Pitzer in Vietnam Summer Program
View of Hue, Vietnam
The Pitzer in Vietnam Summer Program is done in collaboration with Hue University. On the program students study Vietnamese language, history, culture, political structures, and environmental issues. Preparation for the program begins in Claremont during the spring semester when students participate in a virtual introduction to Vietnamese language; the virtual language tutorial provides students with the needed language foundation for the homestay and service components of the program. Students who already speak Vietnamese have the opportunity to join a large array of content courses taught in Vietnamese at Hue University. Through intensive Vietnamese language courses, a seminar on key topics, internships, and family stays, students explore this dynamic country gain an understanding of the life and culture of Vietnam.
Eligibility and Prerequisites
- Students must be in good academic standing and have a 2.0 or higher GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Students without a background in Vietnamese will take a 2-3 week online introductory course in the spring semester.
- This summer program is open to Pitzer and students from other undergraduate colleges
Program Dates
- Summer: Six weeks in Vietnam from late May to early July
Courses & Credits
| Course | Claremont Credits | Semester Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | 4 |
| 1.0 | 4 |
| TOTALS | 2.0 | 8 |
Program Information
Core Course: Modern Vietnam
The course provides an overview of culture and society in Vietnam. It includes lectures by Hue University faculty and specialists from governmental and non-governmental organizations, site visits, along with assignments that allow students to explore a variety of topics in Vietnam. Topics in the class may include studying the legacy of colonialism, war and conflict in Vietnam, health care, ethnic minority communities, political structures, women’s issues, and environmental issues. At the end of the course students complete a capstone research project on a topic of their choice supervised by local experts. For Pitzer students this course will satisfy Pitzer’s Social Responsibility Praxis (SRX) requirement.
As part of their core course, all students will participate in an internship of six to eight hours per week for four weeks with a local non-profit organization. For students with lower levels of Vietnamese, there will be a multitude of possibilities to provide ESL tutoring with local public schools.
Intensive Language Study
Intensive Vietnamese is offered at the beginner level through Hue University. With a maximum of six students per teacher, the course employs a highly communicative, interactive curriculum that emphasizes both spoken and written Vietnamese and is closely connected to the family stay experience, the core course, and other field activities. Students attend language classes for 12 to 14 hours a week for a total of roughly 60 hours of in-class instruction. Students already fluent in Vietnamese may audit content courses at Hue University or pursue an independent study in Vietnamese on a topic of interest (culture, history, literature, etc.)