Study Spanish in Lima, Peru at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú

Program Courses

What program courses does IFSA-Butler offer?
The following courses are specially designed for IFSA-Butler students on the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú program. You are required to enroll in a mandatory Spanish language class; your placement level will be determined by an oral and written exam after your arrival in Peru. Additionally, you must enroll in the Peruvian Social Reality program course.

Click here to download all program course syllabi ...
...or click on the course name below for the individual syllabus.

Advanced Academic Writing and Peruvian Culture (3 U.S. semester credit hours) This mandatory class helps participants reach and perfect competence at the advanced level in Spanish language, with an emphasis on oral and written skills on formal and informal levels. The class also emphasizes vocabulary and pronunciation. Discussions and weekly essays that focus in part on Peruvian and Latin American issues will be utilized.

Peruvian Social Reality (4 U.S. semester credit hours) The purpose of this mandatory course is to help students reach a basic understanding of Peruvian social reality, identifying the major problems and conflicts, clarifying the relationship of the present situation in Peru to the most important social processes. While the course does not propose to offer a detailed analysis of specific issues, it does present the principal economic, social and political problems of the country in terms of an overall analytical perspective. The course will focus on an individual research project based on the experience of each student in an NGO, which focuses upon a specific social problem in the Peruvian context.

Specialized Gender Concentration IFSA-Butler students have the option to study on a specialized academic concentration focusing on gender issues. This is a great opportunity for students to gain in-depth knowledge about the subject by completing course work on gender studies at the university and by working with a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on gender issues.

Coursework for the concentration is a mixture of two IFSA-Butler program courses and integrated university classes. All students must take the Advanced Academic Writing and Peruvian Culture program course and the Peruvian Social Reality program course, which includes work with an NGO focused on gender and conducting a research project based on the work with the NGO. The remainder of the courses will taken at the PUCP, all with a focus on gender.

Gender Concentration

Social Constructions of Gender and Community Based Organizations
IFSA-Butler students have the option to study on a specialized academic concentration focusing on gender issues. This is a great opportunity for students to gain in-depth knowledge about the subject by completing course work on gender studies at the university and by working with a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on gender issues.

Click here for more detailed information about the gender concentration.

What the concentration has to offer

• A curriculum focusing on the psychology, law, anthropology and culture of gender in Peru
• Help Peruvian women through community based research or volunteer work
• Combination of program courses and university courses
• Gender courses taught at PUCP
• PUCP courses are integrated with degree students

Community based research and volunteer opportunities

• Casa de Panchita, an organization that supports domestic workers' rights
• PROMSEX, a feminist organization that lobbies for sexual and reproductive rights
• Center for Peruvian Women Flora Tristan, a well-known feminist organization that focuses on women's rights and feminist studies
• Students will develop a research project based on their work with an organization listed above

Academics

• Students choose three gender-related courses at PUCP
• Gender course options may include:
  

  1. General Theory of Gender Relations (semester 1 only)
  2. Gender, Culture and Development
  3. Developmental Strategies
  4. Seminar on Law and Gender
  5. Psychology of Gender
  6. Gender: Social Processes and Institutions
  7. Gender Relations

• The program includes two courses designed exclusively for IFSA-Butler students: Advanced Spanish: Academic Writing and Peruvian Culture and Peruvian Social Reality
• Students will visit a disadvantaged section of Lima to see the work many women must do to survive every day

University Info

What is the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú like?
The Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú serves more than 17,000 students in 42 undergraduate majors and 72 graduate programs. It is located on a large, 100-acre campus with modern buildings, fauna, cafeterias, coffee shops, a gym, picturesque gardens and archaeological excavation sites.

University Courses

Where can I find a list of courses that Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú offers?
PUCP publishes their course offerings online. Follow these steps to find courses that may be available during your semester or year abroad:

1. Click here to access PUCP's online course catalog. This will bring you to the list of especialidades at PUCP.
2. Click on the especialidad in which you are interested.
3. Click on the link for the plan de estudios to see the course offerings. For course descriptions, click on sumillas.

Please keep in mind that ciclo or nivel of a course does not indicate which semester the course is given. To determine when a course is being offered, please follow these steps:

1. Click here to access PUCP course semester and level information.
2. Click on Estudiantes.
3. Click on Busqueda de cursos"(on the right hand side of the page).
4. Enter the name of the course in nombre del curso.
5. Select the appropriate term from the dropdown menu (i.e. "2011-2" corresponds to semester 2, 2011) in ciclo de dictado de curso.
6. Click on buscar to see if the course is being offered during the indicated semester.

If a particular course you are looking for is not listed, contact your program advisor for more information. Course availability changes every semester.

Are there any restrictions or additional requirements for courses I can take?
There are no restricted departments at PUCP for IFSA-Butler students. However, it can be hard to get into some media studies courses. The classes fill up quickly, and there are few spots for international students.

How are Pontifica Universidad Católica del Perú courses different from the courses at my U.S. university?
Peruvian students attend two years of general studies either in letras or ciencias. General studies courses have a code that starts with 1.

After two years of general studies, Peruvian students go to the facultad for three to four years (depending on the program) and study for their career. There are no majors or minors at the PUCP. Those courses are in the 200s, 300s and 400s depending on the year they are given (200 level classes correspond to the first year of the facultad, 300 level courses correspond to the second year of the facultad and so forth).

IFSA-Butler students can take courses at any level. However, if a course is offered in both general studies and the facultad, IFSA-Butler students are encouraged to take the general studies course as professors in the facultad assume that students registered in the course have background knowledge in the subject.

I need to provide course descriptions and/or syllabi to my home university advisor. Where can I find those?
If course descriptions or syllabi are not available online, contact your program advisor for assistance. Please provide the following information in your request:

• University department/facultad
• Course title
• Course number (if available)

Please limit your request to 10 courses at a time. Keep in mind that it may take a few days to a month to obtain this information.

Registration

How will I register for courses?
Course registration will not take place until you are in Peru. You, along with the help of the IFSA-Butler staff, will plan your course schedule during orientation. Before leaving for Peru, it is a good idea to start thinking about the courses you want to take while you are abroad. Be sure to discuss your course selections with your U.S. university academic or study abroad advisor.

While we are sure that your time abroad will be rewarding, you must be aware of some of the challenges inherent in dealing with the Peruvian educational system. The resident director will not only discuss these issues at orientation but will also be available to help you with any problems that may arise during the semester.

Keep in mind that the educational system in Peru is different from the system in the U.S. For example, universities do not usually publish course schedules until just before the start of the semester. In many cases, current course listings are not available until you arrive on site.

What if I need to take a required course?
Because of the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú schedule, it is difficult to confirm course availability before you depart. If you are flexible in your course choices, you will probably be able to find a course that fits your needs. Keep in mind that if you need a specific course to fulfill your home institution's requirements, we may not be able to confirm the availability of that course or enroll you in it even if it is available. Both academic flexibility and patience are requirements for studying in Latin America.

Science and engineering courses require a high level of expertise, and students should be prepared for the increased challenge of studying these disciplines in Spanish. As these are fields in which there are generally few international students, visiting students may feel that a support system is not readily available. However, previous visiting students at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú have found science and engineering course professors to be helpful.

What are the registration conditions?

You must take a full university course load as determined by IFSA-Butler, which is 15-16 U.S. semester credit hours per semester. Credit will be awarded on a Butler University transcript based on a typical U.S. full course load. The number of courses you will take depends on the individual value of the courses you select. Please be aware that you may be charged additional fees by your home university or host university to take or process additional credits. 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?

Due to the difference in academic systems, your exam schedule will not be available until after you register for courses at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú . Be sure to confirm exam dates with your professor at the beginning of the semester. 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 Peru.

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 the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú during your study abroad semester or year. We will also send an official transcript to your permanent home address.

Academic Tutoring

What if I need academic help during the semester?
In addition to the formal Spanish class, IFSA-Butler organizes tutoring sessions for students throughout the semester or year. These may be scheduled at various times during the week, when students meet with the tutor on an individual basis. Tutors are available upon request. Please meet with the IFSA-Butler resident staff if you would like the assistance of a tutor.