Partner Institutions
CASA Cuba provides direct access to Cuba’s leading institution(s) of higher learning: University of Havana and Casa de las Américas.
Casa de Las Américas
Casa de Las Américas (La Casa)
CASA courses center on topics highly relevant to Cuba’s contemporary society and are taught by leading authorities in the field. They involve several site visits, invited guest speakers, research opportunities, small class sizes, and active learning with our faculty. These classes offer a wide network of experts based on the interests of our students. You will have access to syllabi and course materials through our learning platform once admitted as a student to CASA and before you arrive in Cuba.
Casa de las Américas was founded by the Cuban revolutionary government in 1959 to promote the arts and literature in the Americas. It has served as an important cultural and academic hub between Cuba, Latin America, and North America ever since. Currently, it offers various thematic programs with academic and public events, publication and research components, including Afro-American and LatinXs Studies, Music, Theatre, Literature, among others. All of these programs and their activities are open to CASA students. Casa de las Américas hosts CASA’s academic center in Havana, the Galería Haydée Santamaría(“the gallery”), named after the founder of La Casa.
University of Havana
The University of Havana (UH)
Founded in 1728, UH is Latin America’s oldest, and Cuba’s largest, university. It boasts a rich international history and vibrant social and cultural student life. Secularized in 1842, modernized under US occupation in 1902, and incorporated into the revolution since 1959, it is home to some 18,000+ students at 16 different schools, 35 degree programs and 60 Master’s programs. Its main campus sits in the Vedado district, close to CASA’s homestays. Classes are taken alongside Cuban and other international students. There are many national and international events in which you can participate.
CASA and international students are invited to enroll in most courses and departments without prior content knowledge. Here you can enrich your study abroad experience by studying subjects of your interest from an entirely different perspective, including the history of the United States, Cuba or Latin America, race relations or intersectionality, Marxist philosophy, and/or Afro-Caribbean culture and literature. Class information is typically not available online in advance, but students will have a two-week shopping period prior to arrival. You will receive ample support and advice from CASA staff, local students, and UH administrators. The program will make current semester updates available as they are communicated by the University (usually a week before the semester begins).
Classes take place at the School of Philosophy, History and Sociology, the School of Arts and Literature (Cuban and Latin American Literature, Linguistics, and Art history and theory), the School of Economics, and Foreign Languages, among others.
Language of instruction
CASA Cuba is a language immersion program, and as such, you are required to take all of your courses in Spanish.
