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Santiago: Business and Culture in the 21st Century

  • Required GPA: 3.0 (4.0 scale)
  • Spanish requirement: 4 semesters of university-level Spanish or the equivalent
  • Length of program: 8 weeks, late May to late July
  • Application deadlines: April 1
  • Program advisor: Sarah Maher
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Program Snapshot

santiago

¡Bienvenido! We’re excited that you’re preparing to study abroad on an IFSA-Butler program and have chosen the Santiago: Business and Culture in the 21st Century program at Universidad de Chile as your destination. Santiago is a vibrant and charming capital city in the Southern Cone. We’re sure you’re going to love studying there.

There are a few specific forms for this program that you will need to complete along with your IFSA-Butler application. You can find the forms under the Forms tab.

What the Santiago: Business and Culture in the 21st Century program has to offer

  • Study business in the heart of Santiago, one of Latin America's most important commercial centers
  • Three outstanding program courses that focus on international business and sustainable development
  • Located at the renowned School of Business and Economics (Facultad de Economía y Negocios) at the Universidad de Chile, the first business school in Chile
  • Field components give dynamic, practical experiences in the Latin American business world
  • Local business leaders will conduct weekly worskshops and speak on issues related to international business
  • Based in dynamic Santiago, voted one of the great cities for students by QR World University

Housing

  • IFSA-Butler arranges housing with carefully selected host families for each program participant
  • The program fee includes three meals per day

Academics

  • Curriculum includes three courses:
    • Culture, Business and Trade
    • Doing Business in South America
    • Sustainable Development in the Southern Cone
  • All courses are taught in Spanish by Universidad de Chile faculty
  • Each course is worth 3 U.S. semester credit hours for a total of 9 U.S. semester credit hours
  • Each student paired with a Chilean student who serves as a mentor and language exchange partner

Academics

Academic Structure

What is the academic structure of the Business and Culture in the 21st Century program?
The program allows you to enroll in three classes specially designed for IFSA-Butler students at the School of Business and Economics at Universidad de Chile. These classes, taught in Spanish by Chilean professors, are intended to provide you with an understanding of the events and issues that make Chile what it is today.

Program Courses

What program courses does IFSA-Butler offer?
The following courses are specially designed for IFSA-Butler students on the Santiago: Business and Culture in the 21st Century program. You are required to enroll in all three courses below.

Click here to download all course syllabi, or click on a course title below to download an individual syllabus.

Culture, Business and Trade (3 U.S. semester credit hours)
This course is conducted in Spanish and combines language instruction in Spanish with a survey of concepts used in economics and business, as well as a study of business-related vocabulary and Chilean business practices.

Doing Business in South America (3 U.S. semester credit hours)
This course is conducted in Spanish by university professors. It provides an analytical framework to further students’ understanding of four thematic areas: Strategic context for international business in South America, economic and trade context in South America, legal and business practices in Chile, and practicalities of conducting business in Chile.

Sustainable Development in the Southern Cone (3 U.S. semester credit hours)
This course is conducted in Spanish by university professors. Its aim is to identify and evaluate the process of development in the Southern Cone and its impact in businesses. This course concentrates on how natural resources, environment, pollution, and many other factors play a strategic role when doing business in South America.

University Info

Universidad de Chile
The Universidad de Chile is the country’s oldest and largest public institution of higher education. All courses are held at the Universidad de Chile’s School of Business and Economics, whose undergraduate business program was recently named as one of the best in Chile. The campus of the business and economics school is small but modern and located minutes by subway from the heart of downtown Santiago.

University Courses

What Universidad de Chile courses are available to me?
Students can only enroll in the three courses described above. Students are not eligible to enroll in other classes taught at the Universidad de Chile. All courses are worth 3 U.S. semester credit hours.

Registration

How will I register for courses?
Course registration will take place when you arrive in Chile.

What are the registration conditions?
You must take a full course load as determined by IFSA-¬Butler, which is 9 U.S. semester credit hours for the summer. Credit will be awarded on a Butler University transcript based on a typical U.S. summer course load. Taking less than a full course load may jeopardize your student status and result in personal academic repercussions and/or loss of financial aid.

All courses are graded on an A–F scale, and there is no provision for pass/fail or auditing courses unless pass/fail is the only method of assessment for the course. Students are not allowed to register for on-line, distance education or hybrid courses. See the “Academics” and “Program Fees and Financial Aid” sections in Preparing to Study Abroad for more information.

Exams

What do I need to know about exams?
All academic obligations, including final exams, must be completed before leaving Chile. You are not permitted to reschedule exams, request alternate assessment or arrange to have your exams proctored in the United States. If this occurs, IFSA-Butler will not be able to assist you in conducting an academic record query on the class in which you made this arrangement. Additionally, all academic obligations, including final exams, must be complete before leaving Chile.

Transcripts

How will my home university know what my classes were and what grades I received?
After you return to the U.S., IFSA-Butler will send a Butler University transcript to your home university. The transcript reflects the courses taken, credits attempted and grades earned at Universidad de Chile during your summer abroad. We will also send an official transcript to your permanent home address.

Academic Tutors

What if I need academic help during the semester?
In addition to the formal Spanish class, our program can organize tutoring sessions for studentthroughout the summer. Please meet with the IFSA-Butler resident staff if you would like the assistance of a tutor.

Each IFSA-Butler student will also be paired with a local Chilean student from the School of Business and Economics at the Universidad de Chile. This mentor will not only help with day-to-day student life issues, but will also be a language partner for the IFSA-Butler student, with the aim of fostering cultural and language exchange.

Housing

Housing Options

What are my housing options?
Study abroad is much more than academics. Learning takes place not only during class, but 24 hours a day. One of the best out-of-class experiences is the homestay, which is a vital, required component of the IFSA-Butler program. One IFSA-Butler student is placed with a carefully selected, program approved host family for the duration of the study abroad summer.

In addition to the program application, be sure to click on the "Forms" tab to download and complete your Family Placement Form. Once finished, submit your Family Placement Form to IFSA-Butler via email, fax or postal mail.


Meals

The program fee includes three meals per day.

Housing FAQs


Is my housing included in the program fee?
Yes. Your program fee includes accommodation with your host family while classes are in session and during short university breaks. If you are studying abroad for an entire year, you will need to find alternate housing during the semester breaks. You will be responsible for the any commuting costs you may incur.

When will I receive my housing assignment?
You will most likely receive your housing assignment one to two weeks before your departure. However, in some cases you may not receive your housing assignment until you arrive in Chile for orientation. Your program advisor will notify you of your housing assignment via email when it is ready.

Please keep in mind that while IFSA-Butler guarantees housing, we cannot guarantee your preferences.

Do I have to pay a housing deposit?
This program does not require a housing deposit.

Can I arrange my own housing?
All students who participate on the Santiago: Business and Culture in the 21st Century program must live with a program approved host family for the duration of the program.

Location Info

Living and Studying in Santiago

Population: 6 million
Location: Central Chile

City features

  • Delightfully mild temperatures and dry weather
  • The economic and cultural heart of Chile
  • Comprised of 31 comunas, each of which is like a small city with its own personality, mayor and city council
  • Beautifully landscaped parks that add green spaces to the city
  • Great museums and galleries, including the turn-of-the-century Palacio de Bellas Artes
  • Great festivals
  • Plenty of opportunities to enjoy theatre and music
  • Trendy pubs and nightclubs

Do more!

  • Take advantage of Santiago's status as a travel hub and visit other sites in Chile and Latin America
  • Take a day trip to the beach or to Cajon del Maipo, a great area for all kinds of outdoor adventuring
  • Visit beautiful, pastoral Valparaíso, located along Chile's coast and just two hours away

Links
Welcome to Santiago
Santiago attractions
Chile Tourism
Contact Chile
Lonely Planet Chile

Dates & Fees

Program Dates

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Your program end date may change due to circumstances beyond IFSA-Butler's control. Upon arrival at your host university, be sure to verify your exam schedule and program end date. We also strongly recommend that you investigate fees and penalties associated with your airline tickets in case you need to make date or route changes.

Program housing is available only until the day shown on the calendar as “Program ends.”

Exams must be taken where and when scheduled. Under no circumstances may students request that an exam time be changed.

Program Fees

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What's included in our summer program fees
Expense calculator

 

Payment Due: May 15

Program Fee Bills
IFSA-Butler will send a single bill for the entire program fee, which includes tuition, services, housing and meals.

Accommodation
Each student lives with a carefully selected host family. The program fee includes three meals per day.

Personal Cost Estimates

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Expense calculator

These figures are designed to assist students with financial planning but are only estimates based on past students’ experiences at the current exchange rate. They do not include any entertainment or vacation travel costs.

The above numbers are general estimates of expenses during a program abroad. We recommend taking into account your current spending habits, the cost of living in your host country and the current exchange rate. Your IFSA-Butler program advisor can be helpful as you attempt to work on a personal budget for your experience abroad.

**Meals: The housing component of our program fee includes three meals per day.

Personal Miscellaneous: Covers general expenses of college life, including course supplies, photocopying, toiletries, snacks, personal care, etc.

Commuting: Estimates are for transportation between housing and university. Transportation for personal or recreational purposes is not included in the above estimates.

All costs are in U.S. dollars.

Forms

To apply to the Business and Culture in the 21st Century program use our easy online application.

Applicants to this program must complete additional forms as part of the application process:

Please submit these forms with the remainder of your program application. They can be sent to IFSA-Butler via email, fax or regular mail.

If you have already started an application to the Business and Culture in the 21st Century program, you can check the status of your application using the Student Portal.

Meet Your IFSA-Butler Team

IFSA-Butler has a dedicated team of staff who are here to help prepare students for their program in Santiago:

erynProgram advisor Sarah Maher assists with the application process and is here to answer program, cultural and academic questions before departure. Sarah studied abroad with IFSA-Butler in 2011 and has traveled throughout Latin America and Europe. After her experiences abroad as an undergraduate, Sarah earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Communication from DePauw University. She is currently a program advisor for Latin American programs and focuses on advising students studying in Argentina and Chile. Contact Sarah at the email link above or at 800-858-0229, ext. 4200.

martiStudent Accounts Coordinator Marty Weinbrecht assists with the financial side of study abroad and processes payments and invoices. Marty can be reached at the email link above or at 800-858-0229 ext. 4218.

 



donnettaStudent & Parent Services Manager Donnetta Spears is available to both students and parents for travel questions and information. Donnetta has worked with IFSA-Butler for 11 years, and she has traveled through parts of Europe, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand. As the mother of 4 college students (one who has studied abroad too), she has a deep understanding of the ins-and-outs of study abroad from a parent perspective. Donnetta can be reached at the email link above or at 800-858-0229 ext. 4252.

 

Once abroad, our students are in the capable hands of our on-site office, including our resident director. Click here to read more about Resident Director Isabel Yevenes.

 

saraUpon return from your study abroad program, Academic Affairs Coordinator Sara Bell processes your Butler University transcript and assists with any academic record queries. Sara can be reached at the email link above or at 800-858-0229 ext. 4261.

Get Connected

Social Media

 

Connect with IFSA-Butler Students

If you really want to know what it's like to study abroad, connect with IFSA-Butler alumni and students who are currently abroad on an IFSA-Butler program. Check out the following:
Student Network
Student Blogs
Experiences Abroad Videos
For Students

Field Excursions

The program includes six thematically integrated site visits that will enhance classroom learning:

  • Visit to Chile's Central Bank to understand the effects of Chile's monetary policy on international business
  • Day trip to Valparaíso to visit the Port of Valparaíso, the National Congress, and for a meeting with the city's Economic Development Commission to learn about the city's current economic development plan.
  • Visit one of Chile's famous vineyards to gain an understanding of the global factors that affect the Chilean wine industry
  • Day trip to El Teniente, the world's largest copper mine, to learn about the Chilean copper industry and efforts in Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Visit an entrepreneur to gain an understanding of the small business environment in Chile
  • 4-day trip to Mendoza, Argentina: Workshops about Argentine business culture and how doing business in Argentina compares to Chile. Visit small businesses and entrepreneurs. Experience Argentine culture through tango presentations and more!

In addition to the thematic excursions, students will also have the opportunity to attend five national and international forums where guest speakers discuss current events related to business issues in Chile.

 
Institute for Study Abroad, Alliance For Global Education and MORE CULTURE. LESS SHOCK. are registered marks of the Institute for Study Abroad, Inc.