Study Abroad


A man looking graffiti art in Brazil.

Studying Abroad is Life-Changing

KU has the oldest continually operating US academic exchange programs in Latin America and supports strong linkages with Costa Rica, Paraguay, Nicaragua, Brazil, and Peru. Since 2000, contacts between KU and the University of Costa Rica (UCR) have included exchanges and symposiums involving CLACS faculty in Social Welfare, Journalism, Anthropology, Economics, Geography and History. The Center for Latin American & Caribbean Studies provides foreign study and travel opportunities to both graduate and undergraduate students. The KU Office of Study Abroad can help you find a program that fits your needs and they offer scholarships and financial aid. The Institute for International Education also offers many scholarships.

KU has a long-standing exchange with the Universidad de Costa Rica, and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese which support summer study programs in Salvador, Brazil and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Interested students are encouraged to participate. Graduate students can undergo language training and conduct research throughout Latin America & the Caribbean.

The center has recently sent students to Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. Students are encouraged to check with the graduate advisor on a regular basis for information on current sources of funding. The Office of Study Abroad can give up-to-date, specific information on language training programs in Latin America.

Study Abroad is central to language and culture study. Both CLACS and Spanish & Portuguese encourage majors to spend a semester in a Spanish or Portuguese-speaking country. Students often choose a KU program in Costa Rica, Brazil, or Argentina. CLACS has made a special effort to link the study of Less Commonly Taught Languages to Office of Study Abroad Programs, which greatly increases the motivation for students to study these languages. For Portuguese, KU has an intensive summer program in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

For Kaqchikel, Emily Tummons has developed summer internship possibilities with the NGO WuQu’ Kawoq focused on health in Guatemala. Additionally, CLACS Lecturer Dr. Laura Herlihy leads a summer Miskitu language program in Nicaragua.

Study Abroad Programs to Latin America and the Caribbean

  • Homes built in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

    Architecture in Haiti

    The Haiti Project is a multi-term course and applied experience focused on the programming, design, documentation, prototyping, and transfer of knowledge for the construction of a community center in rural Haiti.

  • Homes in Puntarenas Province, Santa Elena, Costa Rica

    Bilingual Spanish Language & Research Intensive for Health Majors

    Students on this program improve their Spanish language skills and learn about Costa Rican society. Research opportunities in exercise science and community health are available.

  • A woman crossing a bridge in a jungle in Mistico Arenal Hanging Bridges Park, Alajuela, La Fortuna, Costa Rica

    Bilingual Spanish Language Intensive for Social Workers

    Students on this program improve their Spanish language skills and learn about Costa Rican society.

  • Aerial view of urban Bogota with high rise buildings, Colombia

    Business Practices in Latin America

    The graduate level program is designed for students who have an interest in Latin American business.

  • A colorful strip of buildings in Havana, Cuba.

    Design and Culture in Cuba

    Explore the history and culture of the changing Cuba. Activities will highlight Havana’s, as well as Cienfuegos, Trinidad, and Santiago’s, uniqueness and character.

  • A volcano in Costa Rica.

    Developing Global Perspective in Costa Rica

    Designed for those with limited international travel experience, this program will help students develop awareness of and reflect on their personal and cultural identities, learn how individuals in another culture engage with their society.

  • A coastline in Haiti.

    Discovering and Understanding Haitian Culture

    Discover Haiti’s vibrant history and culture through community engagement.

  • A class of students in Costa Rica.

    Early Childhood Unified in Costa Rica

    This intensive seminar aims at providing KU students and non-KU students with a general perspective on educational institutions, specifically early childhood and early childhood special education, and services in Costa Rica.

  • A frog in a rainforest in Costa Rica

    Environmental Conservation and Service in Costa Rica

    Address pressing global environmental conservation issues in partnership with local Costa Rican conservation agencies.

  • A sunset in Suriname

    Field Biology in Suriname

    Study field biology in the rainforest of Suriname.

  • An aerial view of a street in Brazil at night

    Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado

    FAAP was founded in 1947 and today is considered to be one of the most important and respected academic institutions in Brazil.

  • A man playing a trumpet in Brazil.

    Globalization & Afro-Brazilian Music & Culture in Brazil

    Learn about the history of the African diaspora in Brazil and the impact of the globalization of Afro-Brazilian culture by examining music, religion, art, and tourism in Bahia.

  • An aerial view of a Costa Rican skyline at night.

    International Social Services: A Costa Rican Perspective

    Students will gain a perspective on social services and broader social problems in Costa Rica.

  • A man sitting at La Perla de Caminito in Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Language and Culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina

    During this 6-week program students will earn 8 or 9 hours of Spanish language credit and live with an Argentine host family.

  • the Brazilian flag dropped on a table.

    Language and Culture in Salvador, Brazil

    Study Brazilian Portuguese at the beginning or intermediate level and live with a Brazilian host family.

  • A Keel-billed Toucan in Costa Rica

    Language in San Jose, Costa Rica

    This program is designed for students who want to achieve strong proficiency in the Spanish language while earning Spanish credit. Students have the option to spend one or two months living in Costa Rica studying Spanish language.

  • A car driving down a street in Havana, Cuba

    Literature, Arts and Culture in Cuba

    Explore Cuban culture—including the centrality and importance of Afro-Cuban culture, the continuing legacy of Castro’s Revolution and of links to the former Soviet Union, the divide with the Cuban Diaspora, and Cuba’s rich media production.

  • Colorful coral in Roatan, Honduras

    Marine Biology in Roatan

    Explore coral reefs and marine ecology and diversity over winter break.

  • A street with colorful buildings in Nicaragua.

    Miskitu Language and Culture

    This 6-week program gives students the opportunity to study the rich culture and language of the indigenous Miskitu people in Nicaragua.

  • An Obelisk in the city of Buenos Aires overlooking 9 de Julio Avenue.

    Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina

    Spend a semester or year in Buenos Aires.

  • A man standing in the distance of the Atacama Desert, Chile

    Semester or Year in Chile

    Spend a semester or year in Chile through ISEP

  • People standing in the distance on the Rainbow Mountain, Cusco, Peru

    Services for Children with Special Needs in Peru

    Spend one week at the Centro Ann Sullivan del Peru (CASP), a non-profit organization that serves families and people with different abilities.

  • An aerial view of a sunset in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

    Supply Chain Management & Logistics in Brazil

    Learn of the global significance of São Paulo and Santos, Brazil through a Supply Chain Management perspective.

  • Panama City, Panama at night.

    Supply Chain Management and Logistics in Panama

    Gain an understanding of the significance of the Panama Canal, one of the world's most important cargo transit zones and a key element in global trade.

  • Water pools at Semuc Champey, Cobán, Guatemala

    Sustainable Development Field School in Guatemala

    The field school is designed to introduce students to the social and cultural challenges of development among impoverished non-Western populations while implementing micro-projects.

  • A tunnel leads into a mountain in Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica

    Travel Writing and Costa Rica - KU Honors Program

    Explore the natural beauty of Costa Rica on this 12 day winter break program.

  • The countryside in Villa Serrana, Uruguay

    Universidad Católica del Uruguay

    Founded in 1954, the Jesuit-administered Universidad Católica del Uruguay was recognized as a university in 1985 and continues its tradition of providing personalized education.

  • Parrots playing in a tree in Costa Rica.

    Universidad de Costa Rica

    Spend a semester or academic year taking a wide variety of classes in San Jose, Costa Rica.

  • A building in Buenos Aires, Cidade Autônoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina

    Universidad de San Andrés

    Study upper-level Spanish during the fall or spring semester in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

  • The Brazilian flag on a flagpole at sunset

    Universidade Estadual de Campinas

    Study for a semester in one of Brazil and Latin America’s top ranked universities. Courses taught in Portuguese are available in a variety of disciplines at the undergraduate and graduate level.