Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
CIEE Study Center Syllabi
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.
A preliminary list of courses is sent to students upon acceptance into the program. The final list of available courses is given to students upon arrival, as not all courses are offered every semester.
Required CIEE Language Courses
SPAN 3001 DRAS
Advanced Spanish I
This course is required for students whose mastery of grammatical structures and oral command of Spanish needs additional work to bring them up to the level to succeed in university courses conducted completely in Spanish. Emphasis is placed on pronunciation through reading and discussion of a broad range of cultural materials, oral presentations, and taped exercises. Contact hours: 90. Recommended credit: 6 semester/9 quarter hours.
SPAN 3002 DRAS
Advanced Spanish II
This course is designed to improve active command of the Spanish language with attention given to four skill areas: written, oral, aural, and vocabulary. A variety of techniques are used to instruct students, including readings, discussions, oral reports, short compositions, and taped exercises. Conversational skills and pronunciation are stressed, including vocabulary building. Contact hours: 60. Recommended credit: 4 semester/6 quarter hours.
SPAN 4001 DRAS
Advanced Spanish III
This course integrates an introduction to Hispanic socio-linguistics (including the phonetic traits, morphosyntax, and semantics of Dominican Spanish) with intensive practice in the most problematical and complex areas of Spanish grammar, stressing analysis, writing, and discussion based upon extensive reading about Hispanic-American cultural themes. Students must have previous command of complex grammatical structures and advanced levels of both written and spoken Spanish. Contact hours: 60. Recommended credit: 4 semester/ 6 quarter hours.
Required CIEE Core Course
LAST 3003 DRAS
Contemporary Dominican Republic: Political and Socioeconomic Processes
Social, economic, and political aspects of contemporary Dominican society are examined. Topics include: the Trujillo dictatorship, occupational and demographic structure, education, health, government organization and political parties, income distribution, marginalization of the poor, the role of women in the Dominican Republic, the environment and ecological problems, Dominican-Haitian relations, the Dominican Republic’s relationship with the Caribbean and the U.S., and internal and transnational migration. This course is divided into two sections based on Spanish language level.
CIEE Elective Course
CLST 3001 DRAS
Seminar on Living and Learning in Santiago
The CIEE Seminar on Living and Learning in Santiago is designed to improve students’ intercultural communication and competence while studying abroad by considering how Dominicans are different from, and similar to, themselves and others. The course offers opportunities, both in and outside the classroom, to develop insights and the skills necessary to interact effectively and appropriately, and to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the cultural richness of the Dominican Republic. Contact hours: 25. Recommended credit: 2 semester hours/3 quarter hours. Instructor: Dr. Lynne Guitar, CIEE Resident Director
INDR 3003 DRAS
Directed Independent Research
CIEE supports qualified students who wish to pursue an academically rigorous independent research project while in Santiago. Interested students must submit a research proposal including a clearly defined research topic, explanation of research plans, description of preparation in the planned area of study, list of resources, tentative outline of a final paper, and suggested schedule of progress. Students complete a total of 135 hours of research and meet regularly with an advisor to complete an academically rigorous, ethically sound, and culturally appropriate research project and final paper. Approval for participation in Directed Independent Research must be obtained from the resident director and the student’s home institution prior to arrival on the program.
PUCMM Elective Courses: Spanish for Foreigners
These classes are offered for foreigners by PUCMM staff, although up to five Dominican and/or Haitian students per class may also enroll, space permitting. Courses are not always offered each semester and a minimum enrollment of six students is needed to run each class.
Levels I, II, and III
Caribbean Short Stories
This course offers a panorama of Spanish Caribbean literature in Spanish from the colonial era through the present, with an emphasis on the 19th and 20th centuries. Course content is developed through lectures, readings, discussion, and analysis of representative works of each period from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.
Community Service Practicum
Designed for students interested in development or social work, the course seeks to identify the causes of problems in the areas of education, health, and neighborhood-level social service, as well as give students an understanding of the Dominican reality. Complementing the academic coursework is a minimum of four hours of weekly volunteer work in a social service activity in Santiago. There is also a requirement for a final paper that combines knowledge learned in the classroom with experience gained in the volunteer practicum. At the end of the semester, students give a public presentation of their community service experience. Contact hours: 28 theory, 56 practicum. Recommended credit: 3 semester/4.5 quarter hours.
Culture and Society of the Hispanic Caribbean
This class examines the parallel and contrasting cultural characteristics of the Hispanic Caribbean through analysis of the different ways in which Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic developed. Students study the history and society of each island, focusing on their intellectual movements, political thought, and artistic and literary movements.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
Teacher Training Methodology Course and Directed Teaching
This course trains students in teaching English as a second language, giving an overview of recent theories of second-language acquisition and teaching methodologies, practical application, and theoretical principles through class presentations and student teaching. Credit is granted for the course in conjunction with teaching (but not for teaching alone). There is also a requirement for a final paper that combines knowledge learned in the classroom with experience gained in the directed teaching segment. Contact hours: 28 theory, 56 practicum. Recommended credit: 4 semester/6 quarter hours. (Please note that although each student who successfully completes this course receives a TESL certificate, the certificate does not fulfill U.S. or foreign requirements for teaching English as a second language. This course is taught in English and is offered on a for-credit basis only with home institution approval.)
Introduction to Dominican Folklore
This class presents a complete and systematic panorama of the different aspects and branches of folklore, with rich Dominican examples so that students can understand easily and appreciate the cultural context into which they are immersed. Examples include verbal folklore (spoken, proverbs, poetry, legends, stories, songs); partially spoken (superstitions, magic, children’s games); nonverbal (gestures, costumes, food); and field work methodology.
Latin American Cinema and Society
Cinema is recognized as one of the most effective mediums to understand the social, political, and cultural reality of both the past and the present, as well as the general diffusion of human ideas across time and place. This course combines the theoretical bases of cinematography with in-depth analyses of the best Latin American and Hispanic-Caribbean films to help students gain a more profound understanding of Latin American society.
Levels II and III
Afro-Caribbean Cultures
This course looks at the diversity, uniqueness, and unity of the African experience across the Caribbean. The goal of the course is to help students understand the historical roots and social processes of Afro-Caribbean heritage in society, politics, the arts, and various other cultural aspects, including Afro-Caribbean religious beliefs and practices.
Contemporary Dominican Literature
Dominican literature of the 20th and 21st centuries is surveyed with an emphasis on developments since the advent of Modernism. Topics include the influence of race, geography, and politics; and the effects of 20th and 21st century “Dominican reality” on literary trends. Students gain an understanding of and appreciation for the imagination, esthetic literary values, and spiritual expressions of this country’s contemporary authors of short stories, poetry, and novels.
Contemporary Latin American Literature
This course provides a survey of modern Latin American literature from 20th century Modernism through the Latin American boom in Post-Modernism. Students read and analyze some of Latin America’s most renowned authors of poetry, short stories, essays, and novels.
Dominican-Haitian Relations
This course examines the realities of the contemporary Republic of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, with a review of the historical and structural underpinnings that have influenced relations between the countries. The course addresses historical events that define Dominican-Haitian relations, beginning with the colonial period through the Trujillo Era and into the present.
Gender and Society of the Hispanic Caribbean
The situation of women in the Hispanic Caribbean is analyzed from a human development perspective using comparative analyses in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. The course examines the variables of health, education, work, politics, and art, starting from the level of development of the individual Hispanic Caribbean countries. Student participation requires extensive field work in Santiago and other sites around the Dominican Republic.
History of the Caribbean
Caribbean history from the colonial period to the present is surveyed in this course, with an emphasis on the Spanish Caribbean. Topics include conquest and colonization, the rise of sugar, the Haitian revolution and the abolition of slavery, independence movements, economic imperialism in the 20th century, the Cuban revolution, and 21st-century globalization.
Latin American Culture and Society
In an exploratory and introductory manner, students examine the formation and evolution of the various Latin American cultures and societies in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. The course focuses on the principal historic events and the socio-cultural forces and processes that have impacted their development, provided development potential, or blocked the development of Latin American societies.
Literature of Latin American and Caribbean Women
This course introduces students to literature written by Latin American and Caribbean women from the 19th and 20th centuries. Emphasis is on gender and women’s actual experiences throughout history in terms of their political, social, and cultural circumstances, as well as the discrimination that women have faced in the literary arena.
Panorama of Hispanic American Literature
This course seeks to help students learn that literature is an evolutionary and dynamic art form that can help them understand the reality of life in a particular Hispanic country at a particular time in history. Students read about and analyze literary movements through the works of the most representative Hispanic American authors from the Conquest Era through present day.
Spanish Caribbean Literature
Literature of the Spanish-speaking Caribbean is examined from its origins to the present, with emphasis on authors and works of the 19th and 20th centuries. Literary movements such as indigenism and negritude are analyzed through the works of representative Dominican, Cuban, and Puerto Rican authors.
PUCMM Regular University Courses
Following are some of the regular PUCMM courses available to CIEE students at Levels II and III. Not all courses are available every semester and some may require a prerequisite.
Levels II and III
Catholic Church in Today’s World
This course examines the historic vision of the Catholic Church from the era of World War II through Vatican II and from Vatican II through the New Millennium. Themes touch upon all of the most urgent problems affecting the world today, including changing culture and values, economic and social progress, marriage and the family, politics, religious thought, social justice, and world peace. (2 credit course)
Catholic Sacrament of Matrimony
This course examines themes which Catholic doctrine teaches are rooted in the current family and matrimonial crisis. Such themes include egoism, violence, abortion, divorce, and the general crisis of values that are affecting our society and the world. The course seeks to turn the tide of the crisis by helping students discover a moral value in marriage and family as “an intimate community of life and love” that serves the Church and the world. (2 credit course)
Christian Anthropology
This course attempts to explore all that it means to be human: including the origins of humankind; the greatness that is the human body and soul; humankind’s limitations, patterns of thought; and the capacity to relate to others in different societies, to relate to nature, and to relate to God. The aim is to instill in students a clear vision, through readings and discussions, of the role of Christianity in the rediscovery and re-evaluation of the dignity of the human being. (2 credit course)
Dominican Economics and its Background
The fundamental characteristics of the Dominican economy and its environment and background are presented in this course. In particular, the course examines the country’s recent history and how this has impacted the principal sectors of its economy. Among the themes to be covered are macroeconomic indicators, sector analyses, political economics, and other themes that have affected the present state of the Dominican economy. (Macroeconomics prerequisite)
Economics I
This is a basic course that covers the economic terms and concepts that are necessary for an analysis of the problems inherent in modern economic theory. Among the topics covered are supply and demand, balance of trade, cost, and production, the market structure (both goods and capital), and microeconomics.
Foundations of Western Civilization
Students are introduced to the foundations of Western civilization from the Greeks, the emergence of Christianity through the Renaissance, and the rise of industrial capitalism. Emphasis is placed on Third World perspectives and the relationships between developing and developed countries, including the processes of decolonization, revolution, and cultural nationalism.
Fundamentals of Economics
This course introduces students to the study of economics in general, with a focus on macroeconomics. Topics include the international monetary finance system, national budgets, costs and trade balances, the public sector, and international economic development.
General Psychology
This is a general and scientific view of psychology as a science, and its evolution, methodology, and contemporary currents. The course focuses on the areas of learning, motivation, personality, and behavior.
History of Political and Social Ideas
This course examines the evolution of political and social ideas from the Ancient East through modern times with a focus on the principal historical events (markers) from which diverse concepts emerged and evolved. The aim of the courses is for students to gain an understanding of these events and their influences in historical context.
Human Sexuality
This psychology course provides an introduction to human sexuality in an integrated format that encompasses all of its multiple facets, both its normal and abnormal aspects, and the relationship between mental health and the exercise of sexuality as an integral element of the personality. Sexuality is seen from a physiological perspective, exploring its links to the psychological processes. Throughout, the course takes a critical approach toward the role of psychology as a viable agent for resolving any conflicts in the area of human sexuality. (Biology prerequisite)
Introduction to the Bible
This course provides an in-depth introduction to the Bible and its wide variety of versions and modern languages. (2 credit course)
Introduction to the Dominican Reality
This sociology course encourages students to analyze human development in peripheral countries and the principal variables that have affected and created today’s Dominican socioeconomic reality. Topics covered include socioeconomic variables, gender roles, health, education, ecology, migration and immigration, and politics.
Introduction to Economic Development
This course offers a critical examination of theories of economic development in both advanced countries and developing regions, problems of development, and development policies, including some specific examples from the Dominican Republic.
Introduction to Environmental Sciences
This course brings home the planet-wide reality of the urgency to study the principles of ecology and associate them with the concept of sustainability. Furthermore, it encourages students to study services and their environmental costs in relation to the ecological, technical, economic, and social aspects that must be analyzed and incorporated into the process of development. It offers students a unique learning opportunity to integrate concepts, practices, and real research, in accordance with the environmental situation within each region, including the Dominican Republic. Students confront new situations and problems upon which they and their professor work scientifically, seeking solutions and alternatives to manage global problems in an environmentally sound and professional manner. (4 credits, including laboratory work)
Introduction to the Hospitality Industry
This course is aimed at introducing students to the wide range of distinct businesses and organizations within the tourism sector. Students study the importance of developing both the worldwide and local tourism industries, which encompass hospitality and services that go far beyond providing simple accommodation, transportation, and recreation to tourists and business people. There is a focus on the structure of the hotel and restaurant industries as the most important and most developed components of the tourism industry.
Introduction to International Commerce
This course introduces students to the operation of the international market (both of products and capital), the stock market and how values are set and maintained, methods of international payment and customs operations, and international agreements, including with their legal aspects and effects upon the world economy. The final unit in the course examines the specific case of the Dominican Republic. (Macroeconomics prerequisite)
Introduction to Philosophy
Students are introduced to the principles of philosophy and logic and their relationship to religion, mythology, and the natural sciences.
Introduction to the Scientific Research Method
Students gain an in-depth introduction to the logic of scientific procedures (the scientific method), while studying the differences between scientific knowledge and the generalizations of common sense.
Introduction to Sociology
This course covers the basic theoretical concepts of the science of sociology, focusing on topics that affect Dominican students’ lives, often without their awareness, such as social conduct and social inequalities caused by economic, racial, ethnic, and gender discrimination.
Introduction to Women’s Studies
This course explores the necessity of future Dominican professionals, in diverse career fields, to actualize their vision of equality. It presents a general panorama of themes related to the role of women in contemporary Dominican society (feminism, equity and empowerment, discrimination and sexual violence, self--esteem and identity, domestic violence, power relations and laborers, and women and poverty) with the aim of modifying the attitudes of both women and men with regard to gender and equality.
Jesus, the Person
Students examine various documents (including the Old Testament and ancient maps) and study Jewish society and religion at the time of the birth of Jesus. The course aims to introduce students to the events of Jesus’ life and death, his legacy, and, most importantly, to Jesus as a person. (2 credit course)
Photography I
This course examines photography as a means to capture reality and its relevance as communication. Emphasis is placed upon both documentary and artistic results, including visual composition, the communication of ideas, the documentation of events, and the use of individual creativity to express feelings through photographic works. Each student must have a good quality digital or 35mm camera. (3 credits, including laboratory work)
Professional Ethics
This course examines Dominican society from the basis of its foundations in ethics and justice, and the principles and values that are indispensable for the healthy exercise of any profession. Students explore the aim of instilling a new moral conscience in Dominican professionals of the future. Readings and discussions include a review of ancient systems of morality and justice as taught by Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Machiavelli, St. Augustine, St. Thomas, the Old and New Testaments, as well as modern moralists like Kant and proponents of Existentialism. (2 credit course)
Rural and Urban Sociology
Students examine agrarian and urban systems and social organization in the Dominican Republic from a historical perspective. The main topics include rural family organization and habitat, the agrarian economy and social relations, migration, urbanization, and industrialization. (Introduction to Sociology prerequisite)
Social Anthropology
The foundation of social anthropology is the life of man and how it is regulated by a particular society’s norms, beliefs, and values. Human cultures are very diverse and offer almost unlimited solutions to common human problems. In this course, students learn about these diverse cultures, and their responses to human problems, considering them within the terms of their specific societal structures. Students also analyze the nature of the culture that is manifested in Dominican society.
Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church
This course examines in depth the great documents related to the Catholic Church’s social doctrine, beginning with the encyclical Rerum novarum (1891) of Pope Leo XIII, which laid the foundation for the establishment of a society that offers respect, justice, and recognition of human dignity to all, especially to those who have been marginalized. Humanistic Christianism is compared and contrasted to Marxism and Existentialism, while exploring changing concepts of what justice means, in general terms, as well as in terms of distributive, legal, and social justice. (2 credit course)
Sociology of Human Space
This course focuses on the regulative norms of human space, paying special attention to the concept and functions of territoriality among human beings, population density and social behavior, and the regulative norms of visual, auditory, olfactory, and tactile space. Cultural variations in the use and organization of human space is also covered, including a comparative review of Arabic, Japanese, and Dominican spatial relations in their trans-cultural contexts.
Women and Society
This course, with its in-depth focus on the evolving role of women in Dominican society, is taught in five modules, each by a different professor specializing in one of the five following areas: women and health; women, work, and production; women and education; women, language, and literature; and women and the communication media.
PUCMM One Credit Courses
The following classes are open to all CIEE students.
Arts: Artistic Drawing, Drama, Fundamentals of Fine Art, Guitar, Introduction to Singing, Modern Dance, Music Appreciation, Oratory, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Silk-Screening, Stage Scenery Design
Dominican Dance and Folklore
Dominican folklore is introduced through regional dances and musical instruments. Students learn to dance traditional merengue, bachata, and salsa. (May be taken with other international students or with Dominicans.)
Physical Education: Baseball, Basketball, Judo, Karate, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Soccer, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis, Track, Volleyball
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