Faculty Leader

• Dr. Randol Contreras, UCR Associate Professor of Media and Cultural Studies

Classes

• MCS 160: Race, State Violence, and Incarceration in the United States (4 units)
• MCS 190: Special Studies on Drug Policy (4 units)

This program, now in its fourth consecutive year (Lisbon in 2023; Barcelona in 2024; San Juan, PR in 2025), compares the crime policies of the United States and Spain.

Starting in the 1970s, the United States applied harsh policing and punishment to non-violent drug crimes in minority communities. This resulted in the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people, which has had negative generational impacts on minorities. Spain, in contrast, began a public health approach in the early 2000s, which decriminalized personal drug use and reduced drug-related harms. Despite its more compassionate approach, Spain's violent crime averages are at least three times (sometimes nine times) less than in the US. And according to the 2021 Global Peace Index, Spain is the 31st safest and peaceful country in the world, whereas the US is ranked 122. However, like in the US, Spain has problems with racism. Its population, in general, holds negative attitudes toward the Moroccan, Latino/a, and Romani communities. Racist policing, hate, and derision run rampant, which has led marginalized young people of color to develop an oppositional identity toward white racism.

All the above will be covered across two courses: MCS 160, Race, State Violence, and Incarceration in the United States, and MCS 190, Special Studies (Drug Policy). The course, MCS 190 (Drug Policy), introduces students to drug policies in both Spain and the United States. The course, MCS 160, explores the development of mass incarceration in the US and its comparison to Spain's general approach to crime. To supplement both courses, guest lecturers will teach students about Spain's history, government, drug policies, and laws. In all, students will get a global understanding of the links between racism, drug policy, and incarceration by comparing Spain and the US.

To facilitate a smoother transition to Spain and reduce student expenses, Professor Contreras will hold the program's first two weeks at UCR. This ensures that students develop a solid knowledge base without the distractions of being in a new country. Additionally, it reduces overall costs for students by shortening their stay abroad from five weeks to three weeks.

Itinerary Highlights

• Visit to “Dialegs da Dona,” or a similar organization, including a lecture
• Visit to La Mina to speak with residents and/or Romani activists
• Cultural guided visits/activities, including entrance fees as necessary: Park Güell, Sagrada Família, walking tour of the Gothic Quarter, hands-on cooking class with Mescladís, walking tour of the El Raval neighborhood
• Full-day trip to Girona and Costa Brava, including a walking tour and free time on the beach
• Full-day trip to Tarragona, including a walking tour of the Roman Ruins and a water activity at the beach

Apply Here: Drugs and Crime in Barcelona, Spain

NOTE: As of March 15, 2026, this program has reached its minimum. It may run again in Summer 2027.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Carlos Calderón, UCR Associate Professor of Teaching 

Classes

• EDUC 109P: Educational Psychology in Spanish-Speaking Contexts (4 units)
• EDUC 197: Research with Minoritized Language and Culture Students (4 units)

Educational Psychology in Spain is a four-week, Madrid-based program in which students complete two 4-unit UCR courses: EDUC 109P: Educational Psychology in Spanish-Speaking Contexts, and EDUC 197: Research with Minoritized Language and Culture Students.

Students will study linguistic and cultural diversity in Spain and its connection to California; multicultural and bilingual development and its relevance to the education and psychology professions; and school psychology foundations with diverse learners from a scientist-practioner perspective. The program blends classroom learning with cultural immersion through museum visits, day excursions, and guest lectures by local educators and bilingual psychologists. Students work on and present a research project at the end of the program.

Activities include:

• Welcome meal and orientation in Madrid
• Madrid walking city tour
• Guided visit to the Museo Nacional del Prado
• Tapas crawl in Madrid
• Farewell meal in Madrid
• Toledo day trip
• Segovia day trip

Who is this FLEAP perfect for?

A motivated UCR undergraduate or graduate student in Education, Psychology, or related fields who values bilingualism, cultural equity, and applied research. Typically a sophomore, junior, or senior with a solid academic record (about 3.0 + GPA), the student is eager to study educational psychology in Spanish-speaking contexts, wishes to have an immersion experience in Madrid, and complete a small research project. Spanish proficiency is not required, but interest in practicing Spanish is welcome.

Apply Here: Educational Psychology in Spain

NOTE: As of February 14, 2026, this program has reached its maximum. It may run again in Summer 2027.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Irene Hatzopoulos, UCR Lecturer of Italian

Classes

• ITA / EUR 43: Italian Cuisine (4 units)
• ITA 45 / MCS 44: Italian Cinema (4 units)

The purpose of the course is to explore Italy's rich cultural history through the vehicles of food and film. By focusing on this topic, we will do a deep dive into the unification of Italy, spend a significant amount of time on Pellegrino Artusi, the father of Italian cuisine, passing through the alimentary restrictions of the Fascist period into the abundance of the economic boom to arrive to modern-day Italy and how food is all at once a function of individual and collective identity. By having Bologna as our home base, we'll be able to explore all of these avenues, primarily through the Cineteca di Bologna (Cinema Ritrovato), taking a short trip to Forlimpopoli to Casa Artusi, a quick stint to Florence to highlight the foods Artusi studied, and a short trip to Rome to experience food and multiculturalism (specifically the presence of the Jewish Ghetto and their culinary delights).

Itinerary Highlights

• Walking tours, including a food walking tour, in Bologna, Italy
• Cooking workshops
• Welcome dinner at a restaurant in Bologna, Italy
• Guided tour of the Jewish Ghettos in Bologna and Rome, Italy
• Visit to the Museum of Modern Art
• Visit to the Cinecittà Studios, a large film studio in Rome, Italy
• Visit to the Cineteca di Bologna, a film library in Bologna, Italy
• Visit to the Casa Artusi, the largest food museum in Italy, which includes a food tour
• Five-day visit to Rome, Italy
• Colosseum and Roman Forum guided tour
• Housing in twin rooms with breakfast in Bologna and Rome, Italy
• Free weekends in Bologna to explore city sites

Apply Here: Italy through Food and Film

NOTE: As of March 15, 2026, this program has reached its minimum. It may run again in Summer 2027.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Kyle Ingram, UCR Assistant Professor of Teaching in Management

Classes

• BUS 145: Designing and Leading Teams
• BUS 190: Special Studies

The London Leadership Experience encourages students to engage in a deeper understanding of human behavior within organizations. The program operates on the principle that behavior is a function of a person in their environment (i.e., the way we behave is largely dependent on who we are and the various contexts we find ourselves in).

This program develops its approach from two upper-division management electives: BUS 145 and BUS 190. Both courses encourage students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and recognize how they are already well-equipped for successful leadership and teamwork. Delivering these two courses in the international context will highlight new challenges that students should be ready to face in an increasingly globalized world. The courses are designed to take students out of their comfort zone, inspiring personal development and growth. Studying theories of leadership and teamwork amongst top academics and practitioners in London will only further expand the knowledge and perspective gained through these courses.

This program has run before in London, so here is media coverage about it:

• "Lessons come to life in Brazil" (2025)
• "Study abroad program grows in popularity" (2024)
• "London is Waiting" (2021) 
• StoryMap (2021) 
• YouTube video (2020)

Watch this short video (2 minutes) by Professor Ingram to learn more about what to expect in this program! In addition, feel free to check out @thelondonleadershipexperience on Instagram for more behind-the-scenes of the program.

Apply Here: The London Leadership Experience

NOTE: As of March 15, 2026, this program has reached its minimum. It may run again in Summer 2027.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Reza Aslan, UCR Professor of Creative Writing

Classes

• CRWT 185: Special Topics in Nonfiction (4 units)
• CRWT 190: Special Studies (4 units)

Immerse yourself in the heart of Italy while sharpening your voice as a narrative travel writer. This five-week intensive summer course combines the art of storytelling with the lived experience of travel, guiding students through the process of observing, reflecting, and crafting vivid nonfiction prose rooted in place.

With a home base in Rome and excursions to Florence and other select locales, students will study the craft of narrative writing—focusing on voice, character, setting, and description—while engaging with the cities, landscapes, and people of Italy. The course will include both group travel and opportunities for solo exploration, helping students build confidence in observation, research, and field interviewing techniques.

Each student will work toward a polished, publishable long-form narrative by the end of the course, drawing on their personal experiences and the people and places they encounter.

Apply Here: Writing the World: Narrative Travel Writing in Italy

NOTE: As of March 15, 2026, this program has reached its maximum. It may run again in Summer 2027.

Faculty Leaders

• Dr. Yasuhiko Miura, UCR Lecturer in Japanese
• Dr. Reiko Sato, UCR Lecturer in Japanese

Classes

• JPN 1: First-Year Japanese 1 (4 units)
• JPN 2: First-Year Japanese 2 (4 units)

This program offers an exciting opportunity for students who are passionate about anime, manga, and Japanese culture to not only immerse themselves in Japan but also put their language skills to the test in real-world settings. By traveling to Japan, students can explore the places that inspire their interests while practicing the language they've learned. Additionally, the program is structured to help students fulfill foreign language requirements—completing two quarters of language classes, or, for UCR students, taking their third quarter of language class during the fall quarter after returning, ensuring a seamless continuation of their foreign language education!

Activities include:

• Anime studio and museum tours in Tokyo
• Entrance to TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto, an art museum
• Entrance to Toei Kyoto Studio Park
• Entrance to the Kyoto International Manga Museum
• Entrance to the Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art
• Entrance to the Edo-Tokyo Museum
• Classes at Ryukoku University and Saitama University

Who is this FLEAP perfect for?

This program is designed to cater to a variety of student interests and needs, including:

• Students fulfilling a language requirement: Upon completing this program, students can seamlessly continue with JPN 3 in the fall quarter, finishing their language requirement while deepening their understanding of Japanese.
• Students with no language requirement: Perfect for those who wish to study Japanese out of personal interest, particularly those with scheduling conflicts during the regular academic quarter (such as science majors).
• Students needing a refresher: Ideal for those who have previously studied Japanese but need a review, including heritage learners who may struggle with reading and writing.
• Anime and manga enthusiasts: Even students who never intended to learn Japanese but are passionate about anime and manga will discover the joy of understanding these media in their original language!

The professors are excited to inspire all students, whether they are learning Japanese for academic, personal, or cultural reasons, and help them experience the language in new and engaging ways.

Apply Here: Introduction to Japanese for Anime, Manga Lovers!

NOTE: As of February 14, 2026, this program has reached its minimum. It may run again in Summer 2027.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Linda Lemus, UCR Assistant Professor of Teaching in Hispanic Studies

Classes

• SPN 003: Elementary Spanish (4 units)
• SPN 090: Special Studies in Spanish (2 units)

Apply Here: ¡Vamos a México! Language, Life, and Learning in Oaxaca (Session A).

Cancellation Note: As of February 18, 2026, this program has been canceled and will be postponed.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Nikolai Ingistov-Garcia, UCR Lecturer in Hispanic Studies

Classes

• SPN 004: Intermediate Spanish (4 units)
• SPN 090: Special Studies in Spanish (2 units)

Apply Here: ¡Vamos a México! Language, Life, and Learning in Oaxaca (Session B).

Cancellation Note: As of March 16, 2026, this program has been canceled and will be postponed.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Timothy Petete, UCR Associate Professor of Teaching in English

Classes

• ENGL 115: Public Humanities (4 units)
• ENGL 141: Applied Research - British Library (4 units)

The program will provide students with an opportunity to assess the ways in which Indigenous presence extends beyond the United States. The program will focus on three subject areas: applied research; literature, history, museum studies, culture, and art; and public humanities projects. Students will complete an applied research session during the first portion of the program. They will complete on-site excursions during the second portion of the program.

Apply Here: Applied Research in London: Indigenous England

Cancellation Note: As of February 2, 2026, this program has been canceled and will be postponed.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Fuson Wang, UCR Associate Professor of English

Classes

• ENGL 128: Jane Austen (4 units)
• ENGL 166T: Topics in Romantic Literature (4 units) 

This program ran successfully in Summer 2024 and Summer 2025. See program photos and videos from Summer 2024 here. 

See a slideshow about the program on Canva!

"Austen and the City" offers students the opportunity to experience the cultural transformation of Romantic-era revolutions by connecting the groundbreaking works of authors like Jane Austen, William Wordsworth, William Blake, Anna Letitia Barbauld, Felicia Hemans, Letitia Landon, Percy Shelley, Friedrich Engels, and more to the places that inspired them. Students will learn how these authors were awed, disgusted, amused, or motivated by the people and places around them.

Bath was a holiday town where fashionable society came to mingle, and Jane Austen was right there to document their human foibles with acerbic wit and moving characterizations, especially in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Although we'll be based in London, we will take a trip to Bath to see how the landed gentry lived it up in the southern English countryside, away from the urban noise of London. With walking tours, a visit to the Jane Austen Centre, and a bus trip to Chawton House, students will see how an industrializing empire tried hard to maintain fictions of gentility, picturesque gardens, and bucolic bliss. In addition to English 128J's focus on Jane Austen, students will also experience in English 166T the darker urbanity of Romantic literature with the work of someone like William Blake. There will be a hands-on tutorial with Blake's unique printmaking process that allowed him to meld visual and verbal art into idiosyncratic expression and revolutionary mythmaking. Michael Phillips has recreated Blake's copper plates, ink blends, and even his star press so that students can experience first-hand how Blake had to create his own printing process to do justice to his anti-industrial, anti-capitalist, and anti-establishment verse.

This program exposes students to these generative contradictions of Romantic-era England to show how this era dealt with issues that we're still grappling with today. In the ruptures of these contradictions, these authors dared to envision a world without perpetual war, the abolition of the slave trade, the flourishing of professional women writers, and the world-shaking agency of the human imagination.

Virtual Info Session

Access the slide deck for an overview of the program here - you can also watch the recording of the recent information session, going over all of the program information below as well. 

Apply Here: Austen and the City in London

Cancellation Note: As of April 2, 2026, this program has been canceled and will be postponed.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Young Wha Hong, UCR Lecturer in Korean

Classes

• KOR 004: Second-Year Korean (4 units)
• KOR 042: Korean Culture and Society (aka Cultural Encounter in Korea) (4 units)

These two summer courses are inseparable from each other. In other words, after completing Korean 1 through Korean 4, students have the opportunity to experience Korean culture while learning the language in Korea directly. To truly master a language, one must deeply understand the culture of the country where it is spoken. Therefore, for students learning Korean either as a foreign language or as a heritage language, experiencing Korean culture firsthand and using Korean in real-life situations during the final stages of their learning will not only offer them the best opportunities but also maximize the effectiveness of their Korean language education.

Activities include:

• Seoul city tour
• Yonsei University visit
• Day trip to Suwon, the home of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Hwaseong fortress
• K-Pop dance class experience
• Visit to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)
• Weekend in Busan
• Gamcheon Culture Village Tour

Who is this FLEAP perfect for?

The ideal candidates for the 2026 FLEAP program in Seoul, Korea, are UCR students who would have completed Korean 3 and Korean 20A by the end of the 2026 spring quarter. The Korean language program at UCR offers two distinct tracks: one for students learning Korean as a foreign language (KFL) and another for those studying it as a heritage language (KHL). As for KFL, there are three (3) sections from Korean 1 through Korean 3 in an academic year, whereas we offer only one (1) section of Korean 4 in each fall. So, many students need to be enrolled in Korean 4 in any summer. As for KHL, there are two sections of Korean 20B during an academic year.
Most students in the program are required to take Korean 4 and Korean 20B to graduate. For these students, the opportunity to visit Korea during the summer, fulfill the KFL and KHL requirements, and explore and experience Korean culture firsthand would be ideal.
Additionally, if students from other UC campuses wish to enroll in Korean 4 during the summer term, priority can be given to UCR students before opening registration to others.

Watch this replay of a recent information session (53 minutes) for more information about everything you need to know about the program!

Apply Here: Korean Language and Culture in South Korea

Cancellation Note: As of February 17, 2026, this program has been canceled and will be postponed.

Faculty Leader

• Dr. Daniel Ross, UCR Lecturer of Linguistics

Classes

• LING 131: Morphology (4 units)
• LING 160F: Dialectology (4 units)

We will study Linguistics in the local context of the Basque Country, Spain, with a focus on the Basque language and the development of Spanish. Rather than just reading about how languages work, we will directly investigate the grammar of these languages for a first-hand perspective on linguistic structure. We will cover the same range of content as an on-campus version of these courses, but illustrated by data elicited and analyzed by the students themselves, directly from speakers.

This program will therefore be a mix of theoretical/technical content from the courses, as well as hands-on field experience and field methods training, as well as emphasizing the importance and diversity of human languages spoken around the world, including the timely topics of language endangerment and revitalization, as this is the UN's International Decade of Indigenous Languages.

Note: This program ran successfully in summer 2024.

Apply Here: Linguistics in Bilbao and Madrid, Spain

Cancellation Note: As of February 17, 2026, this program has been canceled and will be postponed.

Faculty Leader

Dr. Marta Hernández Salván, UCR Associate Professor of Spanish

Classes

Note: Classes are taught in Spanish. If you speak Spanish at a high intermediate or advanced level, you are welcome to apply! Please email the professor if you haven't completed the prerequisites below.

• SPN 122B: Spanish Transatlantic Cultural Studies (4 units)
• SPN 103: Spanish Culture and Civilization (4 units)

This program provides students with the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in Spanish culture by speaking, writing, and reading Spanish inside and outside the classroom in the cosmopolitan city of Madrid. Students will learn about contemporary Spanish culture and will study Spain’s multicultural roots during our trips to Granada and Toledo.

An essential part of the course will also be devoted to understanding how the new migratory phenomenon of the twenty-first century, especially from Latin America and Asia, has changed the cultural fabric of modern Spain. We will study the cultural production (films, graphic novels, poetry) of second-generation Spanish artists of LatinX, Chinese, or African ancestry raised in bicultural settings.

Through our classes at museums and other culturally specific sites, students will learn as they experience the culture. In addition to our discussion-based classes, students will also have the opportunity to explore the city according to theme-based guided tours (Madrid through literary cafés, Madrid and graffiti art, etc.).

Watch this short video (3 minutes) to learn more about what to expect on this program from Professor Marta Hernández Salván. 

Note: This program has run twice before in 2024 and 2025.

Apply Here: Madrid, Spain: Interculturalism in the Crossroads

Cancellation Note: As of March 19, 2026, this program has been canceled and will be postponed.

Program Leader

• Leader information pending

Program Itinerary

Program Eligibility

• Open to students (graduate or undergraduate). All majors are welcome.
• Open to recent alumni of UCR.
• Open to other university or college students.

Apply Here: ¡Explore Mexico! Culture, Connection, and Creative Thinking in Mexico

Program Leaders

• Professor Austin Attaway, Lecturer in School of Business
• Second leader information pending

Program Description

Experience an Italian getaway this summer from the sandy beaches and crystal clear waters of Ischia, a volcanic island in the Bay of Naples. Hidden in the shadows of its glamorous neighbor, Capri, Ischia has been famous for its thermal baths, hot springs, vineyards, scenic hikes, and delicious cuisine. 

This two-week excursion includes cooking classes (pasta and mozzarella visit), a guided tour of Pompei, excursions to Capri, Sorrento, Positano, and the Amalfi Coast, thermal baths, yoga, and hiking. The program is open to non-UCR friends and family members and will be led by Professor Austin Attaway (School of Business). 

To decrease student costs, the professor has partnered with Italy Abroad Programs (IAP), a cost-effective study abroad program that believes that students benefit immensely from times overseas and are shaped into well-rounded, confident individuals from cross-cultural experiences. Professor Attaway will be co-leading with Vince Amalfitano from IAP, whose expertise, knowledge, and creative passion for Italy will assist students on the journey of a lifetime. 

The program is for all UCR majors, undergraduate, graduate, and alumni!

Program Eligibility

• Open to students (graduate or undergraduate). All majors are welcome.
• Open to alumni of UCR.
• Open to everyone, such as other university students.

Apply Here: Italian Island Getaway

NOTE: As of February 14, 2026, this program has reached its application limit and is accepting deposits only from its current list of applicants. It is scheduled to run again in Summer 2027. Want to join us, even after the deadline? Limited spots remain! Contact Sonja Lind.

Faculty Leader

• Professor Karisa You, Lecturer in School of Business

Program Itinerary

MON JULY 6

• Arrive LHR
• Coach to Cambridge
• Hotel Check-In
• Orientation
• Welcome Meal

TUE JULY 7 

• Cambridge Tour
• King's Chapel
• Whipple Museum
• Free Evening

WED JULY 8 

• Punting activity
• Fitzwilliam Museum
• Free Evening

THU JULY 9

• Cambridge Botanic Gardens
• Free Afternoon and Evening

FRI JULY 10 

• Travel to Bath
• Free Evening

SAT JULY 11

• Bath Tour
• Roman Baths
• Free Evening

SUN JULY 12

• Jane Austin Centre
• Free Afternoon and Evening

MON JULY 13

• Travel to London
• London Orientation
• Central London Walking Tour
• Free Evening

TUE JULY 14

• Tower of London
• Free Afternoon
• West End Show

WED JULY 15

• British Museum
• Afternoon tea at The Orangery
• Free Evening

THU JULY 16

• Whitehall Walking Tour
• Free Afternoon
• Farewell Meal

FRI JULY 17

• Heathrow Express to LHR
• Program ends

Program Eligibility

• Open to students (graduate or undergraduate). All majors are welcome.
• Open to recent alumni of UCR.
  Open to students from other universities or colleges.

Apply Here: London and Cambridge Experiential Learning

Note: As of March 30, 2026, this program has been cancelled. Please review other non-credit FLEAP options.