The next application deadline is Mar 1, 2025
See other program dates

Overview

The SIT Peru: Indigenous Peoples and Globalization program allows you to explore how indigenous peoples in Peru are adapting and innovating to preserve their cultural values and shape their future in the face of globalization. You will actively engage with these traditions through intensive Quechua language study and encounters with indigenous oralists, literary specialists, authors, artists, and artisans. In order to participate, you need to complete a minimum of 4 semesters of Spanish, or the equivalent, prior to departure.

Academics

This program will provide you with a deeper understanding of the history and culture of the indigenous peoples in Peru and the contemporary challenges these communities face. You will enroll in various courses related to the following topics, History of Indigenous Cultures in Peru, Indigenous Peoples in Motion: Changes, Resistance, and Globalization, Quechua, Spanish for the Social Sciences, Research Methods and Ethics, and Independent Study Project (ISP).

The ISP affords you the unique opportunity to apply your learning from the semester to an independent field-based research project supervised by a local adviser.

Program Features

SIT firmly believes in learning by experiencing and with this in mind, has developed several educational excursions for the program. You visit several locations, including the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, Peruvian Amazon, and Lake Titicaca.

Due to the mobile nature of the program, you are housed in a variety of different accommodations including homestay, hostels, private homes, small hotels and shelters in the Amazon.

Eligibility

Review eligibility to ensure that you meet all Columbia requirements to study abroad.

Review the external program webpage to understand any additional program prerequisites.

Note the program language requirements.

Application Instructions

To apply, you must complete the two steps below. Deadlines vary and some applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, you should complete the steps below simultaneously:

  • To apply for Columbia clearance (approval) to study abroad, click on "Start Your Application" on this webpage. Clearance applications are approved on a rolling basis until the application deadline listed on this webpage.
  • To apply for program admission, complete an external application directly on the program webpage. Note that this deadline may be in advance of the Columbia clearance deadline.