Program for Mexican Culture and Society in Puebla

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One of the driving principles in the creation of PMCSP was that of direct matriculation of students in conventional Mexican university classes, thereby offering the greatest possible immersion in the host culture and a truly authentic learning-abroad experience. Consequently, students enroll in regular BUAP courses appropriate for undergraduate students. The expectation is that students, before arrival in Puebla, and in conjunction with their major advisor and home-institution coordinator, will have developed a tentative listing of courses of interest. During program orientation and the first week of classes, each student, in consultation with the on-site resident faculty director, will finalize a program of study that effectively addresses individual, intellectual interests and academic requirements.

Since the PMCSP student will not be limited by a list of “program” courses, he or she will be able to select from an extensive array of courses in a variety of disciplines. These offerings are listed according to individual departments or schools (facultades) at the BUAP available at www.buap.mx under licenciaturas. It would be impossible to reproduce that listing here; however, a partial listing of courses taken by former PMCSP students will give an idea of options. The BUAP is quite strict in terms of class attendance. Attendance is regularly taken in class and affects the final grade. In accordance with policy, students who have not attended 80% of class meetings will not be permitted to take final examinations.

Recognizing that students may bring with them different levels of Spanish fluency and varying degrees of background in terms of the various subject matters offered, PMCSP will identify approximately five courses—within the hundreds of possibilities offered by the BUAP—that will be highlighted as cursos intensivos. In these courses, program students will still participate in the regular meetings of the course with Mexican peers, but will also be offered an additional hourly meeting with the instructor (or someone he or she designates) for further discussion and analysis of course material. During Fall 2005, for example, the following BUAP courses were offered as cursos intensivos: HIS 118 Mesoamérica; TDF 591 Técnica de la danza folklórica (with additional academic research project); HIS 223 México contemporáneo; LRI 444 Relaciones México—Estados Unidos; and FIL 406 Historia y filosofía del arte mexicano del siglo XX. 

In order to receive home-institution credit equivalent to a semester of study, a student must satisfactorily complete a program of study consisting of four individual courses. Grades received in conventional courses according to Mexican grading policies will be transferred to US equivalents. A grade of C or better is required for transfer credit to a consortium institution.

Forms (PDF*):

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