Center for Global Study and Engagement

CIEE - São Paulo

This program is targeted to students with at least two years of college-level Spanish or one year of Portuguese or the equivalent who want to improve their Portuguese language skills and knowledge of contemporary Brazil while at the same time being able to matriculate in a broad range of course offerings in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Participants should be interested in living in a large, cosmopolitan South American city.

What You'll Learn
The overarching goal of the Liberal Arts program is to provide an opportunity for students to learn about a significant, but sometimes overlooked, country in Latin America. Colonized by the Portuguese, Brazil offers a different linguistic and cultural experience when compared to the Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. Specifically, students will improve their oral and written Portuguese language skills; acquire knowledge of contemporary Brazil and the São Paulo region; and have the opportunity to take a broad range of courses at a Brazilian university.

Program Snapshot

• Take part in the language and culture pre-session to prepare for direct enrollment
• Experience the unique atmosphere of PUC, a traditional University with an urban campus that mixes academic excellence with the richness of a diversified student body
• Live in São Paulo, a cultural and economic center shaped by globalization, diverse economic heritages, and influential social movements
• Volunteer in social projects coordinated by the community center of PUC, a nonprofit private institution with a tradition of socially engaged services

Subject Areas

• Accounting
• Anthropology
• Brazilian Studies
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• International Relations
• Journalism
• Latin American Studies
• Literature
• Performing Arts
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Portuguese Language
• Religion
• Sociology
• Tourism

Eligibility Requirements

• Overall GPA 2.8
• 4 semesters of college-level Spanish and/ or 2 semesters of college-level Portuguese or equivalent
• Portuguese or Spanish language course within the past year recommended

Academic Program

The program in São Paulo was established in 1973 and has been administered by CIEE since 1989. The program begins with an Intensive Language and Culture Program (ILCP), held in Salvador da Bahia for the fall semester and in São Paulo for the spring semester. In the fall semester, students enroll in a three-credit language course and a three-credit interdisciplinary culture course prior to the regular semester. In the spring semester, students enroll in an intensive, four-credit language and culture course prior to the regular semester. The ILCP prepares students for the regular semester by giving them the opportunity to focus intensively on Portuguese language acquisition, while learning about Brazilian contemporary society. The regular semester offers a combination of direct enrollment classes at a Brazilian university, CIEE Portuguese language courses, and specially designed CIEE courses about Brazilian issues and realities. This program is ideal for those who want to better understand Brazilian society and culture and improve their Portuguese language, or for advanced Spanish speakers who would like to learn Portuguese.

Academic Culture

While U.S. students are accustomed to a very structured academic system, Brazilian professors generally leave students on their own to determine the intensity of their work. This approach is geared towards the student who is motivated, self-sufficient, and deeply interested in the subject matter. It is a more rigorous, autonomous academic system.

Some U.S. students could misperceive that the workload is light and that there are very few assignments. However, students are given bibliographies for courses with the expectation that they read as many of the listings as possible and select those titles that best meet their needs and interests. In some courses, the entire grade is based on a term paper or critical analysis of a particular article, with the expectation that the paper be based upon a fairly extensive reading from the bibliography. This relative freedom places a great deal of responsibility on the student.
The CIEE academic year program coincides roughly with the North American academic year, taking place from late June to late June of the following year, and the CIEE calendar year program coincides with the Brazilian academic year, taking place from early January to early December. Academic year students have a two-month break between fall and spring semesters and are encouraged to travel independently throughout other parts of Brazil and Latin America. Calendar year students have a break of four weeks between the Brazilian first and second semesters (the North American spring and fall semesters).

Where You'll Study:

Pontificia Universidad Católica de São Paulo
The Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC) is ranked among the top universities in Brazil and has 19,000 undergraduates. PUC maintains a strong research tradition--a unique characteristic among private institutions of higher learning in Brazil. The PUC campus is located in a residential area not far from São Paulo's famous Avenida Paulista with good access to public transportation. The University neighborhood has gyms, bookstores, and cafés. The CIEE Study Center is located two blocks from the PUC campus.

Program Requirements

All students attend the required ILCP, which prepares them linguistically and culturally prior to the start of the regular semester. In the fall semester, students enroll in two required courses: Intensive Portuguese Language and Contemporary Brazil. In the spring semester, students enroll in the required Intensive Portuguese Language and Brazilian Culture course. During the remainder of the semester, students take the two required CIEE courses, Brazilian Issues and Realities and Portuguese Language, and two or three direct enrollment courses at PUC-SP.
Students must enroll in Portuguese language study throughout their study abroad experience, including academic and calendar year students in their second semester. Academic and calendar year students are exempt from the CIEE required class, Brazilian Issues and Realities, during their second semester in São Paulo. However, academic and calendar year students continuing from the CIEE Study Center in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil must enroll in this course during their semester in São Paulo. Academic year students may opt to pursue an independent study with approval of the Academic Director and their home institution.

A three-day mandatory orientation session is conducted at the beginning of the program and introduces students to the country, culture, and academic program, as well as provides practical information about living in Brazil. Safety, public transportation, gender and race issues, and family relations are discussed. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.

Housing & Meals

Housing and two meals per day are included. One meal per day, usually lunch or dinner depending on class schedules, is not included in the fee and is the responsibility of the student. Dickinson students will receive a credit on their Dickinson student account to help defray the cost of these meals.  Please see the Budget Sheet for more information.

During orientation, students are housed together. During the remainder of the semester, students are placed in Brazilian homestays. For academic year students, housing during the two-month break ( mid December – early February) and for the calendar year students the one-month break (July) is not included in the CIEE fee and is the responsibility of the student.

Internet

Access to the Internet and computer labs in Brazilian universities is much more limited than in U.S. universities, and Internet access at PUC-SP is extremely limited. CIEE pays for each student to use a private Internet café for three hours per week. Students may also use the many Internet cafés throughout the city and near the PUC-SP campus, and are strongly encouraged to bring wireless-enabled laptops.

Cultural Activities

The program includes one weekend and one overnight field trip in Brazil and visits to sites of historical and cultural importance in São Paulo. In the past, students have visited Rio de Janeiro, Ouro Preto, or the colonial city of Paraty; the headquarters and community of the Landless Movement; Aparecida do Norte, the most famous center of devotion for the Brazilian Catholic population; and a samba school. Students have also participated in community service projects in disadvantaged communities, attended concerts, Brazilian movies, museums, and soccer games (including a championship match).

Volunteer Opportunities
Through PUC-SP's Núcleo de Trabalhos Comunitários, (Center for Community Work), and the Centro de Voluntariado de São Paulo, CIEE students may find a volunteer opportunity in São Paulo in the areas of education, health, or community building.

Immersion in the local culture is a priority at CIEE Study Centers around the world.CIEE participants make the most of their program through CIEE-guided excursions, field study and internship programs, volunteering, conversation exchanges, homestays, and special events. The opportunities will vary depending on location.

tuition and fees
room and board
pre-departure and on-site orientations
academic excursions
*The program fee does not include primary health insurance, airfare, optional travel, personal expenses, books or supplies.

For more information, contact:

Carolina Castellanos, On-Campus Coordinator
P.O. Box 1773
Carlisle, PA 17013-2896
Phone: (717) 245-1834
E-mail: castellc@dickinson.edu