Course Information
The Puerto Rico Planning Studio Study Abroad Program includes courses for undergraduate and graduate students.
Undergraduate students will enroll in the following two courses:
- CP 4813/INTA 3303. Political Economy of Sustainable Development Planning: Puerto Rico (3 credit hours)
- CP 4813/INTA 4744. Project-based Capstone: Puerto Rico (3 credit hours)
Master’s students will enroll in the following course:
- CP 6053. Applied Planning Studio (6 credit hours)
Itinerary
This is an Embedded Study Abroad Program that includes both classwork in Atlanta and travel to Puerto Rico. For the Spring 2025 Program, coursework will begin on the first day of class for the Spring semester, January 6. Over the first ten weeks, the course will involve lectures and in-class activities focused on Puerto Rican history, culture, politics, economics, society and disaster response, alongside preparation and initial research for student-led projects conducted in collaboration with Puerto Rico’s Autoridad de Transporte Integrado (ATI) and Condado community leader Amaury Rivera.
During Spring Break, students and faculty will travel to Puerto Rico. This trip will combine a number of faculty-planned activities, including field visits, lectures and cultural events, with time for students to pursue fieldwork for their projects and meet with clients. At the end of the trip, students will also present the preliminary findings of their fieldwork to clients and other interested parties.
After returning to Atlanta, students will spend the last four weeks of the semester preparing the final deliverables of their projects. Those deliverables will be shared with the broader Georgia Tech community through a Puerto Rico Study Abroad Program presentation.
Cost
Spring Break travel to Puerto Rico = $1,000 program fee + airfare + meals. $600 deposit is required with application, and is non-refundable unless student is denied entry to the program. The remaining balance is due by January 17, 2025.
The fee covers supplemental insurance (provided by CISI and required for all Georgia Tech Study Abroad Programs), housing in San Juan, local transportation, site visits, guest lectures, and cultural activities. Students stay in a hotel in the walkable San Juan neighborhood of Condado, one block from the beach and close to various restaurants and other attractions. Students fly in and out of Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan.
IMPORTANT: Students are responsible for their air transportation to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico for the Spring Break visit.
Withdrawal Policy
Students withdrawing before January 17, 2025 will be solely responsible for the non-refundable $500 deposit fee. Students withdrawing after January 17, 2025 will be responsible for the following percentages of the remaining program fee:
25% if withdrawing on or before February 1, 2025
50% if withdrawing on or before February 15, 2025
75% if withdrawing on or after March 1, 2025