Semester in Santiago DR

GPA

2.5

Additional Requirements

Please refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria. 

Requirements

All Semester in Santiago DR students take courses at the host institution only or a mix of host institution and CIEE courses, for a total of 12-18 credits, with 15 recommended.

• Students are required to enroll in a minimum of 2 courses (6 credits) at PUCMM  
• Students can further choose from:  
  • Additional PUCMM courses
  • CIEE courses  
  • Up to 2 ASU online courses (up to 8 credits), in Sessions A and/or B

Students with 4 semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent as determined by a placement assessment is required to take courses in Spanish at PUCMM  

Program Credit

Total credit: 12-18 U.S. semester/18-27 quarter credits

Course Credit

• CIEE courses: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours  
• CIEE experiential learning courses (Service-Learning, Internship, and Directed Independent Research Projects): 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 100-120 placement or research hours
• University of PUCMM courses: 1-6 U.S. semester/1.5-9 quarter credits; 15-90 contact hours (typically 3-4 U.S. semester/4.5-6.0 quarter credits; 45-60 contact hours)
• ASU online courses: typically 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours 

Academic Culture

CIEE courses are designed to follow U.S. academic culture and standards. The class environment typically features a combination of traditional lecture and discussion with co-curricular excursions and activities. Heavy emphasis is placed on student engagement. CIEE courses are typically delivered Mondays through Thursdays during office hours and are solely for CIEE students. Canvas is the Learning Management System platform for course delivery. Experiential Learning courses, such as Service-Learning Projects, Internships, and Directed Independent Research, balance weekly class meetings with independent work in the form of placements at organizations, institutions or businesses, and personal research.  

PUCMM classes tend to be more lecture-based and students are expected to work much more independently than in the U.S., thus more time may be required for studying than students are accustomed to at their home campuses. Similar to classes at U.S. institutions, students should expect to spend an average of two hours of preparation and study for each hour in CIEE classes. To avoid falling behind, students should not plan personal travel out of Santiago de los Caballeros when classes are in session and plan trips for the long weekends.

ASU Courses: You may find yourself in classes with students from ASU, other American universities, and students from around the world. Some are earning their degrees entirely online, while others, like you, are supplementing their education with an online course. You’ll receive direct and individualized support from faculty, 100% online. Most ASU online courses are asynchronous, meaning there are no set log-in times, but make sure to verify this before the add/drop deadline in case you want to make a change.

Class Format

Courses taught at the CIEE Center are for CIEE students only. Host Institution classes include both local and international students (mainly from Haiti, but also other U.S. exchange students). A typical class schedule includes a combination of both CIEE and Host Institution classes, and will span from Monday to Thursdays, and occasionally Fridays. Classes at both CIEE and the Host Institution meet 2-4 times per week, for anywhere from 2-4 hours per class session, depending on the course. Attendance in CIEE classes is strictly enforced, both for classes and required co-curricular excursions. Instruction is supported and augmented online by CIEE’s learning management system, Canvas. At the HI, instruction is supported by the PVA platform (Moodle).  

ASU online courses meet in “sessions” that are 7.5 weeks long in semesters and 6 weeks long in the summer, and all work must be completed within the session dates regardless of when your other CIEE courses begin or end. You’ll need a standard PC or Mac desktop or laptop computer with a download speed higher than 25 Mbps, as well as access to email, productivity software like Microsoft Office and other applications needed to perform a variety of educational functions. Most course materials you will need are available online. Since you are working mostly or entirely asynchronously, you’re given deadlines for your assignments by your instructor or in your syllabus, but you can work at your own pace within these due dates. Most instructors suggest a recommended pace to optimize your learning, but you have the flexibility to complete your ASU courses while pursuing your studies at your CIEE location.

Grading

CIEE reports all final course grades to students’ home institutions using a U.S. letter grade equivalent scale of A-F. For CIEE-administered courses, students’ grades are based on attendance, class engagement, homework, project work, presentations, and midterm and final examinations. Learning outcomes assessment is continuous through personal reflections, evaluation feedback, self-assessment, and requirements as set out in course syllabi.  

PUCMM courses are graded using a 100-point grading scale, which have an equivalent scale of A-F. Primary assessments are held as written examinations, and final exams are typically worth 50% of the final grade for the course. Attendance is compulsory in Host Institution classes. Students must attend a minimum of 80% of all class sessions. 

ASU grading follows the same format and standards as ASU courses taught in-person. As a U.S. institution of higher education, the grading practices should be familiar to any CIEE student. ASU awards grades of "A+," "A," "A-," "B+," " B," "B-," "C+," "C," "D," or "E.” “Pass/fail” or “Audit” is not allowed for CIEE students. Please see the CIEE Academic Manual for Students for more information about your grades.

Language of Instruction

English and/or Spanish