Language Requirement: 2.5 years
Academic Standing by Program Start: Freshman or above
Location: Europe, Spain
GPA: 3.25

Program Overview

This four-week program will allow students to fully immerse themselves in the beautiful city of Oviedo while studying the languages and literatures of Spain with Professor David Wacks from the University of Oregon’s Spanish Department. Oviedo is located in Spain’s northern green coast at the foot of the Aramo mountains in the region of Asturias. It has a reputation for being one of the safest and cleanest cities in Spain, full of pedestrian streets, sidewalk cafes, markets and cider houses. 
    
Students will enroll in two 300 level Spanish courses taught by Professor Wacks. Both courses can be applied toward the Spanish minor or major at the University of Oregon. Courses will be held at the GEO Oviedo Center and will include ample opportunities to explore the course content through field trips to locations in and around Oviedo. 

As a complement to the course content, students will live with host families located within walking distance to campus. Host families offer the ideal opportunity to deepen the immersive experience and expand language learning.

Check out the program's Instagram account for past and current photos of group activities and Oviedo: https://www.instagram.com/uoinoviedo/

Dates and Deadlines

TermYearDeadlineArrival DateDeparture Date
Summer20253/15/20258/3/258/30/25

This program has a rolling admission application process: GEO staff and the program faculty leader will complete a holistic review of the application materials of complete applications in the order that they are submitted (“first come, first serve”).  This includes a review of your overall GPA, cumulative GPA in Spanish courses, recommendation from a Spanish course instructor, and the application short statement (essay). Decisions about acceptance will be made shortly after you submit a complete application. There are some programs that fill fast, some even before the deadline. Students are encouraged to complete applications and commit to programs early.  

Faculty-Led Scholarship Opportunity

Applicants to this program are eligible for program-specific scholarship funds. Award recipients are chosen based on academic merit, financial need, and overall quality of their essay. Individual awards range from $500-$1,500. To be considered, apply to the GEO General Scholarship by the advertised deadline for the term you will be abroad. Students who apply will automatically be considered for all available funding within the General Scholarship, including this program's scholarship funds.

Discount for Pell Recipients

To expand access to study abroad, GEO is offering a $500 discount for this program to UO students who currently have the Pell Grant as part of their federal financial aid (FAFSA).

Academic Details

You will enroll in two 300 level courses taught by Professor David Wacks for a total of 8 quarter or 5 semester credits. Courses are taught in Spanish. 

The first course, SPAN 341: Past and Present, introduces students to a selection of premodern and modern texts written in the Iberian Peninsula (1100-1600) in their social, literary, artistic, and historical contexts. Most of the texts are directly tied to site visits and excursions in and around Oviedo. It is a survey course meant to familiarize students with some of the major historical, cultural, and literary currents of the premodern Iberian world. In addition, students will gain proficiency in the critical analysis of primary literary texts, using secondary texts as supporting evidence for historical and cultural context.

The second course, SPAN 399: Asturian Culture, will study Asturian History, Art History, Food, Folklore, and Mythology. The Asturian Culture course can also satisfy 4 Expertise credits for the Spanish major. In order for students to receive Expertise credit, they will need to complete a more substantial written assignment. 
    
Both courses satisfy 8 of the 12 in-residence requirements for the University of Oregon Spanish Minor, because they are taught by a University of Oregon faculty member. Students must have completed two Spanish classes at the 300-level prior to the start of the program. Students who have completed two years of language courses can participate in the Spanish Language in Oviedo summer session I prior to this program to satisfy this requirement.

Course Equivalencies

UO students: please refer to the UO Course Equivalency Process and the UO Office of the Registrar Course Equivalency Database.

Non-UO students: Actual credit awarded is determined by the relevant department at your university in consultation with the study abroad office. Check with your study abroad advisor for more information.

Additional Requirements

Students must have completed two courses of SPAN 301, 303, 305, 308 or their equivalents at partner institutions. Students who have completed two years of languages courses can participate in the Spanish Language in Oviedo summer session I immediately prior to this program to satisfy this requirement. 

Faculty and Staff

Professor Wacks jointed the faculty of the University of Oregon in 2003. He is an expert in medieval Spain. In 2013 he was visiting faculty in the GEO Oviedo Program for Spring Semester, and liked Asturias so much he returned to teach faculty-led summer programs in Oviedo in 2014, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024. You can read about his research at davidwacks.uoregon.edu.

Housing Description

Homestay with a Spanish Family
This is an ideal way to be immersed in Spanish culture and language. Homestay families provide you with three meals a day and light laundry. Each homestay situation in unique and the program cannot guarantee any particular configurations. Host families range from a mother and father with young children, to an older, single host mother. Any arrangement is possible. Please note that regardless of the household composition, you will have access to not only your host, but likely to their extended family and network in Oviedo.