Spanish in the Dominican Republic

Enhance your Spanish language skills in the Dominican Republic over spring break.

• Discover Dominican culture and society through film, and explore how it serves as a form of expression that reflects the Caribbean's cultural and national identities.
• Stay with a host family in a homestay and immerse yourself in the local community to gain a deeper understanding of Dominican culture and traditions.
• Explore the history, art, and nearby nature of Santiago de los Caballeros, the DR's second-largest city, located in the lush Cibao Valley.
• Course can count towards a Spanish major, minor, or immersion, or as elective credit.

A spring semester course at RIT focusing on Dominican culture and cinema will introduce you to the historical and social traditions of the Caribbean region. You’ll travel to the Dominican Republic over spring break to continue your learning at Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM). During your time in the DR, you’ll practice your Spanish language skills and explore colonial and post-colonial influences, identity, and modern challenges in the Caribbean through the lens of Dominican society and history.

Santiago de los Caballeros, often referred to as the “Heart City” of the Dominican Republic, is an ideal setting for this program. As the country’s second-largest city and a hub of education, culture, and commerce, Santiago offers students a dynamic environment to explore contemporary Caribbean life. The city’s colonial heritage, vibrant arts scene, and a strong sense of regional identity provide a rich backdrop for learning outside the classroom. Excursions to surrounding areas— which may include a chocolate and wine tour in Puerto Plata and a visit to the Hermanas Mirabal Museum in Salcedo—will further deepen your understanding of the Dominican Republic’s role in Caribbean history and its evolving cultural landscape.

While in the Dominican Republic, you will stay with a local host family.

Course Term: Spring course at RIT, travel to the Dominican Republic over spring break
Travel Dates: March 7-15, 2026
Credits: 3

Course Details:

• MLST 449: Dominican Culture & Cinema (3 credits)
  Pre-req: MLSP 201 (completed by spring 2026 or concurrent during spring 2026) or prior equivalent language proficiency. Applicants should complete their language placement exam by the application deadline. To do this, follow the instructions found here: https://www.rit.edu/liberalarts/language-placement-exam 

Students will be enrolled in a spring 2026 course at RIT and will travel to the Dominican Republic over spring break.

Open to all undergraduate majors, all year levels, and graduate students, 2.5 cumulative GPA or above.

Application deadline: October 19, 2025

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: Student budget worksheet -  Spanish in the Dominican Republic Spring/Spring Break 2026 - Outlines all program costs. 

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Download a copy of the budget worksheet (link above)
• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting, so they have time to prepare). For the type of document you are providing, select “Other Financial Aid Forms and Documentation” in the Financial Aid portal.
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you are checking scholarship eligibility requirements and take note of scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

Applications are currently closed (application deadline has been reached)

Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Godys Armengot
gaagsl@rit.edu

Sara Armengot
Department Chair, Department of Modern Languages and Cultures
College of Liberal Arts
seagsl@rit.edu