While all HMC approved programs provide a level of immersion into the culture, some programs take a deeper approach by creating a structure that will allow students to develop more intimate interactions with the local community. By using an experiential, field-based study abroad approach students step out of the tourist mode and actually become part of the society in which they live. This level of intimacy is created by focusing on critical global issues with opportunities for undergraduate research, an ideal program structure for students not looking for the typical university study abroad model.

As a science or engineering major, this format may seem like an impossibility but with the right planning, any HMC major can participate. In addition, HMC now has partnered with Pitzer College to create several cultural immersion programs that allow engineers to benefit from this program format while taking a core engineering course.

AFRICA

BOTSWANA:
Program Sponsor: Pitzer College
Program Name: Pitzer in Botswana
Language of Instruction: English
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing
Curriculum: Liberal Arts, Engineering option
Description: One of Africa's most politically and economically stable countries, Botswana is home to 1.5 million people, the Kalahari Desert, and world famous wildlife parks. Many of Botswana's citizens live in the major cities, towns, and villages along the eastern border and enjoy standards of education and economic well-being rivaled on the continent only by neighboring South Africa.
Academics: Integrates classroom instruction with active learning experiences in a variety of settings. This four part Humanities program format consists of lectures, seminars, fieldwork, and independent study. Engineering majors can participate in this program using the "engineering option". Students will take an E102 course that will satisfy the requirements for the regular HMC E102 course. They will also have the option of choosing an applied engineering independent study project.
Housing: Students stay with local families

TANZANIA:
Program Sponsor: School for International Training (SIT)
Program Name: Tanzania - Wildlife Ecology and Political Ecology
Language of Instruction: English
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing. Previous coursework and/or other significant preparation in environmental studies, ecology, biology, or related field desired.
Curriculum: Liberal Arts
Description: Home to Serengeti National Park, the site of the largest wildlife migration on earth, Tanzania features tropical, temperate, and alpine forests, and the opportunity to explore the country's diverse human and natural environments for both research and study.
Academics: Humanities program format consisting of intensive Swahili language, seminars and an independent study project.
Housing: Students spend about three weeks living with a peri-urban family in Bangata, a homestay in the Maasai Village of Ngare Sero over four days, plus additional days visiting rural areas. Other accommodations include small hotels and hostels.

ASIA

BEIJING:
Program Sponsor: Pitzer College
Program Name: Pitzer Beijing
Language of Instruction: English
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing
Curriculum: Liberal Arts, Engineering option
Description: Beijing, the capital of China since the Yuan dynasty in the 13th century, is the heart of the country's cultural and political life. Home to more than 15 million people, Beijing is where you will find the nation's central government departments, leading universities, medical schools, and centers of art and media. The program is affiliated with Beijing University, one of the premier institutions of higher education in China, and integrates classroom instruction with active learning experiences in a variety of settings.
Academics: This four part Humanities program format consists of lectures, seminars, fieldwork, and independent study. Engineering majors can participate in this program using the "engineering option". Students will take an E102 course that will satisfy the requirements for the regular HMC E102 course. They will also have the option of choosing an applied engineering independent study project.
Housing: Students stay with local families.

NEPAL:
Program Sponsor: Pitzer College
Program Name: Pitzer in Nepal
Language of Instruction: English and Nepali
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing. Students must complete Anthropology 16, "Introduction to Nepal" at Pitzer College before going on the program
Curriculum: Liberal Arts, Engineering option
Description: Nestled between India and China, Nepal is the only official Hindu Kingdom in the world. Pitzer in Nepal is affiliated with Tribhuvan University, Nepal's premier national institution for higher education, and its' Office of International Relations. The philosophy of this program is a commitment to cultural & community immersion.
Academics: This four part Humanities program format consists of a course in Nepalese Studies, Intensive Nepali Language, seminars, fieldwork, and independent study. Engineering majors can participate in this program using the "engineering option". Engineering majors will take an E102 course that will satisfy the requirements for the regular HMC E102 course. They will also have the option of choosing an applied engineering directed independent study project.
Housing: Student stay in homestays near Kathmandu, plus a middle-hill village.
Comments: Should conditions in Nepal not allow the program to be held in Nepal, students will study in Darjeeling, India.

LATIN AMERICA

ARGENTINA:
Program Sponsor: School for International Training (SIT)
Program Name: Argentina - Regional Integration, Development, and Social Change
Language of Instruction: Spanish
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing, Spanish 44 required, plus previous coursework in economics, political economy, or development studies
Curriculum: Liberal Arts
Description: Argentina, a land of immigrants, mostly from European origins, boasts a vibrant culture which blends European and South American customs. Buenos Aires, Argentina's largest city, has a population of 13 million inhabitants where 50% of its' citizens live under the poverty level.
Academics: Intensive Spanish language study, the core seminar, "Regional Integration, Development, and Social Change," a field study seminar, and a four week long independent study project. Students will examine the ongoing cultural, social, and economic integration in Latin America brought on by MERCOSUR, aided by trips to three of the four MERCOSUR nations. Students are thus presented with different "lenses" which allow them to view the social, political and economic struggles associated with increased integration between developing countries.
Housing: Six-week homestay in Buenos Aires, plus additional days visiting rural areas. Other accommodations include small hotels and hostels.

BRAZIL:
Program Sponsor: School for International Training (SIT)
Program Name: Brazil - Social Justice and Sustainable Development
Language of Instruction: Spanish
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, One semester of Portuguese or two semester of a college-level Romance language (preferably Spanish), HMC good standing.
Curriculum: Liberal Arts
Description: Fortaleza is a modern seaside of the state of Ceará, located in northeastern Brazil. Here students will experience the strong contrasts between rich and poor, abundant rain forest and drought-plagued agriculture, avant-garde architecture and slums. With a vibrant and expressive culture that includes indigenous, Portuguese, African, Jewish, Dutch, and other European migrant influences, Brazil provides an ideal setting in which to learn how socioeconomic challenges shape the development of this very diverse society.
Academics: Intensive Portuguese language study, the core seminar, "Culture, Development, and Social Justice", a field study seminar, and a four-week long independent study project.
Housing: Seven-week homestay in Fortaleza. Other accommodations include hostels, private homes, and/or small hotels.

COSTA RICA:
Program Sponsor: Pitzer College
Program Name: Pitzer in Costa Rica
Language of Instruction: English
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing
Curriculum: Liberal Arts or Engineering option
Description: Close the Pacific ocean, and just four hours from San Jose, sits the tropical rainforest on land owned by Pitzer College. Known as the Firestone Center for restoration Ecology, students will experience bamboo and hardwood forests, waterfalls and streams, an original rainforest, a nearby wildlife refuge, a national park and more!
Academics: Integrates classroom instruction with active learning experiences in a variety of settings. This four part Humanities program format consists of lectures, seminars, fieldwork, and independent study. Engineering majors can participate in this program using the "engineering option". Students will take an E102 course that will satisfy the requirements for the regular HMC E102 course. They will also have the option of choosing an applied engineering independent study project.
Housing: Students stay with local families

MONTEVERDE:
Program Sponsor: Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE)
Program Name: Monteverde, Costa Rica - Tropical Ecology and Conservation
Language of Instruction: English and Spanish
Program Eligibility: 2.75 GPA, HMC good standing. Spanish 1 required, plus two semesters of biology as well as one semester of ecology or environmental science, HMC good standing
Curriculum: Liberal Arts combines with biological research
Description: Monteverde is a small, friendly bilingual community of 4,000 people located in Central America. Being surrounded by a cloud forest reserve provides a wide array of research opportunites. Students will explore and research Costa Rica's diverse ecosystems by participating in intensive tropical field-work and courses taught from both a theoretical and taxonomic perspectives to biology-related majors.
Academics: Participants take "Humans in the Tropics","Tropical Biology", "Tropical Diversity", "Tropical Ecology", Spanish language and complete an Independent Study. Students should expect an academically intense experience and be willing to learn in a variety of settings, including classrooms, beaches, waterfalls, and treetops.
Housing: One-month with a host family, camping, and cabins at the Biological station

ECUADOR:
Program Sponsor: Pitzer College
Program Name: Pitzer in Ecuador
Language of Instruction: English for beginning Spanish speakers
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing.
Curriculum: Liberal Arts or Engineering option
Description: Equador, bordered by Columbia, Peru, and the Pacific Ocean, is the smallest of the Andean nations, yet is know for its ecological and cultural diversity. Almost 40% of the residents live below the poverty line, yet supports a population of 13 million people and includes 10 distinct indigenous groups.
Academics: Integrates classroom instruction with active learning experiences in a variety of settings. This four part Humanities program format consists of lectures, seminars, fieldwork, and independent study. Engineering majors can participate in this program using the "engineering option". Students will take an E102 course that will satisfy the requirements for the regular HMC E102 course. They will also have the option of choosing an applied engineering independent study project.
Housing: Students stay with local families

Program Sponsor: Pitzer College
Program Name: Pitzer in Ecuador
Language of Instruction: Spanish 44 required
Program Eligibility: 2.5 GPA, HMC good standing.
Curriculum: Liberal Arts or Engineering option
Description: Equador, bordered by Columbia, Peru, and the Pacific Ocean, is the smallest of the Andean nations, yet is know for its ecological and cultural diversity. Almost 40% of the residents live below the poverty line, yet supports a population of 13 million people and includes 10 distinct indigenous groups.
Academics: Students take a core course in Ecuadorian and Andean studies, Quichua or Advanced Spanish language, Ethnographic Methods in the Ecua Context, and complete a directed independent study project. Engineering students can participate in this program using the "engineering option". Engineering majors will take an E102 course that will satisfy the requirements for the regular HMC E102 course. They will also have the option of choosing an applied engineering independent study project.
Housing: Students stay with local families

Program Sponsor: School for International Training (SIT)
Program Name: Ecuador: Comparative Ecology and Conservation
Language: Instruction in Spanish
Program Eligibility: 3.0 GPA, HMC good standing. Four semesters of college-level Spanish; course work in biology or ecology
Curriculum: Liberal Arts combines with biological research
Description: One of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet, Ecuador-and its four distinct ecosystems-provides an ideal setting for learning about ecology from a comparative context. Ecuador is home to two biological hotspots-the tropical Andes and Chocó-known for their mega-diversity and rapid loss of habitat. The program is based in Quito, a city surrounded by majestic mountains. Here, students are introduced to a broad panorama of Ecuadorian life and culture with rich Indian and Spanish history.
Academics: Intensive Spanish language study, the core seminar, "Comparative Ecology and Conservation Seminar ", a field study seminar, and a four-week long independent study project.
Housing: Eight week homestay in Quito and one week in the Intag Cloud Forest. Other accommodations include hostels, private homes, and/or small hotels.