All course work is conducted entirely in the local language. Students consult with Middlebury staff in Vermont during the application process to select the best university for their academic needs and goals. Following a brief orientation, and depending on the site and the university, students normally enroll in two to four university courses per semester alongside their Latin American counterparts; the Cuaderno/Caderno Latinoamericano, a journal course taught by local faculty and designed to help students process and analyze their experience in Latin America through a series of structured writing assignments; and a credit-bearing internship. Internships are available in many different fields and students have worked in a variety of institutions including the arts, health care and job training agencies, women’s advocacy groups, neighborhood government offices, institutions of economic, social, and political research, and city planning offices. Students choose their university courses in consultation with the School in Latin America staff and their Latin American university’s international office, based on their language ability and academic preparation.

The School in Latin America is based in Buenos Aires and has an office in Santiago. Sites located outside these two capital cities seek to capture some of the diversity of this region. Students interested in a high degree of immersion are strongly encouraged to consider these more provincial sites where there are often few or no other U.S. students. They will find these locations ideal for achieving greater integration into the local community and for becoming involved in a variety of activities.