Academic Program
The program is designed to maximize immersion and language acquisition through home stays, bilingual coursework, interdisciplinary field study, and enrollment in regular semester classes taught in Spanish at the University of Chile. SU Abroad students enroll in classes alongside Chilean students in a wide range of disciplines, including: Business Administration, Environmental Studies, International Relations, Latin American Studies, Philosophy and Humanities, and Visual and Dramatic Arts. Advanced undergraduates and graduate students have the option to participate in an intensive professional internship program during the fall semester.
Choose one based on your language level:
The Cuenca Prequel
(preceeds your semester in Santiago, Chile)
The 4-credit intensive language program is required for students who have completed less than two years of college-level Spanish language study. A 3-credit 300-level language program is highly recommended for those with two or more years of Spanish. Students already fluent in Spanish who want to experience living and working in Ecuador may apply for a full-time 3-credit internship during the Cuenca Prequel, in lieu of Spanish study and review. The prequel program is hosted by CEDEI (Centers for Interamerican Studies) in Cuenca, and includes a two-day orientation in Quito, and various cultural trips, visiting speakers, and program activities during the 4-week immersion experience where students live with host families.
Upon completion of the prequel, students then travel to Santiago where they join other program students for the required bilingual field study seminar, Contemporary Issues in Chile and Latin America. Most prequel students will continue language study in Santiago, and enroll in at least one non-language class taught in Spanish at U Chile and a second bilingually-taught class at the SU Center.
Dates
Fall semester runs from mid-July (mid-June for Cuenca Prequel students) through mid-December. Spring semester begins in mid-February (mid-January for Cuenca Prequel students) and ends in early July.
Santiago, Chile Semester only
(no prequel)
Students who do not participate in the Cuenca Prequel travel directly to Santiago for the Chile semester program. This option is for students ready to enroll in university classes in Spanish and to develop expertise in Spanish language and one or more disciplines. (A Spanish language exam is given upon arrival, which will determine whether or not you should continue language study).
In addition to taking classes in Spanish at U Chile, you’ll enroll in the required bilingual field study seminar, Contemporary Issues in Chile and Latin America, and may also opt to take an additional bilingually-taught course at the SU Center.
For a listing of pre-approved Chilean university courses taught in Spanish, view all courses. SU courses taught bilingually include the required Contemporary Issues in Chile and Latin America (2 credits; an additional credit may be earned by enrolling in an independent study project or research paper on a related topic), Dictatorships, Human Rights, and Historical Memory in Chile and the Southern Cone (3 credits), and Environmental Policy in a Development Context (3 credits).
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT COURSES:
Because UCH class length can vary by semester, 3-credit courses may sometimes be offered as 4-credit courses.
Not all courses listed are offered every semester by the Chilean Universities. Students should select alternative courses in a given discipline.