Colby in Salamanca

The academic program begins with your orientation, comprised of linguistic and cultural components. After completing an online initial placement exam, Colby program students in both the Language and Liberal Arts and University Studies programs are placed at the appropriate level in language classes made up of students from around the globe and taught by the faculty of the Universidad de Salamanca. Two additional hours of class are devoted to culture (Spanish Culture, Spanish and Latin American Cinema, The Arab World in the Hispanic World, Spanish Art). Program-specific details are listed below.

Available for the full academic year or either semester, Colby’s program integrates students from Colby College directly into the Spanish university system. After a one-month orientation session (intensive language review and thematic culture courses), students enroll in regular courses at the Universidad de Salamanca. A curriculum of “core” courses (regular University courses with an extra hour per week of tutorials) and other courses provides opportunities for the study of literature, history, politics and law, sociology, art history, and other subjects. It is impossible to know which university courses will be offered in advance, and the Resident Director will assist you in selecting appropriate courses during the orientation period.

In addition to the three-week orientation program (in September, the orientation will be shorter), students typically enroll in three courses per semester, plus the mandatory two-credit writing class. Final assessment for courses is determined by the Universidad de Salamanca faculty and is administered according to the regular exam schedule. The regular academic year at the Universidad de Salamanca extends from late September through May or June, depending on individual student exam schedules. The resident director and associate director will help you select courses that are appropriate for the period of time that you will be enrolled at the university. You can download a sample of university courses students have taken in the past.

Credits and Grades

Students in this program normally receive between 16-18 credits per semester. Final assessment for courses is determined by the Universidad de Salamanca faculty and is administered according to the regular exam schedule. Final grades are assigned by the resident director, upon recommendation in consultation with the Spanish professors from the University.

Eligibility

Applicants to the University Studies Program must have an overall GPA of at least 2.7 (on a four-point scale) and have the equivalent of 6-7 college semesters of Spanish study including one advanced Spanish composition course and a literature course, with an average (in Spanish courses) of at least B. All Colby students must have completed SP135 and SP231 before departure. The program is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors with any major. Students are able to find classes that will count toward almost any major, with a few exceptions. The Resident Director, Julia Piera Abad, can assist students in planning their academic selections. Students can request a sample list of courses taken in the past and academic tracks from GEO.

Internship Opportunities

A variety of internships are available to students in various fields. Examples include:

– TIC Parque cientifico Universidad de Salamanca (Infotron, allhookaps, other startups)
– Internship and research experiences in biology, biotechnology and biomed (Institute for Agribiotechnology Research, 300K etc.)
– Universidad de Salamanca (Cursos Internacionales, Mercatus, Radio, TV, Social media etc.)
– Practicum in Education (teaching practicums in local schools, language assistantships etc.)

Colby offers a Language and Liberal Arts program in Salamanca either semester, suitable for students who wish to study language intensively and/or work toward completion of Colby’s language requirement. Students take language and civilization courses for five hours a day at Cursos Internacionales of the Universidad de Salamanca. The department offers courses in Spanish for international (non-Spanish speaking) students at all levels, from basic to advanced. You will be placed in language and culture classes according to your proficiency level (inicial, intermedio, avanzado, or superior) which will be determined by an initial placement exam. Students who place in any level except initial may also choose two classes from among the following:

• Spanish and Latin American Literature (L)
• Spanish Art (A)
• Spanish and Latin American Cinema (A)
• Spanish Culture
• The Arab World in the Hispanic World (H)

Students who remain in one of the courses above during the whole semester may also be able to satisfy the arts requirement, the history requirement, or the literature requirement, depending on which classes you choose to take.

Students who place in the initial level will take an additional hour of language lab and conversation per day instead of these other courses; this will appear on the transcript as SP197, Spanish Conversation.

Language and Liberal Arts program students will earn sixteen Colby credits for successfully completing the program. Students generally earn credit for Spanish at Colby on the following scale:

• Level inicial (beginners): SP125, SP126
• Level intermedio (intermediate): SP126, SP127
• Level avanzado (advanced 1): SP127, SP128
• Level superior (advanced 2): SP129, SP131

Credits and Grades

Final grades are assigned by the resident director, in consultation with professors from the University. Students who complete the intermediate level or higher with a grade of C or better will satisfy Colby’s language requirement. Students who do not complete the intermediate level will normally be required to take a semester of Spanish at Colby to satisfy the language requirement.

Eligibility

Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors in good standing who have a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher and have had at least one semester of college Spanish (or three years of high school Spanish).

Internship Opportunities

A variety of internships are available to students in various fields. Examples include:

• TIC Parque cientifico Universidad de Salamanca (Infotron, allhookaps, other startups)
• Internship and research experiences in biology, biotechnology and biomed (Institute for Agribiotechnology Research, 300K etc.)
• Universidad de Salamanca (Cursos Internacionales, Mercatus, Radio, TV, Social media etc.)
• Practicum in Education (teaching practicums in local schools, language assistantships etc.)

The homestay, in which students are placed with selected families in and around Salamanca, is as important an aspect of the program as the academic courses. The homestay is more than a place to sleep and eat; it is here that students will develop their spoken Spanish and learn the most about Spain. It is a portal to Spanish civilization and culture. Students take their breakfasts, lunch and evening meals in their host families. Not all the host families are traditional. Some families have children and some do not. Some are traditional families and some are single women who want to share their apartments with a Colby student. Some families host several international students and some do not. Some families may invite their host students to family events or outings; others will not. The resident director will try to place each student with the family that best seems to fit his or her profile in the housing form included with the registration packet. Please make sure to list your allergies and/or dietary restrictions.

All students are required to spend the first month in a homestay. After that, students in the integrated program have the option of living in an apartment with Spanish students.

Animadores: Colby arranges to have a number of Spanish college-age students to meet with the group during the semester to provide a student perspective on life in Salamanca.

Excursions (the cost of excursions is included in the program fee):

• Weekend excursions to Madrid and Extremadura
• Excursion to Andalucía or Barcelona and Girona
• Excursion to Galicia and Oporto
• Day trip to Peñafiel, wine tasting experience at Bodegas Protos

Cultural events

All cultural activities (museums, movies, theatre, sport, etc…) in Spain are reimbursed 50%.

Fitness and Sports

There are several gyms that offer reasonable rates. Colby in Salamanca reimburses 50% of all sports activities.

Community Service

Volunteer activities through the University or in the community are also possible.

The fees for Colby programs abroad are equivalent to the comprehensive fees for Colby College. (Please note that program fees are also subject to any annual comprehensive fee increases.) Students are billed by Colby, and are exempt from the study abroad fee. The fee covers: tuition, room, board or a board allowance, excursions, health insurance in Spain, and roundtrip airfare and transfers to program sites. Books, meals during vacation periods, international insurance, laundry expenses, and personal travel are not included. A forfeitable deposit of $500 is due at the time of acceptance.

Colby programs abroad are open to any Colby sophomore, junior, or senior, regardless of major, who meets the specific program requirements outlined above. Colby students should follow the GEO processes for Initial Study Abroad Plan (due November 15th) and Final Study Abroad Plan (due February 20th).