive three transferable credits from UCR and three from MSU at a cost of $2,350.
These programs are limited to those who have at least 17 hours in Spanish (or the equivalent), although special cases will be considered. The requirements must be completed prior to departure.
Participants will live with Costa Rican families carefully screened by the Office of International Affairs at UCR and approved by MSU officials.
Preference will be given to Mississippi State students, with an early application deadline of Dec. 15. Application fee is $50, with the balance due by April 1, 1996. After the Dec. 15 early deadline, applications from other institutions will be accepted until March 31.
The maximum number of participants in all programs is 15.
For more information or for application forms, contact Lopez at the Department of Foreign Languages, 300 Lee Hall, Mail Stop 9517, 325-3480.
This World Wide Web version of MSU Memo was modified and updated by Chris Brown.
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Last modified: Friday, 14-Jun-2002 15:58:59 CDT.
URL: http://msuinfo.ur.msstate.edu/msu_memo/1995/11-06-95/costa.htm
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