The Summer Spanish Language and Chilean Culture program is a great fit for students who want to improve their Spanish language skills and study Chilean culture, whice taking advantage of all that Valparaíso has to offer. The program is a six weeks and is facilitated by ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) in which the University of Iowa is a member institution. Courses are taken at ISEP member institution, Universidad Católica de Valparaíso.

Academic Program

The Spanish Language and Chilean Culture program combines intensive Spanish language study with an overview of Chilean culture, including literature, society, and politics. Students may enroll in up to two courses for a total of six semester hours. This program is notrecommended for Spanish minors as students earn transfer credit. ISEP Direct Summer Program Chile

Cultural Activities

Students will participate in a City Tour of Valparaíso and this is the jumping off point for discovering Valparaíso and Chile in general. Valparaíso has one of the country{s most important seaports and the artsy bohemian nature of the city has long attracted artists, including poet Pablo Neruda, and boasts some of the best street art in Latin America.

Program Dates

June – July

For More Information

Steps to Studying Abroad

1. Before initiating an application with ISEP, students must complete a Discover Study Abroad session at the University of Iowa.
2. After completing the Discover Abroad session, students must call the Study Abroad office at 319-335-0353 to be assigned to the appropriate study abroad advisor.
3. Once assigned, students must meet with their study abroad advisor to receive program application instructions.

Study Abroad
1111 University Capitol Centre
Iowa City, IA 52242

Phone: 319-335-0353
Email: study-abroad@uiowa.edu

Pontificia Universidadad Católica de Valparaiso (PUCV)

Pontificia Universidadad Católica de Valparaiso (PUCV) was founded in 1928 and has established itself as one of the most prestigious, traditional higher educational institutions in Chile. The student body numbers over 14,000 students. The university is ranked among the top five universities in Chile, and has campuses in Valparaíso and Viña del Mar.

Valparaíso

Valparaíso looks like a giant amphitheater, settled into steep hills and flat lands that meet the Pacific Ocean. Zoom in and it's a bohemian riot of colorful architecture, diversity, and quirkiness. Located 70 miles, and an easy bus-ride, from Santiago,Valparaíso is the cultural and legislative capital, and the main commercial harbor of Chile. A few miles north lies Viña del Mar, Valparaíso’s sister city and Chile’s premier beach resort. As Chile is located in the southern hemisphere, while it is summer in the U.S., the program takes place during Valparaíso and Viña del Mar’s mild winter.

Chile

Chile narrowly stretches along the western coast of South America and is the southernmost country in the world. The diverse climate of Chile ranges from the world's driest desert in the north, the Atacama Dessert, to a Mediterranean climat in the center of the country to alpine tundra and glaciers in the east and south. It is affectionately known as the “country of poets” or “pais del poetas," as it boasts having two two Nobel Prize winners in literature; Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American to receive the award in 1945, and Pablo Neruda, who received the award in 1971.

US Department of State Country Information

The US Department of State provides safety and security information for every country of the world to help you assess for yourself the risks of travel. Each country information page contains a Travel Advisory, Alerts, and other important details specific to that country that could affect you.

Pay close attention to the entry and exit requirements, local laws and customs, health conditions, and other details to help decide whether traveling to any given country is right for you. Non-US citizen travelers may also wish to seek guidance from the embassy of their country of citizenship. The UI International Travel Policy for Students addresses restrictions on student travel to high-risk locations and engagement in high-risk activities abroad.

Living Arrangements

Students live with Chilean host families to integrate into life in Valparaíso. Host families provide all meals. Hosts may be either nuclear families with young children, single professionals, young couples with no children, older couples, or a Señora who is a single older woman.

Passport

US Citizens

If you do not have a passport, it is important that you apply for one as soon as possible to ensure you receive it before the program begins. US citizens can find more information about how to apply for a passport on the US Department of State’s website.

Students with a valid passport should check the expiration date. Passports must be valid for at least 6 months AFTER the anticipated return to the US from studying abroad. If your passport is not valid for at least 6 months after your anticipated date of return to the US, you must renew your passport before applying for a visa or leaving the United States.

US citizens can find more information about how to renew a passport on the US Department of State’s website.

Travel Arrangements

Students make their own travel arrangements to arrive on campus by a designated date. Specific information will be provided in post-acceptance materials from ISEP.

Local Transportation

Students are able to get around Valparaíso via public busses, trolleybus, cable cars, and private taxi.

Eligibility

This program is open it UI students who fulfill the following requirements:

Cumulative GPA of 2.75

Four semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent

Be in good academic and disciplinary standing at the University of Iowa

Good academic and disciplinary standing - It is the policy of the UI Study Abroad office that all students who study abroad must be in both good academic standing and good disciplinary standing at the time of their application. Students who, even after being accepted into a program, are put on either academic and/or disciplinary probation for any period of time overlapping with the study abroad program dates are ineligible to study abroad. In these cases, students must forfeit their acceptance and will not be allowed to study abroad. Any student who must forfeit their acceptance and/or attendance on a study abroad program due to a probationary status is wholly responsible for any and all financial expenses incurred.

Costs

Costs charged to the U-Bill

• Application fee (charged at the time of application, before financial aid/scholarships disburse)
• Course Fee- Includes program course fee, tuition, housing, meals, optional on-site airport meet-and-greet, and Valparaíso City Tour. (charged shortly before departure)
• University of Iowa Study Abroad Administrative Fee (charged shortly before departure)
• The mandatory Iowa Regents International CISI Health Insurance (charged shortly before departure)

Out-of-pocket costs (not charged to U-Bill)

• Food (paid by student at their discretion while abroad)
• Round trip airfare (paid by student directly to travel agent or airline- approx. 6-8 weeks prior to departure, before financial aid/scholarships disburse)
• Local transportation (paid at student’s discretion while abroad)
• Passport (paid by student prior to departure, before financial aid/scholarships disburse)
• Consular and visa fees (paid by student prior to departure, before financial aid/scholarships disburse)
• Textbooks, copyright permission fees, course packets, and other course-related materials (paid upoon arrival to your host country)
• Medical exam/immunizations (paid by student as needed prior to departure, before financial aid/scholarships disburse)
• Personal expenses and personal travel (paid by student as needed while abroad)
• Rental or purchase of required cell phone- does not include usage fees (paid as needed while abroad)

Cost Sheet

The cost sheet outlines the total estimated costs associated with participating in this program and can be used for financial aid and planning purposes. They include fees charged on students’ U-Bill as well as out-of-pocket expenses. Actual out-of-pocket expenses will vary from individual to individual. Quoted estimates are conservatively high, yet realistic.

Costs for future sessions are usually similar to the current session, however students can expect a modest increase in overall costs each session.

ISEP Direct Chile Summer Program Cost Sheet for Summer 2019.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Most financial aid (scholarships, grants, and loans) is applicable to study abroad programs. Please check the Study Abroad website for information on financial aid and how it may be applied to studying abroad. You are also encouraged to speak with someone at the Office of Student Financial Aid to explore financial aid options. Scholarship opportunities exist for study abroad participants. Please explore Study Abroad’s websites for UI Study Abroad Scholarship Opportunities, and Non-UI External Awards.

How to Apply

Steps to Studying Abroad

1. Before initiating an application with CIEE, students must complete a Discover Study Abroad session at the University of Iowa.
2. After completing the Discover Abroad session, students must call the Study Abroad office at 319-335-0353 to be assigned to the appropriate study abroad advisor.
3. Once assigned, students must meet with their study abroad advisor to receive program application instructions.

Students will need to complete a University of Iowa Study Abroad application and ISEP Direct Summer Program: Spanish Language and Chilean Culture application. Information on these applications will come from the study abroad advisor. Final admissions decision is made by Pontificia Universidadad Católica de Valparaiso.

Application Deadline

March 1

Acceptance & Confirmation Materials

Coming Soon

Preparation

It is highly recommended that students review the following information:

Health & Safety Planning

Iowa Regents CISI Health Insurance Information

Health Abroad

Safety and Security Abroad

Visa

Consulate General of Chile in Chicago (for visa information)

Diversity and Identity Abroad

Race and Ethnicity Abroad

LGBTQ Identity Abroad

Students with Disabilities Abroad

First-Generationa and Non-Traditional Students Abroad

Orientation

In order to prepare for your time abroad, you are required by the University of Iowa to complete two orientations. In addition to orientations provided UI Study Abroad, ISEP may have other required pre-departure orientations and information. Please see below for more information.

Online Education Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation

You are required to complete the International Programs online “Education Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation” course distributed through ICON prior to departure. This orientation is mandatory for all students going abroad under the auspices of the University of Iowa. It covers many practical matters about living overseas, such as health and safety, communication, money, goals and much more. You will be enrolled in this course by International Programs and an email will be sent to you once enrolled. If you have any questions you can email safety-abroad@uiowa.edu.

Program-Specific Orientation

This orientation will be facilitated by your study abroad advisor and will cover content specific to the University of Iowa including, but not limited to, billing, insurance, the Credit Approval Form (CAF), and transcripts. It could be conducted in a group setting or one-on-one depending on the type of planned activity abroad. Your study abroad advisor will send you more information about this mandatory in-person session.

ISEP Orientation

ISEP has several ways to prepare students for their time in Chile and these include pre-departure videos, checklists, connecting returned students with outbound students, and a Chile Country Handbook that includes essential information.

There are no photos available for this program yet.

Phone: (319) 335-0353
E-mail: study-abroad@uiowa.edu