Conexiones Spain

The University of New Mexico, through the Honors College and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, presents Conexiones, an intensive program of Culture and Language study at UNM and the field site, Cáceres (Extremadura). Conexiones offers students credit for up to 12 semester hours, with two orientation sessions at UNM and 30 days of field session.

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Conexiones Program History

Conexiones is an intensive Spanish language and culture study abroad program. Conexiones began in 1985 and has since become a premier language study program at the University of New Mexico.

Program Philosophy

Conexiones immerses students in the living, breathing reality of Spanish-speaking society. The main theme of the program is the connections between the U.S. Southwest and the host country, with emphasis on the local regions with strong historical and cultural connections to New Mexico.

The key to the Conexiones approach is integration. Intellectual, linguistic, and personal growth are seen as a unified process. The program is designed to expedite that process. The support groups are a unique feature of Conexiones. These groups emphasize personal growth and help students to understand culture shock as a positive (if sometimes uncomfortable) growth experience.

Requirements

To be considered for this study abroad program, you must have a minimum 3.2 GPA. Students with a lower GPA may apply, as all applications will be considered individually and exceptions may be made. Students with both “Degree status” and “Non-degree status” can apply. Students must be able to enter a 200-level Spanish class, at minimum. If you are accepted to the program, you will be required to complete preparation materials, relevant to the country you're traveling to.

Conexiones offers students an extraordinary and unique experience. You'll live with a host family in Cáceres, a city whose history and architecture represents in itself the history of Spain (from Iberians and Romans, Moors and Christians, to the famous Spanish nightlife and modern architecture). You will attend Spanish classes at the Universidad de Extremadura's Instituto de Lenguas Modernas in downtown Cáceres. Weekly excursions are part of the program, including the visit to the medieval city of Trujillo and the Roman city of Mérida, the medieval town and monastery of Guadalupe and a day in the sister city of Alburquerque, with a visit to its medieval castle.

SUMMER 2027 IMPORTANT TRAVEL DATES
Travel to Spain: Friday, May 28, 2027
Field Study in Spain: May 29 to June 30, 2027
Travel Back to New Mexico: Sunday, June 27 or stay later and travel back independently


HOW TO APPLY

Applying to Conexiones Spain is easy! Attend an informational meeting (dates coming soon!) in the Honors College Forum. All aspects of the program will be reviewed during these informational sessions. If you are unable to attend, email Dr. Gómez (myrriahg@unm.edu) and express your interest.

Once accepted into the program, you will complete the application form on the UNM Global Education Office website. You will also need to register with the Global Education Office and follow their procedures for providing necessary documentation for travel (copies of passports, health insurance, etc).

Tickets/Airfare

Students travel to Spain at their own expense. Due to the rising costs of airline travel and to the fact that group discounts have been reduced, Conexiones is now encouraging students to find their own best airfare. We will provide recommendations, but students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements. We will also try to facilitate students traveling together. To help us make sure you've made your flight reservations in advance, we'll require that you provide a copy of your ticket by a certain date in the spring. 

Room and Board

Part of the immersive experience in Conexiones is living with a host family. We work with our partners at the Universidad de Extremadura to house students with local families. The cost of room and board is included in the program fees.

A passport is required for traveling to Spain. Applicants who are U.S. citizens do not need a visa for a six-week stay. We encourage students to use the Passport Office on campus. For other ways to apply for a passport visit the U.S. Department of State's website. 

The Study Abroad office offers a GEO passport scholarship which supports the cost of students obtaining a passport. See if you are eligible here.

All students are required to have accident and medical insurance coverage for the duration of the program. The Global Education Office at UNM has information regarding insurance.

The program directors will also provide information on insurance.

Scholarships

Study abroad is a transformative experience for students and the honors college wants to help support as many students travel abroad as possible. Here are resources to help students secure scholarships for study abroad opportunities. 

COURSEWORK

Students taking Conexiones sign up for UHON 401 and SPAN 30: Conexiones. Students also take a course through la Universidad de Extremadura, attending smaller class size Spanish intensive sessions and lectures in Spanish, taught by faculty from la Universidad de Extremadura. Experiential assignments in Spanish dovetail with work in the Honors study course. Students will be required to complete pre-departure assignments in their cuadernito. 

UNM COURSES

UHON 401: SEM: Conexiones Spain (3 credits) Instructor: Dr. Myrriah Gómez 

This course is part of a summer study abroad program taught in Cáceres, Spain. Students will live and study in Cáceres for the first four weeks of this course and complete the second four weeks online. Conexiones Spain explores the history of colonialism in Spain’s history. During this course we visit various cities in the Extremadura region of Spain, discuss the various social groups that occupied the region, and examine the social and political constructions of race, gender, language, and religion, specifically. We then move to discuss Spanish settler colonialism of the Americas so as to examine the historical relationship between oppressors and resisters and the development of contemporary society, particularly in New Mexico. We will investigate Spanish and Indigenous perspectives, in particular, to analyze the effects of settler colonialism in New Mexico. This will ask us to reflect on changes in and to Cáceres and Extremadura as well as New Mexico. This course requires students to interrogate their social position as a University of New Mexico student studying in Spain to critically reflect on their identity and social position.

SPAN 301: Conexiones (3 credits) Instructor: Dr. Anna Nogar

La Universidad de Extremadura Courses

200-level Spanish Abroad
Profesor: TBA

Objectives: This course takes into account the abilities and needs of the student, with the principal objective of the course being to help the student to communicate from the very first days; to accomplish this, the student will learn to understand oral and written texts, to discover the grammar and vocabulary, and to speak about their likes, their lives, and their world.

300-level SPANISH ESPAÑA EN SU CULTURA
Profesor: TBA 

Objectives: The course España en su Cultura is a journey through Spanish culture in its different expressions. It deals with, on one hand, culture “with a little c”, essential so the learner can reach a certain level of cultural awareness to help in understanding the functioning of Spanish society and to negotiate within it. In addition, the course presents a wide and varied vision of Culture “with a capital C”, that is, in its various artistic and scientific manifestations which can help to explain and define the particular characteristics of the Spanish people.

400-level CONTEMPORARY SPANISH LITERATURE
Profesor: TBA
Objectivos: Esta asignatura supone un acercamiento a la literatura hispánica contemporánea a través de varios textos representativos. El objetivo no es que el alumno acumule conocimientos de un modo enciclopédico, sino que adquiera un panorama general sobre la literatura hispánica contemporánea y, sobre todo, que alcance el sentido profundo de los textos que se trabajen en clase, cuya selección se ha realizado atendiendo a todos los géneros literarios.

  • "Conexiones was an invaluable immersive experience for me. I learned a lot about Spanish language and culture that I wouldn't have if I stayed in the U.S. Participating in Conexiones helped me develop as a language learner and to become more comfortable adapting to new sociocultural environments."
  • "Conexiones was an amazing way of being integrated into the culture and history of Spain. Living in Caceres was such a rich experience and I enjoyed being among the locals. It was the perfect way to spend my summer and I will treasure the memories and the relationships I made!" 
  • "Conexiones was my first experience traveling abroad, it allowed me to experience the country in a way traveling wouldn't have allowed. I got to live with an amazing host family and explore and learn about the local area. It gave me an appreciation for traveling since I've had many adventures!"