The Toledo Program

Please note: Study abroad programs sponsored by the undergraduate College of the University of Chicago are normally open to University of Chicago students only. The Toledo Program is an exception to this general rule in that, by special arrangement with Northwestern University, students from that institution may participate in the Program as visiting students. Apart then from this special case, applications from outside the University of Chicago are not accepted.

   


Emily Capo, '08
"View of Toledo from the Fundación Ortega y Gasset"
General Description:
The University of Chicago's autumn-quarter Toledo Program is designed for students who want to study Spanish intensively in a completely Spanish-speaking environment. Instruction in the Toledo Program is pitched at the intermediate level, making it a natural extension of first-year Spanish at Chicago. In keeping with the immersion nature of the Program, students live with local families, receive daily Spanish language instruction by the staff of the Fundación José Ortega y Gasset, and observe a no-English rule. They also take a course in Spanish art, taught in Spanish at the appropriate level and itself constituting a language exercise. The Program features excursions within Toledo and to near-by areas of interest. A primary asset of this program is its location in the celebrated, historically rich city of Toledo in central Spain. Home to a succession of peoples (Visigoths, Moslems, Jews, Christians), its striking profile made familiar by the paintings of El Greco, this 2000-year-old city has played a central role in the history of the Spanish people, who prize it as living museum of their art and culture. The proximity of Madrid, a fast-paced, modern metropolis, adds to Toledo's allure and its value as a site for a Spanish language program.

Housing:
Participants in the Toledo program live with and take most of their meals with a local family. This arrangement is an essential element in the mission of the Toledo program, providing daily language practice and an experience of Spanish domestic life.


Suehyan Cho, '08
Walking Home from School (Toledo)

   
Credits:
Students receive credit for second-year Spanish (Spanish 20100-20200-20300) as well as the fourth course on Spanish art. These courses, along with grades, are placed on their Chicago transcript. If students successfully complete the Toledo program, they may qualify for the Chicago Language Proficiency Certificate by taking, in the wake of the program, an advanced Spanish language or literature course and passing a special Spanish language certification examination.

Registration and Tuition:
Students remain registered full-time in the College and pay regular College tuition, the Toledo program fee and the non-refundable study abroad administrative fee required of all participants in Chicago's programs abroad. For precise figures, see Study Abroad Program Fees.

Financial Aid:
Students retain their financial aid eligibility. However, two expenses--the study abroad administrative fee and the round-trip air transportation to Spain--are not underwritten by College Financial Aid. On the other hand, since you cannot be expected to work part-time while in Spain, the self-help component of their financial aid package does not include a term-time employment factor.

    



Eligibility and Application:
The Toledo program is designed for students beyond their first year in the College who have completed Spanish 10100-10200-10300 or who demonstrate, by examination, a comparable competence in Spanish. Students who have taken Spanish 12100-10300-20100 are also eligible for the program. Naturally the chief criterion for judging their application will be the quality of their work in Spanish. Apart from this applicants should present a solid academic record in general and demonstrate the kind of maturity that is necessary to participate successfully in an overseas study program.

A student accepting an offer of admission is expected to secure his or her place with a non-refundable study abroad administrative fee.

Further Information:
If you would like to discuss the Toledo program and the possibility of participating in it, please contact Erika Mercer (Harper 216; 834-5424).

Statements contained on this site are subject to change without notice.