May 21 - June 20, 2025
Applications due February 5, 2025
Please contact sclassum@tulane.edu with any questions about the program or application process. If we cannot answer your question directly, we will forward it to the appropriate member of our faculty or staff.
Program Overview
Summer in Cuba offers undergraduate students a unique opportunity for linguistic and cultural immersion facilitated by Tulane faculty experts. During this four-week program, we travel across the island, exploring the island’s contemporary social and cultural landscapes, learning from local civic and artistic leaders, and visiting important national sites. While catered to Spanish majors/minors, we welcome applications from students in all disciplines with advanced or heritage Spanish skills and a broad interest in the Caribbean, Latin America, cinema and/or theatre. By dividing time between the major cities of Havana, Camagüey, and Santiago, the program challenges students to consider Cuba beyond its iconic capital city and recognize the diversity of Cuban communities and cultures.
About Cuba
Cuba, an island nation rich in history and vibrant culture, offers an unparalleled study abroad experience for those eager to explore its unique heritage. From its indigenous Taino roots to centuries of Spanish colonial rule, Cuba's past is a tapestry of resilience and transformation. The Cuban Revolution of 1959, led by figures such as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara, dramatically reshaped the island's political landscape, giving rise to a distinctive socialist state. This pivotal moment not only altered the course of Cuba’s history but also influenced global politics during the Cold War. Today, students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Cuba's dynamic culture, where art, music, and social change intersect in powerful ways. Exploring the colorful streets of Havana, engaging with local communities, and studying the complexities of its political and social fabric provide invaluable insights into a nation that continues to captivate the world.
With a population of over 2 million people, Havana is Cuba’s national capital and its leading economic, social, and cultural hub. Situated along a bay on the northern coast of the island, the city enjoys a temperate climate. The beauty of the physical landscape perhaps contributes to the vibrant culture for which the city is renowned. In addition to its famous nightlife, Havana boasts a wealth of music, art, performance, gastronomy, and athletics. While there, students can browse the collections of the National Museum of Art, attend a performance of the Cuban National Ballet, play a game of pick-up soccer or baseball, or dance the night away to salsa. Though the city suffered from neglect during the middle of the twentieth century as the Castro regime funneled funding toward the island’s underdeveloped rural provinces, it has since the 1980s witnessed a concentrated revival. In 1982, UNESCO declared Old Havana a World Heritage Site, and the city continues to be a treasure today.
Academics
Students will enroll in two (2) courses, each worth 3 credits.
Required Courses:
SPAN 3280/4610 - Cuba hoy: Cine y sociedad: The main objective of this course is to explore Cuba today through film and other recent texts produced in and about the Island. While we will focus on Cuban cinematic productions over the last 20 years, we will contextualize the role of the Cuban Revolutionary government in the creation of a Cuban national cinema and the more recent move to “independent” productions; an evolution that reflects the current crisis in which the island finds itself.
SPAN 4180 - Teatro Cubano: Revolución y resistencia: The main objective of this course is to explore and appreciate the role theater and performance has had in both articulating and defying Cuban national identity. While we will focus on 20th and 21st century texts, we will also investigate the earliest examples from the colonial period to contextualize the quest to define lo cubano. Students will examine mainstream notions of national identity, while at the same time interrogating them by considering questions of gender, race, class, sexuality, and region.
Housing and Meals
They will live in double-occupancy rooms in "casas particulares" (Bed and Breakfasts in private homes). Accommodations will be equipped with WiFi, shared bathrooms, bedding, towels, shared bathrooms. Hosts will provide at least 1 meal per day. The program will provide transportation to/from the airport and for all program activities.
Travel
Students are responsible for booking their own tickets to/from Cuba. They should fly into Havana on the Program Start Date and out of Santiago de Cuba on the Program End Date. Further instruction with precise arrival and departure windows will be circulated in acceptance and orientation materials.
Program Cost $6,800
Tuition: $3,400
Housing and Logistics Fees: $3,400
Tuition and fees include 6 Tulane credits, Cuban visa, shared housing, at least 1 meal/day, transportation to/from airport, all costs associated with group excursions. Tuition and fees do NOT include airfare to/from Cuba, passport expenses, vaccinations, communications expenses, laundry, and other incidentals.
Because U.S. Debit and Credit cards do not work in Cuba, students should bring enough cash to cover all personal expenses during the trip. It will be very difficult to access additional cash after arrival. Administrators will have access to lockboxes where students can store their money, but participants are also encouraged to bring their own portable lockboxes. Though Cuba is a safe country with very low rates of crime, it is best to take precautions.
Financial Aid
Summer in Cuba will offer a limited number of partial scholarships on a fully needs basis. Students will have the opportunity to opt in to consideration during the program application process. No separate scholarship application is necessary.
Students may also check out this chart of opportunities for undergraduate funding across Tulane's campus.
Registration and Billing
All registration will be processed by CCSI staff.
Tuition and fees are charged to student accounts in the late Spring. Students are responsible for making sure that the bill is paid in full according to the policies outlined on the Accounts Receivable website. Students can access their accounts through the Gibson Portal.
Refund and Cancelation Policy
Applicants to Stone Center and CCSI Summer Abroad Programs are required to pay a non-refundable commitment deposit of $500.00 by the commitment deadline indicated in their acceptance letter. This deposit will be subtracted from the total program fee at time of billing. If an admitted student decides to withdraw from the program after commitment but before the program start date, the student must send written notification of the withdrawal to program administrators. This notification must be in writing and sent to sclassum@tulane.edu. The effective date of cancellation is the date this official written notification is received by the Stone Center/CCSI. The refund schedule below applies to all students regardless of the date of application or the circumstances of the cancellation.
- Withdrawal or cancellation from 31 to 59 days prior to the Program start date - the cancellation fee is $500 plus all non-recoverable costs.
- Withdrawal or cancellation from 1 to 30 days prior to the Program start date - the cancellation fee is 50% of the published Program fee or the total amount of non-recoverable costs, whichever is higher.
- Tulane will be entitled to retain the entire Program fee for withdrawals or cancellations occurring on or after the Program start date.
Accessibility and Accommodations
Tulane University is committed to making all its programs accessible to all students. Persons requiring special facilities should notify the CCSI Personnel as soon as possible. All effort will be made to accommodate them, but students should be aware that reasonable accommodation may be required.
Medical Insurance and Travel Emergency Assistance
Because Cuba requires proof of international medical insurance upon entry into the country, all U.S. airlines include coverage in their ticket prices. Students will therefore have access to this international health insurance while abroad.
Tulane provides students with travel emergency assistance through Crisis24. Information about this program is available through the Tulane Global website.
Applicant Eligibility
Both Tulane and non-Tulane undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Applicants must have a GPA of at least 2.5 and have completed up to SPAN 3040 by the time the program starts. Students with advanced or heritage Spanish Skills should contact sclassum@tulane.edu to request a language evaluation. They must hold a passport valid for at least six months following the program end date.
Application Materials
Application available through the Tulane Study Abroad portal.
Application Deadline: February 5, 2025
Questions?
If you have questions or would like more information, contact CCSI:
Phone: (504) 862 - 8629
Email: sclassum@tulane.edu
100 Jones Hall, Tulane Uptown Campus
