Dominican Republic: Community Engagement and Culture

Overview 

Welcome to Santo Domingo! The Dominican Republic's vibrant, urban metropolis is a jigsaw of contrasts – international business, art galleries, seaside Caribbean culture, elegant cuisine, and New World fortresses are all rolled into one dynamic nucleus. Locally referred to as 'La Capital,' this city of superlatives boasts both the oldest street and the first church in the Americas. Sample conch gratinée, take in the sounds of merengue and bachata, and discover this gem of the Caribbean.

Students will assess and develop cross-cultural competence and build connections between themselves and others by examining their social identities, privilege, and marginalization. Students will reflect on how this experience connects to their individual academic disciplines and careers. Through direct interaction and communication with Dominican citizens, students will gain an understanding and appreciation of the importance of a local perspective in learning activities. Students will use reflection and readings to deepen experiential understanding of Dominican culture, history, education systems and its diverse peoples.

Highlights and Excursions

• Students will visit a cocoa plantation, where they will learn about the history of cocoa, its process and taste chocolate.
• Visit Bayahibe Beach and take pictures of sea stars, then taste the local cuisine with a picnic on the beach.

Living Arrangements 

Students will live in a centrally located 3 star hotel.  Breakfast is provided daily along with one lunch and two group dinners.

Program Dates 

March 9, 2025 - March 16, 2025

Academics  

Undergraduate students will earn a total of 3 OHIO credits: INST 4930 Special Topics: Community Engagement and Culture in Dominican Republic.

Cost  

The program fee for this program includes: Student airfare (originating from Columbus, OH), accommodations, breakfast daily, some additional meals, excursions, airport transfers, transportation to all program-related activities, welcome and farewell dinner, and international medical health insurance.

In addition to the program fee, students should plan for 3 credit hours of tuition*, administrative fee, and out-of-pocket costs. Below is the student budget worksheet for this program, which outlines these costs.  

Undergraduate Student Budget Worksheet Spring Break 2025

Items that are not related to the program (ie. additional entertainment, souvenirs, extra travel, contingency funds) are not included in the cost estimates provided and should be budgeted for separately.  

*Note: 

• If you are nominated to this program, you will be required to pay a deposit to confirm your participation. The deposit is a down payment on the total costs to be billed by OHIO and is determined by the total cost of the program. 
• For programs completed over winter-break and spring break, the credit-hours associated with the program are part of the spring semester. Students taking between 12 to 20 Athens campus hours, including those associated with the program, will not incur additional tuition costs for the spring semester. Students taking less than 12 or more than 20 Athens campus credits for the spring term will see their tuition charge adjusted accordingly.  

Looking for Funding Opportunities? 

More information on financial aid and scholarships can be found on our funding pages.

Eligibility and Requirements 

This program is open to all undergraduate students, regardless of major, with a minimum 2.0 grade-point average or above. Graduate students are required to have a 3.0 GPA. 

Students who will be on probation at any point during the program for a conduct offense that took place less than a calendar year from the program start date may not study abroad. Read the entire conduct policy.  

This program accepts NON-OHIO students. For more information about this process visit the Non-OHIO student page.   

Participants must have a at least a high school diploma or the equivalent (e.g. GED) by the start date of the program to be considered for eligibility.  Students enrolled in College Credit Plus (CC+) are not eligible for study away programs.

Entry and Exit Requirements 

U.S. citizens are required to have a valid U.S. passport when traveling outside of the United States. If you plan to study or travel abroad in the next year,  apply for your passport  now.

U.S. citizens  will not  need a visa or other special document to enter the country for the length of this program. Please also note that visa requirements may vary if you plan to stay in the country longer than the program dates or travel to other countries during or after the program. Please familiarize yourself with these recommendations and requirements prior to applying to this program. 

For more specific visa related information, please visit OGO’s  Visa Information Page 

Information for  Non-U.S. citizens  

Resources 

• Health and Safety
• Accessibility Requests and Accommodations