This semester, calendar year, or academic year program for students in advanced Spanish offers a combination of special CIEE courses at the CIEE Global Institute Santiago and direct enrollment with Chilean students in regular university courses at three local universities. The program is designed to provide firsthand knowledge of contemporary issues and cultural patterns in Chile. This program is administered by the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) on behalf of a consortium of which The University of Iowa is a member. UI students earn resident credit on this program.

Academic Program

Students enroll in four to six courses per semester for a minimum of 15 semester hours. Students choose from CIEE elective courses and CIEE Spanish language courses. Additionally, students have the option to enroll directly in three Chilean universities: Universidad de Chile, Pontificiia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Universidad Diego Portales. At these host universities, UI students take courses alongside Chilean college peers.
CIEE Santiago, Chile Liberal Arts Program website.

Cultural Activities

There are a multitude of cultural activities in Santiago and Chile in which students can part-take. These include day-trips to neighboring towns like Curacavi, Los Andes, Valparaiso or Pomaire. Students can do multi-day excursions to places like Araucania region, Atacam region or Chiloe island to broaden their perspectives on Chile's history and culture. The city of Santiago has wonderful museums, a theater district, craft fairs and walking tours in the varied and historic neighborhoods.

Program Dates

Program dates are tied to the southern academic calendar. Fall semester runs mid-July to mid-December. Spring semester runs mid-February to early July. Students considering study abroad for two semesters are encouraged to consider doing a calendar year which begins in mid-February and runs through mid-December.

For More Information

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.

Study Abroad
1111 University Capitol Centre
Iowa City, IA 52242

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

The CIEE Global Institute in Santiago

Local Universities

• Pontificia Universidadad Católica de Chile (PUC) - PUC enrolls over 25,000 students and has 104 undergraduate programs.
• Universidad de Chile - Founded in 1842 it is the oldest higher education institution in Chile and enrolls over 40,000 students.
• Universidad Diego Portales - School for Social Sciences (UDP) - was founded in 1982 and is one of the first private universities in Chile.

Santiago

Santiago, Chile has been a major contributor of Latin America’s economic and social progress, representing a regional reference for political and economic stability. Having created a contemporary trend in arts and lifestyle, in Santiago you will discover the urban deployment of multicultural and global tendencies with a Latin American atmosphere. Santiago is marked by the very high Cordillera de Los Andes, its traditional institutions such as the Palacio de La Moneda, as well as by the tallest corporate building of Costanera Center in the financial district of Vitacura, among others.

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 families to integrate into life in Santiago. Host families provide two meals per day: breakfast and either lunch or dinner. Students and families arrange their own meal schedules. Students are responsible for the remaining meal, either preparing them at home or eating in one of the many restaurants and cafes throughout the city. Host families provide laundry service once a week.

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 in Chile by a designated date. Specific information will be provided in post-acceptance materials from CIEE .

Local Transportation

Santiago has one of the most extensive public transportation services in the entire continent of South America. Taxis are easily identifiable, local bus lines have been integrated with the main bus lines and with the metro network, and the extensive metro system carries over two million passengers on a daily basis.

Eligibility

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

Cumulative GPA of 2.5

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

Have completed four semesters of college-level Spanish courses or equivalent

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.

Cost

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, on-site airport meet-and-greet, orientation, cultural activities, and local excursions. (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 (forthcoming) 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.

Cost Sheet for CIEE Santiago (Chile) Liberal Arts, Fall 2024

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.

CIEE has several scholarships available to University of Iowa students CIEE Scholarships specific to UI students.
Please visit the CIEE Scholarship web site to find out more about their scholarships.

How to Apply

Interested students should make an appointment with the designated UI Study Abroad advisor to discuss the program and the application process. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 319-335-0353. During the appointment, the advisor will provide full application instructions. Note: Application materials will not be reviewed unless a student has already met with the advisor to discuss the program.

The application process consists of the following steps:

• Complete the UI Online Application for Study Abroad. Applicants will be charged a $50 non-refundable application fee. As part of the UI Online Application for Study Abroad, applicants will need to upload a copy of their passport picture page and a list of courses to take while abroad.

• Please note that for study abroad programs through Fall 2022, students will not be charged the $50 application fee until travel is assured. If a student chooses to withdraw prior to the application fee being billed, it will not be charged.

• Complete the CIEE Online Application.

Application Deadline

Fall/Academic Year: March 1

Spring: September 20

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, CIEE 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.

CIEE Orientation

Students start their study abroad experience before leaving the United States with CIEE’s Online Pre-departure Orientation. Students and the Resident staff meet online to discuss information about the academic program and the city that students will soon be living in. Resident staff also highlight issues that program alumni have said are important and they give students time to ask questions. In addition to this orientation, students will have mandatory orientation sessions conducted in Buenos Aires at the beginning of the program.