Peru
Arequipa, Cusco & Lima

THIS PROGRAM IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

June 1 - 21, 2013 

Total Program Fee: $4300

Please visit the TnCIS Peru Facebook Page

Academics and Courses    Application, Cost, and Important Details 

Program Location:

Peru, located in western South America, is a geographically and ethnically diverse country full of history and culture. Spanish is the official language of Peru, along with the indigenous languages of Quechua and Aymara. During this three week program, students will first experience the colonial beauty of Arequipa, the second largest city in Peru.  There we will be greeted by several majestic volcanos with white snowy peaks and the western Andes.  Both provide a stunning back drop to a city full of mansions, museums and monasteries - most of which are made of white volcanic stone which glistens under the sunny and brilliantly blue sky of southern Peru.  Following our visit to the south, we will travel higher into the Andes Mountains to visit the ancient Incan capital of Cusco and the monumental site of the ruins at Machu Picchu.  Known as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the sacred "City of the Incas" will be even more impressive than you can imagine.  Our final stop will be to experience the complex diversity of metropolitan Lima, the culinary capital of South America.  During the program, students will have opportunities to interact with the local people, experience Peruvian hospitality and see a way of life very different from that in the US. 

Program Description:

Students who study abroad in the TnCIS Peru program will have the opportunity to study history, sociology or be immersed in Spanish language courses.  Spanish students will be able to use their language skills to communicate with native speakers in the market places, plazas and restaurants while traveling and meeting the people of Peru. History students will use Peru as a case study for major course themes such as pre-modern empires in world history; arrival of the Europeans in the Americas; and independence.  Students in the sociology course will study modern Latin American culture as well as the pre-modern society of the Incas.  Life in the city, sierra, beaches and islands of Peru will be an eye-opening experience for all participants.

Please note: Prospective students should be aware that study abroad programs require a great deal of walking. You should be prepared to walk at least three to five miles each day. The Arequipa and Cusco portions of the program will be in high altitude (at times 12,000 feet above sea level). Students will need to be prepared for altitude acclimatization and take necessary steps to hydrate and rest properly during this portion of the trip. As we are in the Southern Hemisphere, students will also need to be prepared for winter temperatures that may be near freezing, especially in high altitude locations at night.  You may also walk over uneven, possibly slippery or rocky terrain even in cities.

Excursions: The program will take advantage of opportunities to visit museums, historic homes and rural villages in and around Arequipa.  In Cusco, we will visit the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, the Qoricancha, and the city center which is often bustling with parades and religious festivals during the month of June.  An overnight excursion will take us to Aguascalientes, the tourist town at the foot of Machu Picchu.  This excursion will begin with a fantastic backpacker journey by train - an unexpected highlight of the tour with picturesque vistas seen through large panoramic windows, even on the roof of the train car. The final week will be spent in Lima, in the Miraflores district.  Known as the trendy, modern tourist area of Lima, we will be within walking distance of the Larcomar complex built into the cliffs near the ocean.  Multiple shops, restaurants, parks and public transportation are readily accessible in the vicinity.  We will also take a group tour of the "Centro" of Lima with the National Palace, Cathedral and multiple plazas and museums to explore in the historic city center.

Classes: Classrooms will be provided within the student accommodations and onsite during excursions.

Accommodations: Housing will be in shared rooms in hotels in Arequipa, Cusco and Lima. Breakfast and dinner will be provided most days. Some excursions will provide lunch instead of dinner. Given the structure of the program and the resources available in some locations, the program may not be able to accommodate students with specific dietary preferences. If you have dietary concerns, please contact TnCIS.

Academics:

All TnCIS programs are academic in nature and course work that takes advantage of the program location will be the central focus. Programs offered by TnCIS through any member institution  are in keeping with SACSCOC policies for each respective institution where compliance is monitored at the institutional level.  TnCIS program courses are for credit only. In Peru, students will enroll in ONE of the following courses:

SPANISH: SPAN 1020: Beginning Spanish II (Prerequisite: Spanish 1010)
This course is a continuation of Beginning Spanish I. It will concentrate on Spanish conversation, grammar, composition, vocabulary building, and reading.  See course syllabus 

SPANISH: SPAN 2010: Intermediate Spanish I (Prerequisite: Spanish 1020)
This course will concentrate on conversation, writing, listening and reading in Spanish. The emphasis will be on communicative proficiency. See course syllabus 

HISTORY: World Civilization II (No Prerequisite)
This course is a survey of world history since A.D. 1500.  Major themes are the rise and fall of the Inca empire in Peru; the arrival of the Europeans in the Americas and the impact of the Columbian Exchange upon the traditional societies in the region; the rise of nationalism in Europe and its export abroad to Latin America in the 19th century and to Africa and Asia in the 20th century; the contradictions within western society which led to the great “world wars”; and the rise of the contemporary global civilization in which we live.  Peru will be used as a case study for the major course themes.  We will examine Peruvian civilization before, during, and after the arrival of Europeans in the sixteenth century, including: the incredible story of the Incas, who established one of the greatest pre-modern empires in world history; the Spanish conquest of the Incas and the impact of Spanish encounters with Peruvians and other American indigenous peoples, a process referred to by western scholars as the Columbian Exchange; the internal conflict between “peninsulars” and “creoles” that ultimately resulted in Peruvian independence after the battle of Ayacucho in 1824; the successes and failures of nationalism, which helped inspire Peruvians and other Latin Americans to create fairly progressive, democratic republics, but also led to repeated, sometimes extremely violent, conflict between various South American nations; the tumultuous political history of the Peruvian Republic, which featured fluctuations between aristocratic, military, and democratic rule from 1824 to 1979; and present day Peru’s flourishing democracy, vibrant culture, and increasingly greater involvement in the global economy.  See course syllabus

SOCIOLOGY:  Introduction to Sociology (No Prerequisite)
Introduction to Sociology introduces the student to the field of Sociology - its concepts, methods, theories and theorists. The sociological perspective is used in examining social interaction, social structures and social change. Peru presents a wonderful opportunity for students to study and understand Latin American culture and society. Arequipa, Peru’s second city will be an ideal location to begin our understanding of Peruvian society with volcanoes for a background of our discussion of early Inca society. We will coordinate our discussions with the History class to learn about Peru’s early experience and influence of Spanish culture. In Lima we will concentrate on modern Peru. As the culinary capital of the country, we will use food as an example of culture and its influence on a society. Peru has lately been the “hot new kid on the block” in American food circles. And in Cusco and Machu Picchu emphasis will be placed on pre-modern Inca society. The scenery will amaze and stimulate discussions of the Inca life. As always, we will compare early and modern Peruvian society to our own. This will be an unbelievable opportunity to study sociology in a magical setting.  See course syllabus


NEXT PAGE