Academic Information
La Sabana’s Multicultural Citizens Program (MCP) is aimed at students and young professionals from varying disciplines. If you are interested in learning more about global perspectives from various perspectives such as relationships, food, customs, festivals across cultures, history, mysteries, myths, music, art, television, traditions, rituals, and beliefs. Program is great for you.
Customize your modules
You can pick and choose the courses that cater to your interest:
If authorized by your home institution, this program can be recognized as part of your studies as you will receive a transcript of records. You will be required to complete a final assessment for the course that may vary depending on the course and may include research papers, oral presentations, class participation, etc.
In this module, students will learn about Colombian culture, life, and customs. At the same time, they will improve their Spanish language and general knowledge. Through a large variety of resources and contents, they will work with different popular culture topics such as places, music, food, art, literature, and so on, as well as developing their proficiency in Spanish as a global language.
2 hours will be ‘Fun learning time’ hours: role-play club, workshops, dance, cooking, etc.
Levels: Available from C1 through B1 – CEFR
In this module, students will learn about Colombian culture, life, and customs. At the same time, they will improve their Spanish language and general knowledge. Through a large variety of resources and contents, they will work with different popular culture topics such as places, music, food, art, literature, and so on, as well as developing their proficiency in Spanish as a global language.
2 hours will be ‘Fun learning time’ hours: role-play club, workshops, dance, cooking, etc.
Levels: Available from A1 through B1 – CEFR
Strengthening Intercultural Communication Skills is a module for students who want to improve their communication skills paying special attention to the intercultural component. Classes are based on discussions and presentations where topics such as communication, relationships, food, customs, and festivals across cultures are discussed. Students are exposed to communicative situations; in the meantime, they experience the need to communicate. The focus of this module is to develop students’ communicative skills; nevertheless, students will learn communicative strategies that can be transferred to any communicative situation with any other languages spoken.
Week 1: Communicating across Cultures
Week 2: Relationships in different countries
Week 3: Food around the world
Week 4: Customs around food and festivals
In this module, students will travel through Latin America using movies, magazines, articles, images, and a variety of resources. Students will contribute to the exploration of natural wonders from their own perspectives and perczeptions. This module aims at providing students with the chance of taking a trip in each class and getting to know wonderful places and their history, mysteries, myths, and legends. Furthermore, they will know more about ancient cultures like Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas.
Week 1: Mexico: Secrets of The Mayas & La Ruta Maya, Mayan Legends & Sacred places of the Mayas
Week 2: The Aztecs and The Incas
Week 3: Colombian amazing places: Caño Cristales
Week 4: The Amazon Rainforest
This module focuses on gaining an advanced understanding of the concepts associated with culture and communication. The course provides students with the opportunity to develop intercultural awareness and patterns of perception and thinking to enable effective communication across cultural boundaries. Also, students will analyze the structure of culture, the relation between culture and family, constructs of worldviews religion, and human behaviors. They will work with common elements of religion developed through movies, magazines, music, art, and television from around the world to create universal strategies on how to interact with any culture at ease. Students will develop an understanding of benefits and challenges of intercultural relationships and relational development, cultural differences in notions of family and friendship.
Week 1: Introduction to Intercultural Communication and Developing Cultural Awareness
Week 2: Structure of Culture, Culture and Family, Constructs of Worldviews Religion and Human Behaviors Common Elements of Religion Developing
Week 3: Beliefs, Values, Behaviors Cultural Patterns Developing Cultural Pattern Awareness
Week 4: Intercultural Relationships: benefits and challenges of intercultural relationships and relational development; cultural differences in notions of family and friendship
This module will give you a chance to explore and discover some traditions, customs, and dishes around the world through videos, magazines, articles, images, and a variety of resources offered by National Geographic since its origins. You will contribute to the exploration of culture, traditions, rituals, and beliefs around the world from their own perspectives and perceptions. This course aims at providing you with the chance of taking a trip in each class and getting to know a bit of history, foods, festivals, legal systems, and varied beauty standards.
Week 1: Entomophagy and Weird Dishes
Week 2: Wacky Festivals and Festivals and Animals: Animal Rights vs. Animal Welfare
Week 3: What is Justice? Legal Systems Around the World - Honesty standards and corruption around the world - Corruption Cases
Week 4: Beauty Standards Around the World - Geishas and Vanity Issues - Vanity Gone Wrong (cases)
This module provides opportunities for students to upgrade their English language skills in all four skill areas: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Participants will be able to develop their academic English language proficiency including the use of either receptive (listening and reading) and/or communicative language skills (speaking and writing) by reconnecting each lesson topic or activity with authentic academic English context. This course will help you increase your success in your other college classes so that you can achieve your English academic goals.
• Increase your public speaking skills
• Use your English to solve problems
• Enhance your Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)
* English for non-native Speakers
Program Outcomes
- Students will complete 96 hours of academic content in English over the four-week program at La Sabana University, as well as 48 or 96 hours of Spanish language.
- Students should receive academic credit towards their home institution degree, on approval from their home institution. (Academic Credit in Colombia 48 hours = 1 academic credit)
- Students will acquire a multicultural understanding of Colombia as well as global issues, while meeting and interacting with other students from La Sabana’s partner institutions from around the world.
- Students will complete courses not available directly at their home institution.
Admission requirements
English Proficiency
All participants are required to be proficient in English. Classes will be conducted in English and participants will be called upon to discuss the materials they have studied in class. Minimum level required for students: B1/B2.
Spanish Proficiency
You are not required to have specific level of Spanish to take the courses. As part of the program, each participant will complete an online placement test to determine your Spanish language level. Remember, part of the program is designed for you to live the Spanish experience in Colombia.
UniSabana Challenge Experience
The Multicultural Citizens Program (MCP) Challenge. The Challenge Experience is a contest in which groups of a maximum of 5 people will implement the Design Thinking methodology to generate a solution that they will present through a 5-minute pitch at the end of the session. At UniSabana, we are excited to have you form part of this amazing event, where you will have the opportunity to be part of the change in multiculturalism in Latin America and the Globe.