Study abroad with Penn State in Mexico

Experience the natural beauty and vibrant cultural life that beckons from just across the southern border. Mexico is emerging as an alluring destination due to its multicultural history, striking landscapes, and diversity of its indigenous cultures. 

Application of Interest
 

During Plants, Places, and People (SC120N, BIOL 199, SPAN 1, 2, 3 and 296), faculty will teach the course at Penn State Abington and prepare you to deepen your knowledge of the topic by traveling with you to Mexico for eight days. 
 

  • Experience Aztec, Mayan, Spanish, and Zapotec culture in one of the world’s most linguistically diverse countries. 

  • Explore ancient pyramids and colonial-era architecture at UNESCO World Heritage sites in Mexico City, Puebla, Mitla, and Oaxaca.   

  • Use native plants to prepare traditional Mexican dishes, a cuisine that is simultaneously complex, refined, subtle, and sophisticated.   

  • See how maize, cacao, and agave are cultivated and processed into globally important commodities such as cornmeal, chocolate, and mezcal.    

  • Discover how Mexico balances sustainable development with the preservation of linguistic diversity.  

  • Identify how Mexico’s investment in preserving the genetic diversity of maize is critical to our future global food security. 

Itinerary (subject to change)

  • DAY 1 
    Travel from Philadelphia to Mexico City  

  • DAY 2  
    Explore cultural sites and gather for a welcome dinner    

  • DAY 3  
    Visit Xochimilco Floating Gardens. Free evening in the Condesa district and Parque Mexico    

  • DAY 4  
    Arrive in Puebla, tour cultural sites, and enjoy a cultural cooking lesson 

  • DAY 5  
    Travel to Oaxaca, explore the Monte Alban ruins, and spend a free evening in Mercado Benito Juárez  

  • DAY 6  
    Tour the Archaeology Museum and the Santo Domingo Church and Cultural Center and experience chocolate-making at the Cacao Experience

  • DAY 7  
    Visit the Tule Tree, the Mitla ruins, and a mezcal distillery. Free evening.   

  • DAY 8 
    Lunch at the Etnobotanico de Oaxaca and depart for Philadelphia 

Expenses

Costs range from $3,500 to $4,000, and Pell Grant recipients will earn awards. Charges will be applied to your bursar account upon enrollment in the course in addition to your tuition. See Global Programs staff for information about additional scholarships and financial support from Penn State and other sources.

Fees include airfare, ground transportation within Mexico, hotels, guided tours, and daily breakfast. Costs do not include lunches, dinners, and optional tours or free-time activities. 

A valid passport is required for international travel. Non-U.S. citizens may require a visa in addition to their passport. Non-U.S. citizens should consult their embassy for information and may ask the Office of Global Programs for guidance. 

About Short-Term Study Abroad or Embedded Courses

Penn State Abington offers short-term, faculty-led courses with an international travel component as a viable alternative to traditional semester-long study abroad. The courses offer academic international experiences with reduced costs and time commitments. 

Students enrolled in a faculty-led embedded course are enrolled in an internationally focused class that includes up to 10 days of travel. Travel occurs over fall or spring break. Course material and lectures prepare students both academically and culturally for the international excursion. 

The goal is to embed students into the life and culture of the country they visit. Therefore, including international faculty and students at the host institution in academic and cultural activities is a highly regarded and critical component of all of Abington’s faculty-led programs.