Academics
The Duke in the Andes program takes an interdisciplinary approach to area and cultural studies, centered around a core seminar that encompasses sociological, anthropological, historical, and cultural aspects of globalization and colonial legacies in the Andean region. In addition to the mandatory core seminar(s), students choose their remaining courses from program courses and selected regular course offerings at the Universidad Politécnica Salesiana or the cursos abiertos at the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLACSO).
Course Enrollment Guidelines
Academic Courses and Credits: Participants earn a full semester of Duke University academic credit (four course credits*). Students must enroll in at least the core seminar and choose additional courses from either program-sponsored courses or a list of selected, Duke-approved regular university courses offered at our host institutions. All courses will be transcripted by Duke University and students will receive final grades of A-F. Academic year students may be excused from the core seminar requirement in their second semester with the program only if the second semester's core seminar is considered the same course as the previous semester by the program's regional director.
*Non-Duke students may enroll in five courses with written permission from their academic deans. The deans must indicate that the fifth course is needed to meet course load requirements for study abroad at the home university.
Note about Spanish major/minor at Duke: MAJOR: Up to four courses may be counted toward the Spanish major as long as the course is either a designated Spanish course at the 100-level, or falls within the "related" tracks described in the Spanish major descriptions. A maximum of three courses may be counted toward the core-course requirement; others may be counted as related courses. MINOR: A maximum of two designated Spanish courses may be counted. For more information about the Spanish major and minor requirements, or to inquire about how a specific course would count, please contact the Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Romance Studies or see the Undergraduate Bulletin.
STUDENT VOICES
"During the first couple of weeks in Ecuador, my Spanish was very rusty, and I had to concentrate very hard to understand what was being said. Luckily, we had two weeks of orientation in Ecuador before classes began, so by the time I entered a classroom, I was more comfortable with listening, at least. Throughout my time at the university, my communication skills improved exponentially. After several weeks in Ecuador, I was comfortable expressing myself in an academic setting. By the end of the semester, I rarely noticed that my professors were speaking another language, and although my expression wasn't perfect, I was confident in my ability to communicate intelligently. I found that my professors and classmates were generally understanding and patient throughout the entire process, which really helped me to transition and
grow in my use of Spanish."
-Kristen Jones, Duke University
"My favorite class was Socio-etno-linguistica. My professor challenged us to think about language and culture in ways that often made my Ecuadorian classmates uncomfortable. For example, issues of ethnic discrimination, which is in many ways ingrained in Ecuadorian culture, were central to our discussions of language and identity. Although his challenges to popular positions were not always received well by all the students, he provoked very interesting discussion and tried to open students' minds to new ways of considering social, economic, and cultural difference."
-Kristen Jones, Duke University
Last revised: 11 January 2012
