Required for all fall and spring Madrid students. CAS 200 provides an introduction for students enrolled in the Syracuse semester abroad program in Madrid, aimed at developing intercultural awareness in a study abroad context. The one-credit course is team-taught by experienced faculty and required for all students attending the SU Abroad Madrid semester program.
A key learning goal in study abroad is gaining a wider perspective on the world and one’s place in it. This course is designed to help students prepare for an intensive experience reflecting on how they contribute to and are impacted by local cultures, geopolitics, and history. Students will consider their own objectives for the semester and are encouraged to become informed, engaged, and reflective visitors in Spain.
Mapping Spain challenges students to orient themselves as foreigners in Spain. The course launches a semester abroad at the Syracuse Madrid program, where students will make use of the city (Madrid) and the country (Spain) as a classroom. As part of the course, students will be required to attend several class sessions (virtual and in-person), create a Personal Intercultural Involvement Plan for their semester abroad, and write three reflective papers assessing their intercultural experience throughout the semester. The Personal Intercultural Involvement Plan (PIIP) encourages students to make the most of their semester in Madrid (including the activities offered through the MadWorld program as well as independent visits and activities planned by the students) and to attend a three-day study tour to Barcelona (included in your Program fee; more information will be available during the Welcome Session in Madrid).
In some cases, a student may be approved to attend an extended number of cultural engagement activities provided through the MadWorld Program. Both the Barcelona and MadWorld options will require attendance at info sessions before the trip or activities take place and a debrief afterward, as well as a reflective assignment.
Department: Arts and Sciences
Location: Madrid
Semesters: Fall, Spring
Credits: 1