Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

Summer in Santiago DR

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Information for term Summer in Santiago DR

Application deadline, and cost information.

Application Deadline

The application deadline has passed.

Program Deadlines and Pricing Info

  • Dates: Jun 12 – Jul 10, 2023 (4 weeks)
  • Credit: 3 - 4 per session semester hours / 4.5 - 6 per session quarter hours
  • Eligibility: 2.5 Overall GPA

Overview

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Study in Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic this summer and immerse yourself in the daily life of a vibrant developing Caribbean Island, where fascinating historical, commercial, and ecological treasures intersect. This summer study abroad program provides an excellent opportunity to explore Dominican and Greater Caribbean history, culture, language, and more.

Santiago de los Caballeros is conveniently located in the central Cibao valley in the northeastern part of the island, known as La Ciudad Corazon (the Heartland City), offering a glimpse of authentic Dominican culture. CIEE Santiago-DR organizes activities to help increase your intercultural understanding and enhance your Spanish language skills while enjoying the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean.

Unique Experiences

  • EXPLORE THE DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS

    of a tropical island by hiking and cycling by beautiful beaches, rivers, and mountains

  • \

    GET CAPTIVATED BY THE LOCAL LIFESTYLE

    by immersing yourself in Dominican traditions and exploring street art in the “Heart City.”

  • ENJOY LOCAL DOMINICAN CUISINE

    from street food like savory empanadas, fresh tropical fruit juices, yun-yun, and yaroas to the most elaborate dishes in fine restaurants and welcoming homes.

  • MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYERS WHO ARE DOMINICAN

    11 %
  • MILES OF TROPICAL PARADISIAC COASTLINE IN THE COUNTRY

    1,000
  • HIGHEST PEAK OF THE CARIBBEAN, PICO DUARTE

    10,161 FT

Location & Culture

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Find yourself surrounded by mountains in the lush valley of the Cibao region in the center of the island of Hispaniola. Here lies Santiago De Los Caballeros, the second-largest city in the Dominican Republic, which puts you steps away from places of historical, cultural, and ecological interest – not to mention about an hour’s drive to the Atlantic Coast with crystal-clear warm water and white sand. Santiago is the commercial and cultural center of the fertile Cibao Valley region, housing the León Jimenez cultural center and the commercial street of Calle del Sol.  

Founded in 1495 by 30 caballeros from Columbus’ early expeditions, Santiago boasts a fascinating history, exciting museums, and endless cultural experiences, including music, art, and festivals. This growing, modern city is home to 800,000 people and many Dominican specialties, such as cigars, rum, chocolate, coffee, amber, and larimar. Despite its sprawling size, Santiago retains many small-town features. Traditional merchants call out their wares in a musical chant, and street vendors balance large baskets of fruit and vegetables on their heads.  

With the Atlantic Ocean to the north and the Caribbean Sea to the South, Santiago offers endless sports options, including baseball, kitesurfing, and golf, along with ample cultural and artistic entertainment and recreation. Here you can dance to the contagious rhythm of merengue and bachata and enjoy the best Dominican gastronomy. 

Come and enjoy a vibrant and growing city in the Caribbean with everything the tropics offer, from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world to the highest peak of the Caribbean. 

The Culture

EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES

  • Explore the historic and cultural charms of Santo Domingo, the capital city of the Dominican Republic and one of the Caribbean’s oldest cities. Walk the cobblestone paths around the historic colonial zone and dive into the culturally rich Parque Colon, while enjoying a freshly brewed coffee or a savory snack from one of the many cafes surrounding El Conde Street. Indulge your history-enthused and art-loving mind by visiting some of the museums or even spending a few minutes at the park while street artists play different instruments, pose as living statues, and entertain you with their juggling abilities. 
  • Visit nearby cities and places of historical, social, or ecological relevance, such as Puerto Plata, Jarabacoa, or Rio Blanco, which offer further opportunities to enrich your experience in the D.R.  
  • Walk around the historic city of Puerto Plata before heading down for a quick swim in the turquoise waters and white sand on one of the best beaches along the Atlantic Ocean. If you’re in search of an adventurous place to hike and bathe in cold river waters, Jarabacoa city is the place for you. Enjoy a nature walk, visit one of the many vegetable crops, flower fields, and plantations, then freshen up while having a traditional Dominican ice cream at the “umbrella street.” 

PROJECTS

You’ll participate in a range of field experiences that lend practical context to your classroom-based learning. Unique opportunities to hear from and engage with people at the center and forefront of the country’s issues complement and enhance your experience, and improve your understanding of the culture, history, and literature in the Dominican Republic, and their impact on people’s means of life. 

Daily Life

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  • HOUSING

    Homestays. All students live with CIEE homestay families. Living with a Dominican family is your ticket to integration into life in Santiago de los Caballeros, as it provides an excellent opportunity for immersion into the local culture. Although families may be able to communicate in English, they foster communication in Spanish to motivate language learning. 
     

    Your host family provides a single room with a desk, laundry once a week, Wi-Fi, and a copy of the house keys. All homestays are within walking distance (up to 30 minutes) or a single public transportation ride (30-45 minutes) to Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM) campus and are conveniently located near coffee shops, commercial centers, ATMs, and restaurants. Students who are staying for a full year are responsible for their own housing during the break between semesters.

  • MEALS

    Homestays include three meals per day. Host families and students arrange their own meal schedules. If students miss a meal, they are responsible for either preparing it at home or eating in one of the many restaurants and cafés throughout the city.

Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

Where You'll Study

  • A

    CIEE SANTIAGO

    Santiago

  • B

    PONTIFICIA UNIVERSIDAD CATÓLICA MADRE Y MAESTRA

    Santiago

  • C

    CENTRO CULTURAL DOMINICO AMERICANO

    Santiago

Academics

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Academics

Summer in Santiago is a holistic 4-week or 8-week academic experience that offers students participatory in-class instruction enhanced with experiential learning. Students immerse themselves in the language, history, and culture of the Dominican Republic and gain in-depth insight into the community and people. In-class work is augmented with co-curricular visits to the city’s rich variety of cultural institutions and organizations relevant to the course offering. Content courses are taught in English, and students can elect to enroll in an optional 1-credit Communicative Spanish course. Centro Cultural Domínico-Americano (CCDA) is one of the best bilingual academic institutions of higher learning in the Dominican Republic, offering students the academic resources, support services, and physical facilities of a superior-level Latin American educational institution. 

Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra was founded in 1962 and dedicated to serving the social and economic development of all Dominicans. PUCMM has been ranked as the best academic institution of higher learning in the Dominican Republic. Just 15 minutes from downtown Santiago, PUCMM's campus has four academic schools: Administration and Economics; Science, Humanities and Arts; Engineering and Exact Sciences; and Health Sciences. 

CIEE Santiago is conveniently located on the PUCMM campus. 

GPA

2.5

Language Prerequisites

There are no specific language requirements for this program.

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Program Requirements

Students must enroll in one required course per session. Social Psychology is offered during Summer Session 1 and Intercultural Communication and Leadership, Summer session 2. 

Program Credit

Total credit: 3-4 per session U.S. semester/4.5-6 per session quarter credits 

Course Credit

CIEE courses: 1-3 U.S. semester/1.5-4.5 quarter credits; 15-45 contact hours 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Academic Culture

The pace of each Summer 4-week session is accelerated, and the workload is demanding. Academic instruction is expected to be more formal and technical teaching style during classes. Students will learn through interactive lectures, problem-solving workshops, in-class exercises, active reflection, discussion, readings, out-of-class activities, and cocurricular excursions. Lectures will emphasize experiential learning, participation, and concepts applications. Academic activities will provide students with the opportunity to improve critical thinking to integrate literature, history, and culture, as well as to develop a personal understanding of culture and society. Deadlines are taken seriously here. Students must check with their professors to find out exam and project presentation dates, and CIEE will not alter deadlines or exam dates for students who have made conflicting travel plans. Attendance is mandatory and Incompletes are not accepted. 

Class Format

Courses are for CIEE students only. Classes are scheduled Monday-Friday and meet two, three, or four times per week, depending on the course. Attendance is mandatory both for in-classroom classes and required co-curricular excursions. Students should expect an average of two hours of preparation required for each hour in class. Instruction is supported and augmented online with our learning management system, Canvas.  

Grading

Letter grades of A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, D, and F are given. Assessment is based on the individual’s overall performance in the course, including attendance, class participation, essays, coursework, presentations, and final examinations, papers, or presentations. Each course will have specific considerations for evaluation and grading. 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Language of Instruction

English and/or Spanish 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors.

Courses

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Course Information

Course Notes

  • Students may enroll in the elective Communicative Language class during one session. 
  • “(GI)” denotes courses that originated at CIEE’s Global Institutes and are offered at multiple Global Institutes and CIEE Sites. 

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 canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.

Scholarships

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Scholarships & Grants

CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.

Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:

  • Wollitzer Merit Scholarships in Area or Comparative Studies
  • Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
  • Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
  • CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
  • CIEE Stem Scholarship

To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application. Learn more at the Scholarships & Grants section of our website.

See more scholarship info

Dates & Fees

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Dates & Fees

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Fees & Housing

Summer Session I 2023 4 weeks Deadline Passed May 15, 2023 Jun 12, 2023
$4,250
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Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300 *

Educational Costs = $3,253 **

Housing = $500 ***

Insurance = $197

Total Fees = $4,250

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee = $0

International Airfare = $600 ††

Local Transportation = $30 †††

Books & Supplies = $25 ††††

Personal expenses = $50 †††††

Round trip airfare between locations = $1,000 ††††††

Other = $0

Total Estimated Costs = $1,705

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required by their US home institution to study abroad via CIEE's School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

*** includes all meals

Homestays include three meals per day.

†† Round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

††† Airport transfer at the end of the program

†††† Books are available for participants at the library and supplies are minimal.

††††† Depends on personal and social activities

†††††† Depending on destination

Summer Session I and II 2023 8 weeks Deadline Passed May 15, 2023 Jul 10, 2023
$7,650
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Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300 *

Educational Costs = $6,153 **

Housing = $1,000 ***

Insurance = $197

Total Fees = $7,650

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee = $0

International Airfare = $1,200 ††

Local Transportation = $60 †††

Books & Supplies = $75 ††††

Visa Fees = $75 †††††

Personal expenses = $150 ††††††

Round trip airfare between locations = $2,000 †††††††

Other = $0

Total Estimated Costs = $3,560

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required by their US home institution to study abroad via CIEE's School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

*** includes all meals

Homestays include three meals per day.

†† Round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

††† Airport transfer a the end of the program

†††† Books are available for participants at the library and supplies are minimal.

††††† Paid upon departure at the airport.

†††††† Depends on personal and social activities

††††††† Depending on destination

Summer Session II 2023 4 weeks Deadline Passed Jun 12, 2023 Jul 10, 2023
$4,250
Click to Close

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel insurance with benefits.

Participation Confirmation = $300 *

Educational Costs = $3,253 **

Housing = $500 ***

Insurance = $197

Total Fees = $4,250

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee = $0

International Airfare = $600 ††

Local Transportation = $30 †††

Books & Supplies = $25 ††††

Personal expenses = $50 †††††

Round trip airfare between locations = $1,000 ††††††

Other = $0

Total Estimated Costs = $1,705

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Students required by their US home institution to study abroad via CIEE's School of Record will be charged a $500 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed.

* non-refundable

** direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

*** includes all meals

Homestays include three meals per day.

†† Round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

††† Airport transfer a the end of the program

†††† Books are available at the library for participants and supplies are minimal.

††††† Depends on personal social activities

†††††† Depending on destination

To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.

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What's Included

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What's Included

Tuition
Housing
Meals
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Excursions and/or Study Tours
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext and a local liability insurance
24/7 emergency on-site support

Our Staff

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Get Started

Here's what you need to do to take the next steps:
  • 1

    START AN APPLICATION
    You're one step closer to an amazing study abroad experience! 

    Apply Now
  • 2

    CONNECT WITH YOUR CAMPUS STUDY ABROAD OFFICE 
    Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad. 

  • 3

    Contact Us

    Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.