Students at all levels may apply to the Spain program. Those who wish to enroll on the program should have, at least, one semester of Spanish before the trip.

In order to apply to the program students need to:

1. fill out an application which should be submitted with a $500.00 deposit*
2. submit an unofficial copy of their college transcripts
3. submit two letters of recommendation from recent Truman instructors:

4. write a brief statement of purpose (in English)
5. have an oral interview with the program director
6. take a placement exam with the program director
7. write a composition in Spanish

Applying does not guarantee acceptance into the program.

* The deposit will be returned in case the student is not accepted.

Once students are accepted into the program they will prepare for the trip by completing the following requirements:

1. Students need to attend the pre-departure course and all pre-departure meetings as announced by the director. If any of these classes or meetings are missed, they are responsible to obtain all printed materials and to become acquainted with the information. If more than three classes or meetings are missed (without a valid excuse), that could result in dismissal from the program.

2. Students must read and prepare for discussion of the selected cultural materials, as they attend all sessions of the of the pre-departure culture course. In order to reach all levels of proficiency, the pre-departure course will be taught in English.

3. Before departure, students must also view and discuss a series of videos when a class, as scheduled by the group.

4. Before leaving for Spain, students must choose a topic for their final research paper and tell the instructor.

5. Students are responsible for the purchase of the necessary materials not included in the cost of the program (i.e. grammar review book and The Buried Mirror). The cost of the program will cover the following materials: a grammar text (to follow the class structure in Spain), and printed materials (by each professor at Academia Mester).

6. Students are responsible for obtaining all documents for the trip (pictures, international student ID card, birth certificates for passports, and the passport itself). The cost of all these items is not included in the price of the program

7. Students are responsible for making their own arrangements if they plan to travel through Europe after the program is over. That includes financial arrangements with European banks as well as travel agents in Europe and the U.S.

8. Students are responsible for making their own financial arrangements for the program, including applications for scholarships and all payments to Truman State, which should be completed before departure.

While in Spain, we'll also meet to attend a lecture in Spanish of cultural material. This way, by the time we leave Salamanca, we will have done this course bilingually.

Dr. Silvia Pites Division of Language & Literature Truman State University
Tel: (660) 785-4060 Fax: (660) 785-7486 pites@truman.edu