• Description

  The Business and Culture study abroad program in Santiago, Chile helps students gain a critical appreciation of Chile's unique business sector and its importance in Latin America. The program is designed for students with a wide range of academic, intellectual, intercultural, and linguistic experiences, and is ideal for those with lower language skill levels, a keen interest in international business and economics, and a desire to learn about the ongoing process of economic transformation in Chile and Latin America. The program aims to enhance students' knowledge of international business from a local, national, and regional perspective, and to develop technical, cultural, and linguistic skills for future leadership in the global marketplace. This is achieved through a core CIEE business course and direct enrollment business courses offered in English - at the Facultad de Economia y Negocios (FEN) of the University of Chile, the country's top public university. Students also concurrently pursue Spanish language studies, and immerse themselves in the Chilean culture by living with a local host family.

  Academic Program
  Through required and elective coursework, students are afforded the opportunity to study various aspects of local and regional business environments, management practices, entrepreneurship, and sector-specific language within a university environment. Students completing the program are able to demonstrate deeper knowledge and literacy about historical and current trends in the Chilean and Latin American business arenas, as well as the integration and role of Chile within the regional and global marketplaces. Students also develop their capacity for intercultural understanding and the capacity to communicate across cultures with a focus on business communication tools and skills. As a required component of the program, students are placed in an intensive language class according to their ability as determined by a placement exam at the beginning of the program. Spanish courses specifically focused on business vocabulary and communications are available for students at all language levels.

  Academic Culture
  Chilean universities tend to convey knowledge through different strategies and methods; memorization and expository lectures are part of the in-class academic culture. In most classes, a great deal of emphasis is placed on note taking. It can take a while to learn how to study effectively in the Chilean system, especially in terms of acquiring reading material and understanding professors' expectations. Program staff and resources are available to assist students in navigating these challenges through orientation activities and materials, ongoing advising, and peer support with local students.

• Highlights

• Study in the geographic, political, academic, and economic capital of one of Latin America's most dynamic and financially vibrant countries
  
• Learn or improve your Spanish through instruction specifically designed for international students and for application in the business world
  
• Learn about Chile's business sector through organizational site visits and case study explorations
  
• Immerse yourself in Chilean academic and social life through homestays, volunteer opportunities, and the CIEE community engagement program

Immersion
Community engagement is an important cultural and educational component of this program. As part of the program, CIEE staff arrange group community engagement projects and activities for all participants with various organizations and communities throughout the greater Santiago area. The projects are designed to give students a firsthand look at the challenges facing Santiago and its surrounding areas today. CIEE has an established network of community partnerships with local NGOs, schools, and other organizations.

Community engagement and service activities are linked to the subject matter and learning goals of the program (for example, micro- and small-business development and economic development projects). While these activities are optional, they are included in the program fee in order to foster higher levels of participation. Where possible, these activities may be linked to extra credit earning opportunities in the program's required core course. Students may also arrange to volunteer after school and on weekends.