Antigua, Guatemala
Guatemala, Immigration, and Transnationalism
This study abroad program offers students the opportunity to live in an UNESCO World Heritage site while studying Spanish and learning about the process of immigration and transnationalism from the US and Guatemalan perspectives. Students live with a Guatemalan host-family and receive one-on-one Spanish language training in the mornings and attend the immigration class and local excursions in the afternoons, leaving lots of time to explore the colonial city of Antigua (founded in the 1600s) and its many restaurants, cafes, cultural attractions, and historical sites. The program includes weekend excursions to scenic Lake Atítlán and surrounding Mayan villages as well as the Mayan ruins Tikal, Yaxha, and Iximche. Students will also visit a local coffee farm, weaving cooperative, and chocolate making workshop and have the opportunity to explore a live volcano and zipline through the tropical rainforest. The immigration course includes an academic service-learning component, working with Common Hope, a non-profit organization that partners with families to promote education, health, and development in Guatemala. Learn Spanish, receive academic service-learning credit, learn about the forces propelling the cycle of migration, and fall in love with one of the greatest cities in the world on this Guatemalan adventure.
Watch Guatemala recap videos from previous years HERE!
Program Dates and Deadlines:
Term: Summer, 2027 | Program Start Date/Check-in: May 10, 2027 | Program End Date/Check-out: June 11, 2027
Application Deadline
Program Details
| Open to | All academic disciplines. Priority given to WHC students until December 4. After December 4, all FAU students will be reviewed as space permits. All interested students should apply as soon as possible regardless of major/campus. Non-WHC students will be placed on an interest list and reviewed after December 4. |
| Language of Instruction | English and Spanish |
| Level of Study | Undergraduate and Graduate |
| Credit Offered | FAU credits |
| Program Primary Subject | Political Science, Immigration, Transnationalism, international studies, and Spanish Language |
| Sponsoring College | Wilkes Honors College |
- IDS 3932: Honors Interdisciplinary Study Abroad: Immigration and Transnationalism (3 credits) - Required for All Participants
- SPN 2957: Honors Spanish Conversation Study Abroad (4 credits) - Required for all Participants
- SPN 4905: Honors Directed Independent Study in Spanish Language and Culture (3 credits) - Required for all Participants
- CPO 4957: Comparative Politics Study Abroad (3 credits)
Course Eligibility & Requirements:
Students participating in the program are required to take IDS 3932 and at least one other program course offering, for a minimum of 6 credits total.
Note your courses of interest on your study abroad application in the course section.
- Must have a 3.0 GPA at the time of application for undergraduate students. Lower GPA's may be reviewed on a cases by case basis.
- Must be in good academic standing at the time of application
- Must be eligible to take FAU courses during the study abroad program term
- See Policies & Procedures page for more information
Program Leader: Dr. Timothy Steigenga
Phone Number: 561-799-8610
Email: tsteigen@fau.edu
Phone Number: 561-297-1208
Email: goabroad@fau.edu
Financial Aid and Scholarship Information
- Students participating on FAU Faculty-led Programs may use eligible financial aid
- Program participants may be eligible to apply for the FAU Education Abroad Scholarship
- See additional scholarship and funding information here.
- Program fee: $4,633 + tuition for the courses associated/required for the program. FAU in-state or out-of-state rates apply.
Program fee payment deadlines:
1ST PAYMENT: $500 due by January 8, 2027
2ND PAYMENT: Remaining balance of $4,133 due by February 20, 2027
Accepted participants will receive detailed payment instructions from the Education Abroad team via email after application deadline.
What's Included:
- Homestay accommodations from check-in through check-out date
- International medical insurance
- Transport to and from Antigua airport
- 3 meals a day M-F with host family
- 8+ group meals
- 4 hours of one-on-one Spanish instruction M-R
- Excursions and transportation to Lake Atítlán and lximche, and the Pacaya Volcano
- Antigua walking tour
- Local afternoon excursions to a coffee farm, weaving cooperative, Hobbitenango, and other local excursions
- Roundtrip flights to Flores and tours of the Mayan Ruins of Tikal and Yaxha
- Guest lectures with Guatemalan academics
- Service learning experience with Common Hope
Activities and excursions are subject to change by faculty leader or program provider/vendor if needed due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances. Replacement activity or excursion will be provided.
What's NOT included:
- $200 administrative fee paid at time of application submission
- International Airfare
- Tuition for courses/credits taken on program (FAU in-state and out-of-state rates apply)
- Personal spending money
- Travel documentation
- A valid passport is required for all international travel. You need a passport to board an international flight and to enter the country. Passport cards will not be accepted as form of I.D. You may be denied boarding if you travel with a passport that appears damaged or altered.
- Review up-to-date details HERE. Routine processing times can take 6-8 weeks, and expedited applications in 2-3 weeks. Processing times does not include the time it takes for shipping. Processing times begin when your application is received by a passport agency or center, and do not include mailing times. It may take up to 2 weeks for your application to be received by passport agency, and up to 2 weeks for you to receive your completed passport after agency mails it to you. Therefore, you should add an additional 4 weeks to you passport application processing time.
- Some countries require that your passport be valid at least six months beyond the dates of your trip. Some airlines will not allow you to board if this requirement is not met. Check the Country Information to learn about entry and exit requirements for the country or countries in which you are traveling.
- If you are applying for a passport for the first time, you need to renew your passport, or you have any other passport questions, you can find information on the Travel.State.Gov website. In addition, several U.S. Embassies and Consulates provide information to assist applicants in collecting the documentation needed. For a list of Embassies, please visit U.S. Embassy.gov.
- Non-U.S. Citizens may need additional travel documentation. If you are not a U.S. citizen, you should research the study abroad program destination and your home country to determine if a visa or additional travel documentation is required.
- U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory – Country Information: Travel Advisories (state.gov)
- U.S. Students Abroad - Travelers with Special Considerations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- FAU SHS: https://www.fau.edu/shs/
- World Health Organization (WHO): https://www.who.int/
All students must attend pre-departure sessions prior to study abroad. Education Abroad and your program faculty leaders will provide you with further details pertaining to dates, times, and location in the semester before your program.
1) Mandatory pre-departure orientation hosted by the Education Abroad office. This session will cover general international travel related topics such as health, safety, insurance, and travel tips.
2) Mandatory pre-departure meeting hosted by program faculty leader. This session will cover program and location specific information such as arrival, expectations, itinerary, and course overview.