International Program in Toledo
Home > Programs > Europe > International Program in Toledo

Academics

  • Take upper-level Spanish courses.
  • Complete a Spanish minor in one semester.
  • Intern with a Spanish company.
  • Enroll in optional courses at a local university.
This program appeals to students who are interested in gaining fluency in Spanish, would like to choose classes from a wide range of fields, or want to take classes at a Spanish university.

Academic Structure

Program type: The International Program in Toledo is offered in collaboration with the Jose Ortega y Gasset Foundation and the University of Minnesota. Take classes at the Foundation with the opportunity to take one or two courses at the University of Castilla la Mancha in the academic year or spring semester.

Level: 3000 level coursework.

Prerequisites: 2.5 GPA; 4 semesters college-level Spanish. A "B" average in Spanish is preferred.

Courseload: 13–16 credits per semester, 3 credits for May session, or 6–9 credits for summer session. Classes are held Monday–Thursday on the semester and summer program, leaving long weekends for cultural immersion.

Coursework

Semester or Summer Program
Courses cover a wide range of topics, including anthropology, archaeology, art history, economics, history, interdisciplinary studies, linguistics, political science, Spanish cultural heritage, Spanish language, Spanish and Latin American literature, women's studies, Spanish theatre, and business.

The Course List includes brief descriptions, University of Minnesota–Twin Cities course equivalencies, and course availability. Syllabi are available upon request.

You may also take classes at la Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. Visit their website and click on the Facultad that you are interested in. Download an application and return it to the Learning Abroad Center. Courses are available in environmental science, sport science, history, art history, philosophy, psychology, geography, and other areas. There is an additional fee to enroll in courses at the university. Students should also plan to stay beyond the official end date of the program as the university term ends after the program end date.

University of Minnesota students can complete a Spanish minor in one semester of study in Toledo. Most courses in Toledo count toward requirements for the Spanish major. Contact the Spanish Department for more information.

Global Identity: Connecting Your International Experience with Your Future
This 1-credit online course will help you:

  1. process your overseas experience and apply what you learn upon your return
  2. understand intercultural lingo and relate it to your experience
  3. reflect on the multiple layers of cross-cultural experiences
  4. market your study abroad experience for future career goals.

May Session
The May session program—TLDO 3024 Tracing Three Cultures —explores the cultural heritage of Toledo. This is a three-week, 3 credit, intensive course that combines in-class lectures and discussions with regular field trips and excursions to museums and monuments, including Madrid's Museo del Prado and guided tours of Judaic Toledo and Mozarabic Segovia. We will study the traces of Christian, Muslim and Jewish culture in literature and art and the way they conform the current identity of modern Spain. The course focuses on three areas. The first one is the Sephardic heritage in literature and architecture in Toledo. The second one is the interaction between Islamic and Hispano-Mozarabic artists. The third one is the role it has had in Spanish folklore and traditions from music and festivals to food.

Approved for Arts and Humanities core and International Perspectives theme.

 

Internships

Internships are available to students on semester OR summer program participants. These internships (3 credits for semester students and 3 or 6 credits for summer) include an academic seminar and are ideal for becoming more immersed in Spanish culture while gaining work experience.

Semester students who have an internship should be prepared to work seven hours per week at their site.  For a manageable courseload, semester students should plan on taking only three or four additional courses.  Summer students should expect to spend 15 hours per week at the internship site (for the 3-credit internship option) or 30 hours per week (for the 6-credit option).

Examples of internship sites include the Regional Parliament, museums, newspapers, Toledo City Hall, schools, radio stations, community service organizations, and a physical rehabilitation hospital.

Internship site descriptions are available for the semester program (pdf) and summer program (pdf). The Internship Application (pdf) should be submitted with the other program application material.

Service Learning

Semester students have the opportunity to take TLDO 3975 Service Learning and the Immigrant Experience in Spain. In this course students work with one of several Toledo institutions related to the immigration phenomenon in Spain, collaborating directly either with the immigrant population or with the Spaniards who are working with immigrants. Students connect their experience working 3 hours per week with these organizations with the seminar portion of the course. Readings, discussion, and debate in the classroom help students better understanding the important issue of immigration in Spain. At the end of the course, a workshop day is held to which collaborating institutions, students, and residents of Toledo are invited.

Students who wish to take this course should complete Service Learning Course Form and submit it with their program application material.

Academic Fit with a University of Minnesota Degree Plan

Many courses have already been reviewed to meet Liberal Education requirements. Go to the Liberal Education Database to search for courses or submit ones for approval.

Study Abroad in Your Major advising resources tell you why University of Minnesota faculty think study abroad is important for a particular major, what the department wants students to think about when selecting a program, and gives helpful academic planning hints. There may also be profiles of students who studied abroad in your major.

This program appears as a special recommendation on the following Study Abroad in Your Major advising resources:

Anthropology Human Resource Development
Art Interior Design
Business Journalism & Mass Communication
Clothing Design Leadership Minor
English Multicultural Focus
Foundations of Education—Early Childhood Nursing
Foundations of Education—Elementary Political Science
Global Studies Psychology
Graphic Design Sociology
History Women's Studies

If your major is not listed above, talk to an adviser.

 
Last modified on August 24, 2009