The University of Oklahoma College of Law's Global Legal Perspectives in Puebla Spring Break Program offers students a unique opportunity to examine U.S. immigration policy and the relationship between the American and Mexican legal systems. Through classroom instruction, discussions with legal experts, and visits to legal institutions in Puebla and Mexico City, students gain firsthand insight into the historical, legal, and cultural forces shaping immigration policy.
Puebla is celebrated for its rich history, beautiful colonial architecture, and vibrant cultural traditions. Together with Mexico City, it provides an engaging setting for students to explore Mexican culture while broadening their understanding of law beyond the United States.
For more information about the Puebla Spring Break Program, contact Michelle Valantine.
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The 2027 Global Legal Perspectives in Puebla Spring Break Program will take place March 14–20, 2027, in Puebla, Mexico, with educational activities in Mexico City. Students will experience Mexico's rich history and culture while exploring the relationship between the American and Mexican legal systems.
Students will enroll in LAW 6100 – Law Across Borders: U.S. Immigration Policy and Mexico, a one-credit-hour course taught by University of Oklahoma College of Law Professor Kit Johnson, who serves as the on-site Program Director for 2027. The course examines Mexico's significant role in the historical development of U.S. immigration law and policy.
The program combines classroom instruction with planned discussions with legal experts and visits to legal institutions. These experiences are designed to provide students with opportunities to explore legal issues in an international setting while gaining firsthand exposure to Mexican culture and society.
The program fee includes lodging, some meals, organized excursions, in-country transportation, and international health insurance. Additional information about costs is provided in the Puebla Tuition and Fees section.
Enrollment is limited to 14 students, with a minimum of 10 students required for the program to proceed.
Housing and Meals
Students will stay at JF Grand Puebla in Puebla, Mexico, and at a hotel in Mexico City. Accommodations are included in the program fee. Students will share hotel rooms, with two students per room. Additional information regarding room assignments and the Mexico City hotel will be provided as arrangements are finalized.
The program fee includes daily breakfast at JF Grand Puebla, a welcome dinner on Sunday, March 14; a group lunch on Monday, March 15; and a farewell dinner on Friday, March 19. Students are responsible for meals not included in the program.
Transportation
Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own transportation to and from Mexico, including airfare. The program fee includes transportation within Mexico for scheduled program activities and travel between Puebla and Mexico City. Students are responsible for transportation associated with personal activities or independent travel.
The tentative schedule includes a group airport pickup in Mexico City on Sunday, March 14, 2027 and return transportation on Saturday, March 20, 2027. Arrival flights should land by 2:00PM on Sunday, March 14; departure flights should leave at 11:00AM or later on Saturday, March 20.
Please wait for our travel confirmation and instructions before purchasing airfare.
Special Assistance
Some facilities, transportation options, and activities in Puebla and Mexico City may present accessibility challenges, including limited wheelchair access, stairs, and small restroom facilities.
Students who anticipate needing disability-related accommodations or other accessibility assistance are encouraged to contact Michelle Valantine at mvala@ou.edu before applying to discuss their individual needs and available accommodations. Requests for in-class or examination accommodations should be submitted through OU's Accessibility and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Academic Accommodations page.
The Puebla Spring Break Program is open to upper-level law students in good academic standing at any ABA-approved law school, as well as graduates of an approved law school.
Will course credit transfer?
The University of Oklahoma College of Law became a member of the Association of American Law Schools in 1911 and has been on the approved list of the American Bar Association since this list was first published in 1923. The Puebla Spring Break Program will be conducted in accordance with applicable ABA and AALS requirements for law school study abroad programs.
The Puebla Spring Break Program offers one credit hour for LAW 6100 – Law Across Borders: U.S. Immigration Policy and Mexico. Students attending from other law schools should consult their home institution before applying to confirm whether the course credit and grade will be accepted toward their degree requirements. Acceptance of credit and grades is determined by the student's home law school.
What are the application and payment deadlines?
The application deadline for the Puebla Spring Break Program is December 1, 2026. OU Law students may access the application through Courtyard. Students from other ABA-approved law schools may apply through the Puebla Program Application for Non-OU Students. For application questions, contact Michelle Valantine at mvala@ou.edu.
Applications must be accompanied by a $300 deposit no later than December 1, 2026. The deposit is fully refundable through December 1, 2026 and becomes nonrefundable on December 2, 2026.
The $2,100 program fee will be charged to each student's OU Bursar account on December 11, 2026. The $300 deposit will be released to the student's Bursar account and applied toward the student's spring tuition balance. Tuition and mandatory fees are billed separately. Please visit the OU Bursar's website for applicable payment deadlines.
The program requires a minimum enrollment of 10 students by December 11, 2026, and is limited to 14 participants.
Is there a cancellation or refund policy?
The $300 program deposit is fully refundable through December 1, 2026. Program fees become nonrefundable on December 11, 2026.
The Puebla Spring Break Program requires a minimum enrollment of 10 students by December 11, 2026. If the University of Oklahoma cancels the program due to insufficient enrollment, students will receive a full refund within 30 days of cancellation. Students will be notified of a program cancellation by email from OU Law Administration or the Program Director. The Puebla Spring Break Program has not previously been canceled.
The University of Oklahoma may cancel the program due to foreign military operations affecting the United States or Mexico, terrorism, natural disasters, major emergencies affecting Mexico, or similar circumstances. Please refer to the U.S. Department of State Travel Information section for current travel advisories. Refunds resulting from travel warnings or significant safety concerns will be governed by applicable University of Oklahoma policies.
If significant changes are made to course offerings or other aspects of the program, those changes will be communicated promptly by email from OU Law administration or the Program Director to applicants who have paid a deposit or registered for the program. Those applicants will have the opportunity to withdraw and receive a full refund of all monies paid.
Law Across Borders: US Immigration Policy & Mexico
(6100) 1 Credit Hour - Professor Kit Johnson
This one-week study abroad course offers students an immersive introduction to the role that Mexico has played in the development of U.S. immigration policy. Through classroom discussions, site visits, and expert guest speakers, students will focus on historical epochs that have substantially changed the U.S.-Mexico relationship concerning immigration.
Course topics include the criminalization of unauthorized entry into the United States in the 1920s; the Bracero program and Operation Wetback in the 1940s and 1950s; the effects of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 on Mexican migration; the impact of NAFTA in 1994; and Mexico's role as a staging area for migrants seeking entry into the United States in 2019.
The course combines in-person instruction during spring break with substantial independent preparation and coursework outside class. Classroom instruction takes place at Universidad Popular Autónoma del Estado de Puebla (UPAEP). Assigned readings will be provided through Canvas before travel. No prerequisite is required. Scheduled site visits and other activities are subject to change.
Assessment: Final exam (80%); participation and professionalism (20%).
TENTATIVE CLASS SCHEDULE
Classroom teaching sessions at UPAEP are tentatively scheduled as follows. Both sessions are subject to change.
- Monday, March 15, 2027: 2:30–4:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 16, 2027: 9–11 a.m.
All times are local to Puebla, Mexico.
Professor Kit Johnson
Professor Kit Johnson is the Hugh Roff Professor of Law and Thomas P. Hester Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Professor Johnson’s research has, broadly speaking, focused on the intersection of immigration law and U.S. business interests as well as issues related to the intersection of criminal law and immigration enforcement. She is the author of two open-access casebooks on immigration and crimmigration and is a co-editor and regular blogger for the ImmigrationProf Blog.
Program and Housing Fees for 2027
$2,100.00 per student. The program fee includes lodging for March 14–20, 2027, some meals, organized excursions, in-country transportation, and international health insurance.
The tentative schedule includes a welcome dinner on Sunday, March 14, hotel breakfasts Monday through Saturday, a group lunch on Monday, March 15, and a farewell dinner on Friday, March 19. Scheduled activities and meal arrangements are subject to change.
Tuition and Fees
The $2,100 program fee is separate from University of Oklahoma tuition and mandatory fees for the one-credit-hour course.
Tuition for the one-credit-hour course is $643.30 for Oklahoma residents and $1,167.50 for nonresidents. Mandatory fees are an additional $201.30 per credit hour.
The program fee will be charged to each student's OU Bursar account on December 11, 2026. The $300 program deposit will be released to the student's Bursar account.
For information about tuition rates, mandatory fees, and payment deadlines, please visit the OU Bursar's website.
Other Living and Travel Expenses
Students are responsible for round-trip airfare to Mexico, meals not included in the program, personal expenses, and any additional travel or activities they choose to undertake.
Students should budget for these expenses in addition to the program fee, tuition, and mandatory fees.
CONSULAR INFORMATION SHEET
Students participating in the Puebla Spring Break Program should review the U.S. Department of State's country-specific travel information for Mexico before departure. This information includes entry requirements, safety and security considerations, health information, and emergency assistance resources.
Participants will be informed of significant changes to travel conditions or security concerns affecting the program. Updated information will be communicated promptly by OU Law administration or the Program Director.
U.S. Department of State – Mexico Country Information
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens and nationals register their trip with the State Department's U.S. Department of State – Mexico Country Information
We strongly recommend that U.S. citizens and nationals register their trip with the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
TRAVEL ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS
The U.S. Department of State currently designates Mexico as Level 2 — Exercise Increased Caution. Travel advisory levels and restrictions may vary by state or region. Students should review the specific guidance for Puebla and Mexico City.
If the U.S. Department of State raises the travel advisory level or issues significant warnings affecting the program's locations, the University of Oklahoma will evaluate the circumstances and determine whether the program can proceed safely.
Students will be notified promptly of any resulting program changes or cancellation.
If the U.S. Department of State issues a travel warning affecting Puebla or Mexico City before the program begins, registrants will be notified promptly and given an opportunity to withdraw. Students who withdraw will receive a full refund of all money advanced within 30 days after withdrawal. If OU cancels the program before it begins, all money advanced by students will be refunded within 30 days after cancellation.
If a State Department travel warning affecting program locations is issued during the program, students will be notified promptly and may withdraw. Within 30 days after withdrawal, students will receive a refund of fees paid, excluding room and board used before withdrawal. If the program is terminated, fees paid will be refunded within 30 days after termination, excluding room and board used before the warning was issued.
If the program region is designated an “Area of Instability” in State Department travel information, students may withdraw upon learning of the designation. Fees paid will be refunded within 30 days after withdrawal, excluding room and board used before the designation.