Antillean Summer

Ace immersion over six beautiful summer weeks in
Fort-de-France, Martinique

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Academics

What can we interpret from Martinique’s identity? Unraveling the tragic disappearance of the Arawak and Carib civilizations following the European arrival and their replacement with African, and later East Asian, slave labor is crucial to piecing together the story. Through song and written text, the emancipation and literary movements slowly brought a voice to French Caribbean identity, but does it represent all?

Voting to become a French department in 1946, eschewing independence for integration, tension between the “metropole” and the island are still palpable. What is the source of the tensions and is a solution in sight? Where does the island fall in protecting and preserving its exceptional environment and biodiversity for which it is known?

Questions like these aims to be answered in courses during APA French Antilles. Poignant and thoughtful discussion-based classes led by local professors, direct students to critically analyze, collaborate and communicate together in a multi-cultural environment.

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Take Your Pick

Students enroll in two courses, each worth four credits. All classes are conducted in French. Course offering and availability is subject to change.

Immigration, Slavery and Cultural Blending of the French Antilles in the Modern Era

Professor: Dr. Erik Noël

Under the Code Noir of 1685 that brought the African slave workforce to the islands, the “Sugarcane Habitation” plantation system altered its settlement in successive waves. A power shift and diverse cultural, racial blending arose with subsequent servants from Mascarene, Bengal, and beyond. Investigate the impact of this revolution: challenging the “settlers”, the “free people of color” on the rise, and the slave population.

(En)Gender the Caribbean: Francophone Women Writers

Professor: Dr. Dominique Aurélia

Explore and analyze excerpts of emblematic French Caribbean literature addressing the questions of identity, alterity, loss and memory. Using multiple narrative strategies, the writers tell how the mongrelized, illegitimate, rootless peoples of the Caribbean emerged from slavery, indentureship and colonial rule, to find their own voice.

Biodiversity and Medicinal Plants of the Caribbean

Professor: Dr. Phillip Joseph

Lush jungle surrounded by crystal clear water, Martinique provides a sumptuous setting teeming with wildlife both on land and in the sea. Discover this rich biodiversity first hand and learn to identify flora and fauna that have been used for medicinal purposes for centuries.

Introduction to the Native Antillean Population: An Anthropological, Archaeological and Historical Approach

Professor: Dr. Benoît Berard

Through an interdisciplinary lens, lectures and group discussions follow the course of native Antillean populations from 1492 to the Amerindian-descendant residents of modern day. Field trips to museums and archaeological sites offer a large diachronic panorama from the arrival of human beings in the insular Caribbean to the contemporary period.

Understanding the Environmental Context of French Departments in the Americas: The Example of Martinique

Professor: Dr. Pascal Saffache

Decipher the government’s operating procedures, appraise the founding concepts of mitigation, and identify the various hazards that affect the West Indies. Equipped with these basic tools to become active stakeholders for sustainable development, students will examine the continued vulnerability of the French island of Martinique.

View Course Catalogs

At the end of the summer term, APA will send the following to the student’s home institution:

  • Transcript (includes credit hours, French grades and American equivalents)
  • Professor’s evaluation (includes detailed report of the grades earned)
  • Course descriptions and bibliographies

Extend Your Stay

Stay in the Caribbean for eight weeks: With this two-week extension, students have the opportunity to gain further knowledge on a course topic with an independent study. This four-credit project is overseen by a faculty mentor.

This two-week extension option is perfect for meeting eight-week summer program requirements, a common qualification for funding channels.

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