Wake Forest University’s Cuba summer program takes place in the beautiful capital city Havana; an ideal setting to feature Cuba’s diverse culture. Students take SPA 280 or SPA 369; both focus on culture, society, and history with an opportunity to learn about Cuban literature, music, history, theater, visual/performance arts, architecture, Afro-Cuban religions, and entrepreneurship. Students engage with professors, artists, and experts from the University of Havana, the School of the Arts, and cultural foundations and organizations. In Havana, we step outside of the classroom to take field trips, attend presentations & happenings, and participate in art and poster-printing workshops with children.

Wake Forest University’s Cuba summer program is based in the beautiful capital city, Havana. The mixture of urban districts and colonial architecture in Havana provides an ideal setting to capture the rich and diverse culture and art of Cuban society. Among the many exciting places in Havana, are the residential and theater district in Vedado, the financial and commercial district in Miramar, and Old Havana, a UNESCO-declared World Heritage Site with a fascinating mixture of  colonial, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco architecture.

Wake Forest University’s Cuba summer program takes place in the beautiful capital city Havana; an ideal setting to feature Cuba’s diverse culture. Students take SPA 280 or SPA 369; both focus on culture, society, and history with an opportunity to learn about Cuban literature, music, history, theater, visual/performance arts, architecture, Afro-Cuban religions, and entrepreneurship. Students engage with professors, artists, and experts from the University of Havana, the School of the Arts, and cultural foundations and organizations. In Havana, we step outside of the classroom to take field trips, attend presentations & happenings, and participate in art and poster-printing workshops with children.

Students travel to other great Cuban towns and cities (Matanzas, Guanabacoa, Cienfuegos, and Trinidad) and to the countryside, where they tour Afro-Cuban museums and temples, observe planting and farming techniques, make ceramics, create hand-made books with an internationally famous book cooperative, and  participate in  poetry slams, music concerts, and art happenings. Students also enjoy horseback riding, hiking to the fabulous waterfalls of Topes de Collantes, and swimming at the beaches. 

Back at Wake, in fall semester, students take SPA 198 Service Learning (3hrs elective) to continue service-learning projects in the Winston-Salem community that build on their Cuban experiences and to create cultural happenings and exhibits on the WFU campus.

Dr. Linda Howe
Romance Languages
Phone: (336) 758 4905
E-mail: howels@wfu.edu

Hotels and private homestays.

NOTE: All students participating in the WFU Cuba: Cuban Culture and Society program are required to live in program-provided housing. Housing accommodations you may have on campus do not automatically transfer to abroad and certain housing accommodations (single rooms and private bathrooms, for example) may not be available.

The group travels to Matanzas to make handmade books, to the beaches of Varadero, and to the colonial cities of Trinidad and Cienfuegos to take horseback rides through sugar mills and tours of great historical towns

• Good academic standing
• SPA 212 or equivalent

The total cost of summer study abroad can be broken down into four categories:

• Program Fee – Covers room, in-country travel, excursions, most meals and other costs associated with the program.
• Tuition – Students on WFU summer programs pay WFU summer school tuition per credit hour. The 2025 summer rate is $950/per credit hour.  
• Airfare (estimated) – Varies per location. Students are responsible for their own airfare unless otherwise noted.
• Personal Expenses (estimated) – These will vary depending on the students’ spending habits, cost of living in the destination country, and the number of meals included in the program fee. This may also include visa fees, vaccinations, academic supplies/books and other miscellaneous daily expenses.

Program Fee (estimated) – TBD
Tuition (3hrs) – $2,850
Airfare (estimated) – Estimate cost for flights to Cuba as part of program: TBD. Students responsible for flights from their originating destination to Miami. 
Personal Expenses (estimated) – $TBD
Estimated total cost – $TBD excluding airfare to Miami

Scholarships are available through the Center for Global Programs and Studies.

Passport Information
Students need to check their passport’s expiration date and ensure that it will be valid for at least 6 months after the program’s end date.

Students going on a summer program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least mid-February of the following year.

US passport holders who need to renew their passport should visit the U.S. Department of State’s passport website for information on this process.

Non-US passport holders who need to renew their passport should refer to their home country’s passport office.

Visa Information
If you are a US citizen, you most likely will not require a visa for your summer abroad program. If you do, details will be shared with you by GPS. Non-US passport holders should check with their host country’s embassy or consulate to find out if a visa is required for their program or not.

Dr. Linda Howe
Associate Professor of Spanish
Phone: (336) 758 4905
E-mail: howels@wfu.edu

Amanda Batten 
Study Abroad Advisor
Center for Global Programs and Studies
Phone: 336-758-3194
Email: battena@wfu.edu