E-mail this pageSustainable Development and Cultural Studies in Southern Mexico
Programs in Latin America |
Programs in ChilePrograms in Mexico
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Why Southern Mexico Program?
SUNY Plattsburgh Latin American Studies faculty members direct this program and are onsite throughout the program. They do have partner institutions in Mexico who assists them - CEDI. You will study grassroots, community-based development in Chiapas and Oaxaca in this unique Fall semester program that combines an immersion experience in Spanish language with field study of rural and indigenous-based social change and culture.
- Terms: Fall (end of August thru mid December)
- Eligibility: be enrolled in a US college or university; minimum sophomore standing at the time of participation; minimum 2.5 GPA; some Spanish.
- Credits: 18 credits, undergraduate
- Application Deadlines: March 15
How to Apply
To apply, you must submit the SUNY Application by March 15. You may download a copy from our website, or e-mail us for a copy at globaleducation@plattsburgh.edu. (Note: the 85.3kb SUNY Application PDF file requires the latest version of Acrobat Reader, which is available as a free download.)
Courses and Academics
You will take six weeks of intermediate-to-advanced Spanish; study social change theory that has arisen in response to neo-liberal globalization; and engage in individual research projects during the second half of the semester. Projects are supported by a course in ethnography. You will have access to community activists and academic mentors, such as the resident faculty from SUNY Plattsburgh and staff from CEDI.
The program includes weekly field trips to areas of ecological, cultural, and historical interest in a region that includes the richest archeological sites in Mayan and Zapotec Mexico. These excursions include visits to women-owned textile cooperatives, organic coffee cooperatives involved in the global fair trade system, and communities that have enhanced their autonomy since the Zapatista uprising of 1994. The semester also includes a week-long residence in an indigenous community and a week-long visit to a variety of ethnographic and cultural regions in Chiapas and southern Oaxaca.
Region and Program Location
The highland region of Southern Mexico is characterized by indigenous communities supported by horticulture, coffee cultivation, and work abroad. Cloud forests dominate the higher altitudes. Temperatures increase near the Pacific coastal region where volcanic soils support large-scale sugar, coffee, and cotton cultivation. On the border with Guatemala lies the Lacandon rain forest while to the west is the Isthmus region of Oaxaca with its rich fishing cultures. The 2007 program is based in picturesque San Cristobal de las Casas, the capital during the colonial period, located amid rolling mountains at 7,000 feet. Its name and tradition of progressive or liberation Catholicism honors a 16th century bishop who sought to protect the indigenous people from exploitation. Students will stay and eat with local families, deepening their immersion experience.
2008 Estimated Costs Per Semester
- New York State Residents: $7,675
- Non New York State Residents : $9,580
- Includes:
- Application fee: $35 due when you apply
- Deposit: $350 due several weeks after accepted
- SUNY Tuition: $2175 for New York State Residents / $5305 for non New York State Residents
- Semester Abroad Fee (includes housing): $4725 for New York State Residents /$3500 for non New York State Residents
- Health Insurance: $390 for all students
Other costs you will have to participate in this program:
- Roundtrip Airfare: fares vary drastically
- Passport: US passports currently cost $95
Questions, Comments, Suggestions?
If you would like more information about the Study Abroad and Exchanges program at Plattsburgh State, please contact or visit us at:
Global Education Office101 Broad Street
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
Phone: (518) 564-2321
Toll-Free Phone: (800) 388-6784
Fax: (518) 564-2326
E-mail: globaleducation@plattsburgh.edu
Location: We are physically located at 102 Broad St. on the SUNY Plattsburgh campus, which is the brown house that sits at the corner of Broad and Beekman Streets across from the Kehoe Building.