Spanish and Portuguese students have many exciting study abroad opportunities. Don’t restrict your Spanish or Portuguese education to just the classroom—get out into the Spanish and Lusophone-speaking worlds! Consider enrolling in the Latin American Studies Semester and traveling to Peru.
Additionally, The Office of Education Abroad offers students an exciting array of opportunities to study abroad in Brazil and the Lusophone world by approved university programs.
Applications are now being accepted for LASS Spring 2025.
The Latin American Studies Semester has been offered every spring semester since 1973. This unique language immersion program provides you with an intensive experience studying the Spanish language in combination with an interdisciplinary study of life and contemporary issues in Latin America.
The prerequisite for participation in LASS is one semester of university-level Spanish or the equivalent (students with more advanced levels of course background are encouraged to participate in the program). LASS integrates several courses, totaling 18-semester-hour credits, and must be taken as a package. All courses are taught in Spanish from the first day of class on Temple’s main campus. An integral part of the LASS program is a three-week study trip to Latin America (Lima, Cusco, & Machu Picchu in Peru) in March, during which students are placed in local homes where the only language of communication is Spanish. While abroad, students attend courses, make local friends, immerse themselves daily in the local culture and explore the country. The LASS program has taken place in Colombia, México, Costa Rica and Ecuador. All participants in the program may expect to achieve marked improvement in Spanish fluency in only one semester.
LASS courses combine Spanish language teachings studies of Latin America’s diverse cultures. The program is an integration of several courses, totaling 18-semester-hour credits, and must be taken as a package. Owing to the credit-hour load, the semester’s objective (immersion in Spanish and Latin American Studies), the study-abroad trip and LASS community engagement in Philadelphia, no other courses may be taken simultaneously. Students register for the following courses:
Morning sessions, held from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Friday, offer Spanish language instruction and conversation practice at intermediate and advanced levels guided by native or near-native speakers. Afternoon sessions, held from 1 p.m. to 1:50 pm and 2 p.m. to 2:50 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, will focus on Latin American culture through film and highlight a series of topics in Latin American studies, including presentations by guest speakers. Afternoon sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. will offer information about Latin America’s history, geography, and contemporary events.
Living with host families gives students a truly immersive experience. The local families host one to two LASS student each for maximum cultural and language engagement. Students routinely rate the homestay experience as their favorite part of studying abroad.
All housing engages students in everyday life as they share meals, discuss their day and get to know their new extended families. Homestays include three meals a day and laundry. Every family has been carefully selected in order to ensure a comfortable, enjoyable, supportive living situation. Homestays are subject to change.
The 18-semester-hour credits program includes an additional fee of $3,000. Please note this fee is subject to change. The fee is incorporated into the tuition for one of the LASS courses and is paid as part of the student spring registration. The fee covers: housing, meals, courses and excursions while abroad. Students are responsible for the cost of their airline tickets.
LASS students are eligible to apply to some CLA awards.
To be eligible, applicants must:
A passport is required for traveling outside of the country. If you do not already have a valid passport, you should apply for one immediately. All students will be asked to provide their passport information the first week of December. Further documentation may be necessary, and this information will be conveyed as it becomes available.
Are you committed to developing your Spanish language skills and understanding of Hispanic culture? The College of Liberal Arts’ (CLA) semester study abroad programs offer an unparalleled opportunity for you. Our programs provide an immersive linguistic and cultural experience, combining in-class language instruction with a home stay and daily interaction with local citizens.
CLA’s spring semester program in Spain was developed in 2008 in response to the success of its existing summer session in Oviedo. Based at the University of Oviedo, the semester program is designed for students who are committed to furthering their Spanish language skills and understanding of Spanish culture. For more information visit Temple in Spain Spring Semester.
The Temple in Spain summer program is based at the University of Oviedo in the province of Asturias, a beautiful region of ocean, mountains and Roman ruins in northwest Spain. For more information visit Temple in Spain Summer Session.
Program Director: Dr. Jaime Durán
Department Chair
Montserrat Piera
438 Mazur Hall
(215) 204-8285
[click-for-email]
Director of Latin American Studies Semester
Fernando Fonseca Pacheco
446 Mazur Hall
[click-for-email]
