Summer Session

The Summer Session is a two-week in-person intensive that takes place each June at a different Sponsoring School institution.

“I cannot express just how meaningful the Hispanic Scholars Program was to me. During a time when I was struggling vocationally during my doctoral program, I applied to HSP seeking connection with other Latine scholars across the United States. The two weeks we spent together in Philadelphia made a life-long impact on my sense of community, identity, and solidarity in the pursuit of liberative theological scholarship in a Latine context – it also inspired me to push forward in my doctoral journey by recentering the reasons I began this process in the first place: community and liberation! I am forever grateful to the leadership and mentorship provided by Dr. Daisy Machado, Dr. Jorge Rodríguez, and all of the professors during the 2024 summer session!” – Isabela Rosales  


Program Highlights

  • Join a cohort of Latine/Hispanic graduate students from across the country
  • Learn about the intersection of Latine/Hispanic Studies and Theology
  • Experience a learning environment centering Latine/Hispanic ways of knowing
  • Earn three credits toward your degree
  • Explore questions of vocation and further education

Program Description 

The Summer Session is a two-week in-person intensive that takes place each June at a different Sponsoring School institution. Students gather from across the world to take courses offered by leading scholars in Latine/Hispanic studies and theological education. Additionally, students partake in various organized activities that generate a robust community network during and after the program. This program overlaps with Through Hispanic Eyes and HSP for Undergrads, connecting participants with institutional leaders and undergraduate students.

Program Dates and Location

  • Dates: Details forthcoming
  • Location: Details forthcoming

Program Fees

  • $475 for Master students from HSP Sponsoring Schools
  • $800 for Master and Doctoral students from Non-HSP Sponsoring Schools 
  • The program fee includes the cost of room, board, travel and the three graduate credits

Please note that Doctoral students are responsible for their own travel costs.

Program Eligibility

  • This program is open to graduate students at an accredited institution
  • Priority is given to students from HSP Sponsoring Schools

Program Application

  • The application for this program will open on November 1, 2026
  • The required recommendations are due 1-week after the application closes

Required Recommendations

  • The application for this program requires two total recommendations: one recommendation from a Dean and one recommendation from a faculty member at your institution
  • Applicants will automatically receive an email notification when a recommendation has been submitted
  • An application without a recommendation will be considered incomplete and thus ineligible for consideration

When Will I Receive My Admission Decision?

  • Applicants will typically receive an email notification regarding the status of their application within two weeks of the application closing

Once an applicant has been accepted into the program they will receive an email with a matriculation form to accept their program admission. This matriculation form includes the process for paying the Program Fee and is due 2 weeks after the notification of admission.

The HSP accepts the following payment methods for the Program Fee after an individual has been accepted into the program:

  • Check: Please make checks payable to the Hispanic Scholars Program and mail to: Hispanic Scholars Program (42 Tiemann Place, Ste 310 New York, NY 10027)
  • PayPal: Payments may be submitted via PayPal using an existing account or by creating one and linking your credit card
  • Zelle: Zelle payments may be made to admin@hispanicscholarsprogram.org 

Please contact the HSP administrator, Elizabeth Niang (eniang@hispanicscholarsprogram.org), if you have any questions regarding payment options.

  • Travel: After you have been officially accepted to the program, submitted your matriculation form, and submitted the program fee, you may proceed with purchasing your travel to the program location. Upon purchasing your travel, you must submit your full travel itinerary via email to the HSP administrator, Elizabeth Niang (eniang@hispanicscholarsprogram.org).
  • Housing: All housing for the duration of the program is coordinated directly by the HSP. We recognize that travel schedules may require some participants to arrive prior to the program start date or depart after the program concludes. If you require housing outside of the official program dates, we will work with you to coordinate accommodations. Please note that the cost of any additional housing will be deducted from your travel reimbursement.

Since its first Summer Session in 1989, the Hispanic Scholars Program (HSP) has sought to be a place of welcome in which theological education is made available to all students. In keeping with this commitment, the HSP does not discriminate in its admissions or program practices on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability, or any other status protected by law. Applicants are evaluated using program-related criteria such as academic preparation, vocational interest, character, and commitment to theological study. The HSP has always served students, faculty, staff, administrators, and leaders from a wide range of backgrounds. Guided by the values of en conjunto (working together as a community), lo cotidiano (attending to the realities of daily life), and acompañamiento (walking alongside one another), we affirm that all people are created in the image of God and journey together in learning and faith.

We guarantee that our courses are taught with excellence, our faculty hold terminal degrees and are in good standing in their field, and that all of our classes meet ATS accreditation standards. Please note that HSP courses are not intended to fulfill any one school’s academic requirement, as we offer a wide variety of courses during the J-Term, Summer Session, HSP for Undergrads, Doctoral Accompaniment Seminar, and Praxis of Accompaniment. If a school chooses to use one of our courses to fulfill their requirements, then that is within the school’s purview, but we see our courses as electives that add to and expand a student’s curriculum.

In accordance with ATS accreditation standards, students must attend all class sessions in order to receive credit for the Summer Session.