Mérida

Mérida is one of Mexico’s most beautiful and charming destinations. It is a city large enough to offer all the amenities of a large urban center but small enough to be friendly and welcoming to visitors. It is known for its excellent universities and hospitals, proximity to beaches and impressive ruins, extraordinary cuisine, and splendid fusion of colonial Hispanic and Mayan cultures. The people of the Yucatán Peninsula pride themselves on maintaining a unique identity, distinct from any other in Mexico or Latin America. Mérida is widely acknowledged to be one of the safest cities in the country and is home not only to a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint mission but to a beautiful temple, conveniently located downtown. Join us for what promises to be an unforgettable study abroad experience.

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Courses

All intermediate students will enroll in 6 credit hours from the following courses:

SPAN 205—University Spanish 3 (4 credit hours)
SPAN 211R—Spanish Conversation 3 (2 credit hours)
SPAN 212R—Spanish Conversation 4 (2 credit hours)

All advanced students will enroll in two of the following courses:

SPAN 321—Third-Year Spanish Reading, Grammar, and Culture (3 credit hours)
SPAN 330—Introduction to Hispanic Literature (3 credit hours) (may be offered based on sufficient enrollment)
SPAN 355—Cultures of Spanish America (3 credit hours) (may be offered based on sufficient enrollment)
SPAN 395R—Cultura Maya y Yucateca (3 credit hours)
SPAN 459R—Literatura Yucateca, Siglo XX (3 credit hours)

Students may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.

Cost

$5,200–5,700

Includes Latter-day Saint full tuition (increased cost for graduate students and non–Latter-day Saint students), room and board, transportation on program excursions, laundry, some textbook expenses, and international health insurance coverage.

Does not include airfare, local transportation in Mérida, meals on excursions, some textbooks, or personal expenses.

Students can expect to spend approximately $150 on local transportation.

A minimum of eight guided excursions to sites of interest in the area are included in the price. Any additional excursions will be paid for by the individual student.

Funding Sources

Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs.

Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship.

Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants.

Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).

Preparation

All intermediate students must have completed SPAN 106 or have equivalent proficiency prior to the program.

All advanced students must have completed SPAN 206 or have equivalent proficiency prior to the program.

All students who are accepted into the program are required to participate in an international, cross-cultural preparation course (IAS 201R, 1 credit hour) held during the second term of winter semester 2023.

Part-time and non-BYU students will need to pay an additional tuition fee for enrolling in the prep class.

Accompanying spouses need to be credit-bearing participants on the program. Spouses will also need to apply online and take the preparation course.

Students must meet all country- and program-specific COVID and health requirements for travel.

Housing

Students will be housed in pairs with local host families who have been handpicked and carefully screened by BYU’s partner university. Many former students report that their experience with their host family was the highlight of the program.

Travel

Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airline reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent.

BYU Travel
280 HRCB
(801) 422-6293
travel@byu.edu

Application Process

Students must be 18 years of age or older to participate.

Complete the online application here. A nonrefundable $35 application fee is required; applicants will be interviewed once the application is complete.

Students will be notified via e-mail of their acceptance into the program. The first payment is due upon acceptance; please refer to the Payment Information document.

Application Deadline: 30 November 2022

Program Adjustments

International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost.

If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU Financial account.

ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.

Faculty

Gregory Stallings, from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, will be directing this study abroad program.

3166 JFSB
(801) 422-1273
gregory_stallings@byu.edu

Gloria Stallings, from the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, will also be directing this study abroad program.

3005 JKB
(801) 422-1275
gloria_stallings@byu.edu

Contact Us

International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu

ISP Student Handbook

To see the student handbook, click here.

Payment Schedule

To see the payment schedule, click here.

Mérida

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FAQ

More Information

Courses

Cost

Funding Sources

Preparation

Housing

Travel

Application Process

Program Adjustments

Faculty

Contact Us

ISP Student Handbook

Payment Schedule