Havana, Cuba

SUA offers a study abroad program at Universidad de La Habana in Havana through IFSA. This program is best suited for students with higher-level Spanish proficiency.

Image of Havana cityscape.

Location

Located on the cost of northern Cuba, Havana is the country’s capital and largest city both by area and population, with more than 2 million residents. 

Image of a Havana street overlooking the ocean.

Climate

Havana is a hotspot for tourism with more than 1 million tourists each year, due largely to its tropical climate. The average temperature year-round falls between 70 and 80 degrees. 

Image of Havana architecture.

Neighborhoods

Due to its distinct neighborhoods, Havana is often described as three cities in one: Old Havana, the city-center; Vedado, the business district; and the surrounding suburban areas. 

Program Characteristics

The fall semester takes place from late August to mid-December. The spring semester takes place from late January to mid-May.

  • 3.0 GPA
  • Five semesters of university-level Spanish

Students choose four or five electives from the Facultad de Artes y Letras and Facultad de Filosofia e Historia at UH.

Semester curricular activities and excursions may include the following: attendance at concerts, the ballet, or a theater performance; a visit to Finca Vigia (the Cuban home of Ernest Hemingway); a visit to the second largest Cuban city, Santiago de Cuba, where students explore some of the first settlements and most important historic sites on the island; a tour of the tobacco and coffee plantations in Vinales; and a trip to Cueva del Indio, a prehistoric rock art site.

Students live in Casa Particulares, which are private accommodations with a Cuban family. The concept of a casa particular is similar to a bed and breakfast or room rental. This is common in Cuba, in which private family establishments provide lodging, usually on a short-term basis.

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