Seminar & Field Trip Program 2025
Medellin, Colombia
Upcoming Information Sessions:
TBA
The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) Seminar and Field Trip Program celebrates its 51st trip in 2025! Since 1972, the program has provided more than 600 students a unique educational and cross-cultural immersion experience.
This intensive, two-part program incorporates a cross-cultural homestay with individualized field study. The program is open to undergraduates of any major at the University of Pittsburgh with sufficient Spanish language proficiency and an interest in Latin American culture. About 10-15 students will be selected for the program and enroll in a preparatory seminar on campus during the spring of 2025, and then travel to the host country where they will study, live with a host family, and carry out an independent field project during the summer.
The Destination
Medellin, Colombia
Medellín, often called the "City of Eternal Spring" due to its pleasant climate, offers a vibrant blend of tradition and innovation, making it an ideal destination for the 2025 CLAS Seminar and Field Trip Program. Nestled in the Aburrá Valley, this bustling metropolis is renowned for its rich history, cultural diversity, and progressive urban transformation. Participants will experience Medellín’s dynamic public spaces, innovative transportation systems, and thriving art scene, while engaging deeply with its warm, welcoming communities. Through homestays and field projects, students will explore the complexities of Colombian society, gaining firsthand insights into Medellín’s resilience and social development, particularly in areas like education, sustainability, and urban regeneration. This immersion will not only enhance students’ understanding of Latin American culture but also offer a profound cross-cultural experience that will resonate long after their return.
Spring Term Seminar, ARTSC 1990 (3 credits)
This interdisciplinary seminar is designed to prepare students for their in-country experience. Students will learn about the history, culture, politics and geography of the host country. The seminar will also examine the issues dealing with cross-cultural communication and the challenges and rewards of the international living experience will be examined. Students will be guided through the design of individual field projects that they will carry out during their in-country experience in May and June.
Summer Session Field Program, ARTSC 1991 (6 credits)
While living with a host family, students will carry out their individual field investigations, collecting data and information for evaluation. The project director will be present throughout the program to provide guidance and direction. Final written project reports will be completed upon return to the US and submitted at a deadline set by the director of the program.
Faculty and Staff
Faculty: Ana Paula Carvalho (assisted by James Campbell)
Program Director: Luis G. Van Fossen Bravo
Global Experiences Office - Program contact: Oksana Stalczynski
Cost
The Center for Latin American Studies underwrites a large part of this program—roundtrip airfare, room and board, and traveler’s insurance are covered by the Center. Students are responsible for the cost of six credits of summer tuition, visa fees and all other incidentals.
Summer 2025 Pricing & Dates: TO BE DETERMINED.
| In-State Fee | Out-of-State Fee |
| $6,334* | $6,534* |
| Depart USA | Return to USA |
| May 9, 2025* | June 20, 2025* |
* subject to change
Requirements for consideration
- Candidates are required to be full time, degree seeking undergraduates (from any discipline) maintaining a minimum of a 2.75 grade point average. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors who possess the necessary skills and disposition are welcome apply.
- By the time the field component begins, applicants must possess sufficient Spanish language proficiency to communicate effectively with their host families, travel independently and carry out their individual projects.
- Most importantly, interested applicants must demonstrate a willingness to be flexible, assimilate to a new culture, and welcome cross-cultural interaction. Selected candidates must be initiative taking, self-directed and comfortable functioning with little supervision.
Deadline: November 11, 2024
For more information on the CLAS Seminar & Field Trip, please e-mail Luis G. Van Fossen Bravo, Interim Associate Director (bravo@pitt.edu) or Ana Paula Carvalho, CLAS Academic advisor (apcst11@pitt.edu)
To apply go to: https://abroad.pitt.edu/classeminar