Spend your Fall term in a remote and lightly visited region in northern Spain, learning about the unique intersection of cultural, environmental and social issues in the towns and mountains of the Asturias region. SOU Communication professor Alena Ruggerio is leading the excursion, and you can enroll via the Global Education Oregon program.
For all the other information you need to make a decision, please see the Frequently Asked Questions below:
When is the trip?
September 29-December 16, 2018.
Your plane will arrive on September 29 for orientation. Classes will begin October 1. Final exams will be December 15, then your plane will depart December 16, 2018.
Where will we be based?
The city of Oviedo, in the principality of Asturias, in the country of Spain.
Who is leading the trip?
Dr. Alena Ruggerio. I'm a Professor of Communication at Southern Oregon University. Last year, I was honored to receive the Distinguished Teaching award from SOU. Nine years ago, I was honored to receive the Outstanding Visiting Faculty Award for leading a similar program in Greece. In other words, I love teaching and I'll be there to support and challenge you through this study abroad program.
Who is eligible?
Any undergraduate student in any major who as of Fall '18 will be a sophomore, junior, or senior at Southern Oregon University, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, or any of the other 30 institutions across the U.S. affiliated with GEO Study Abroad. Check the list - your college or university is probably on it!
If you are currently a senior, you might consider delaying your graduation until after Fall 2018 to take advantage of this study abroad opportunity.
How do I apply?
Go to this link to access the GEO Study Abroad application. Click on the "Apply Now" button and follow the directions.
If you are a student at any institution other than the University of Oregon, be sure to follow the directions for "non-U of O students."
What is the application deadline?
Your application must be completed by April 15, 2018
What will happen after my application is filed?
If you are an SOU student, go to the SOU Office of International Programs on the third floor of the Stevenson Union to complete the legal, academic, and medical paperwork SOU needs to help you study abroad. OIP will also schedule an interview with you, in which you'll be asked about things like your academic record, your disciplinary record, your social support network, and your goals for studying abroad.
If you are a student at an institution other than SOU, check with the Office of International Programs on your home campus to find out if there are additional steps you'll need to take.
Then the GEO Study Abroad organization will take it from there, collecting your $500 deposit and asking you to complete questionnaires about housing, your level of Spanish language fluency, and your flight information.
Is admission competitive?
No, admission is not competitive. There is no limit to the maximum number of students. As long as you are healthy physically, emotionally, academically and financially, the more the merrier.
What are the living and dining arrangements?
You'll be staying in the home of a Spanish family in Oviedo. Your homestay family will provide you with a bedroom, study space, and access to wifi. They will also prepare 2-3 meals a day for you, so you will be eating hot, delicious Spanish cuisine for three months!
We'll also be having three big group meals: an orientation welcome dinner, an American Thanksgiving dinner, and our farewell dinner at the end of the program.
Where will we be going?
Around the city of Oviedo, we'll be visiting the local museums, cathedrals, and ancient palaces together.
We'll also be going on some overnight excursions. We'll be seeing the Shrine of Our Lady of Covadonga, the Picos de Europa National Park, the coastal town of Ribadesella, and a Paleolithic cave where Cro-Magnon humans painted on the walls and ceiling 40,000 years ago. Our guide for these excursions will lead our tours in English.
The second overnight excursion is TBA.
Can I travel on my own?
Yes! Our courses will meet Mondays through Thursdays. On weekends when we're not traveling as a group, you are free to take off and have adventures. Where do you want to go: Ireland or England? France or Germany? Italy or Greece? Morocco or Egypt? Once you're based in Europe, it's relatively inexpensive to hop on a plane or take a fast train to other areas nearby. Just make sure you're back in time for classes on Monday.
Do I need to speak Spanish?
No. As described below, you can be an absolute beginner in Spanish language, an intermediate speaker, or fully fluent.
What courses will I be taking?
Every student will take three courses, for a total of 12 credits. Courses will meet on the campus of the University of Oviedo.
- Asturian Environmental Persuasion, a Spain-themed version of COMM 342 Persuasion (taught in English). Click here to see the preliminary syllabus.
- The Spanish People in Words and Images, a Spain-themed version of COMM 412 Evaluation of Public Communication (taught in English). Click here to see the preliminary syllabus.
- A course in Spanish language. If you are an absolute beginner, we'll put you in the equivalent of SPAN 101. If you're an intermediate Spanish speaker, you'll have a range of intermediate language courses to choose from. If you're already fluent in Spanish, you can take a course in Spanish literature or culture (taught in Spanish).
For students who have taken some Spanish, either in high school or in college, (usually at 100 level) they could enroll in one the following courses:
- Spanish Language: Written Expression and Interaction (45 hours)
- Spanish Language: Oral Expression and Interaction (45 hours)
- Spanish Language: Vocabulary and Composition (45 hours)
- Introduction to Translation (35 hours)
- Spanish Art (35 hours)
- History of Spain (35 hours)
- Spanish Literature: Twentieth Century Spanish Poetry (35 hours)
- Latin American Culture: Literature, History and Civilization: Twentieth Century Latin American Poetry (35 hours)
Will the courses count when I get back to my home institution?
Yes! The courses have been designed to count in multiple ways when you return to your home university so you won't be slowed down in your progress towards graduation.
If you are an SOU student, the communication courses will count as University Studies Integration I and J courses. They will also count as upper-division electives (you need 60 to graduate), total electives (you need 180 to graduate), and Bachelor of Arts electives (you need 48 to graduate with a B.A.).
These courses might also double-dip depending upon your major, minor, and certificates. Click here to view a table of how the courses would fit into the curriculum of SOU students studying Communication, Spanish, Business, International Studies, Environmental Science and Policy, Civic Engagement, and Rhetoric and Reason.
If you are a student at the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, or any one of the other GEO partner institutions, consult your study abroad advisor for course equivalency information.
Can I take more than twelve credits?
Yes. You can arrange to take another course through the Spanish Language Institute (ELE) at the University of Oviedo. You would pay the cost of a fourth optional course separately from the cost of the study abroad package.
Have caution about being overambitious, though. Once you get to Spain, you'll be occupied with having amazing new adventures, meeting new friends, and possibly managing culture shock and homesickness. Twelve credits is probably a reasonable course load while you'll have all those other things on your plate.
What is the cost?
The GEO Study Abroad package price is in place of tuition at your home institution, not in addition to it.
The package price is $12,975. Included in the package is: tuition for three courses (12 credits), textbooks, homestay with Spanish family in Oviedo, most meals, group excursions, special insurance for American students studying abroad, and an Oviedo bus pass.
Not included in the package price is airfare from your home to Spain, and back again. The students in the group will not be flying together, you'll book your own flights to and from Spain, but you'll all arrive and depart on the same date so you might find a buddy to travel with.
Also not included in the package price are any travel adventures you have on your own on the weekends we're not on excursion together, and supplies such as notebooks, laptops, etc.
If you're an SOU student, you will pay a $350 fee to travel abroad. This fee covers things like the work our Office of International Programs and Registrar do to get you ready to go and to process your course credits when you return. If you're a student at the UO, OSU, or any other GEO-affiliated institution, check with the Office of International Programs at your home campus to find out about their fees.
Does financial aid apply to the cost?
If you receive federal financial aid such as Pell Grants and federal loans, those will apply.
If you receive financial aid from the state of Oregon such as the Oregon Opportunity Grant, that will apply.
If you receive private scholarships from organizations such as the Ford Family Foundation, the Soroptimist Club, or the Veterans of Foreign Wars, for example, those scholarships will likely apply. Just make sure those private scholarships do not stipulate that you MUST spend the money at your home institution.
GEO Study Abroad also offers special scholarships just for the students in its own programs. Click this link to apply by the April 10, 2018 deadline!
Any expenses of being a college student that you could legally deduct from your taxes while studying at your home institution, you can also deduct for study abroad. Speak to your tax advisor for information about deductions on the 1098-T form.
Once I'm accepted into the program, what happens next?
We'll do an orientation in May 2018. If you're at Southern Oregon University, we'll do that in person. In addition to program leader Dr. Alena Ruggerio, representatives from GEO Study Abroad, SOU Financial Aid, and the SOU Office of International Programs will be there to answer your questions.
If you're not on the SOU campus, we will record the orientation and you can watch the video from the comfort of your own location.
Will I need to apply for a visa to Spain?
U.S. citizens will not need a visa. As long as you're arriving on September 29 and departing on December 16, you won't be in Europe long enough to require a visa.
You will, however, need a passport. If you are an SOU student, you can apply for a first-time passport on campus at the Office of International Programs on the third floor of the Stevenson Union.
What if I have more questions?
Don't hesitate to email Dr. Ruggerio at Alena.Ruggerio@sou.edu.
