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IFSA Chilean Universities Program, Valparaíso

by: IFSA, Institute for Study Abroad

9.11 (9)Verified

The Institute for Study Abroad offers study-abroad opportunities in Chile. The program allows students to study at a Chilean university in Valparaíso while living with a local family. Students study in a beautiful coastal Chilean city while taking advantage of the wide range of courses offered at a well-regarded university. Two special courses are also offered to help students meet their linguisti...

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Program Highlights

Study at a university in the picturesque city of Valparaíso.

Choose from a wide range of courses offered by two outstanding universities.

Volunteer with Greenpeace, YWCA, or the Ministry of Education during off days.

Live with a Chilean family and learn more about the local culture.

You will be paired with a language partner for further conversational practice and you will have access to academic tutors throughout the semester

Quick Details

Locations
  • Valparaiso, Chile
Availability
Year(s) Offered2025, 2026Terms Available:
  • Fall
  • Spring
Age Requirement:Varies
Types & Subjects:
  • Accounting
  • Anthropology
  • Art History
  • Biology
  • Business
  • See more
Guidelines:
  • American
  • Canadian
See all program details

Awards

GoAbroad Innovation Awards 2024 Finalist - SustainabilityInnovative Student Video 2023 FinalistInnovation in Crisis Response Finalist 2022

Program Reviews

Hear what past participants have to say about the programs

Overall Rating

9.11

Total Reviews

9

I climbed a volcano!

April 23, 2020by: Reilly Simmons - United StatesProgram: IFSA Chilean Universities Program, Valparaíso
10

One of the program trips that IFSA planned for us was a trip to the souther part of Chile where we stayed with indigenous Mapuche families that we had been learning about in our classes. We were able to do an amazing hike in the mountains that has been the path of indigenous people crossing between Argentina and Chile for a long time. The peak of our hike was when we made it to the top and the top was the tip of a volcano!

Complete immersion!

April 17, 2020by: Alana Aragon - United StatesProgram: IFSA Chilean Universities Program, Valparaíso
9

Leaving was the worst thing about my entire year. I was able to increase my fluency, take major classes, and develop a life there. I tried surfing, rock climbing, acro yoga, and so much more. My host family and the Chilean community was so welcoming. In my second semester, the only time I spoke English was in phone calls to people back home because I had become so close to my host family, classmates, and friends that I was always speaking Spanish. I learned so much about myself, traveling, Chile, and other people, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

Trekking in Patagonia

Best 5 months of my life!

March 12, 2019by: Katie McDonald - United StatesProgram: IFSA Chilean Universities Program, Valparaíso
8

My experience in Valparaiso with IFSA is something that is extremely hard to convey in text. I guess the first thing I have to say is that staying with my host family definitely was the highlight of my experience and I have to thank IFSA for organizing that. I learned valuable life skills and experienced so much cultural immersion. IFSA does an incredible job connecting international students with local chilean communities, in school and outside school. It's a crazy feeling that I don't know how to describe but I really felt like I was out there on my own and it was an absolutely amazing experience. I would have never learned as much as I did if it wasn't for my host family. They taught be about Chilean culture in a way that I could never learn in a class room. By simply living with them, eating with them, and talking with them, I felt fully immersed within two months. IFSA staff also had a major role in helping me get integrated into the chilean lifestyle. Mainly, finding the perfect host families. IFSA offered classes, food tastings, excursions, opportunities to see people speak and a lot more than you probably wont get anywhere else. For example, we got to travel to the South of Chile to live with real Mapuche families for a weekend. When would you ever have that opportunity in your life? One thing that I really loved about IFSA is that they treated you like an adult and expected you to do things on your own, but still provided all the support that you would need to get things done. After all, the only way to learn about a different culture is to live in it, and that's what IFSA allowed us to do. They didn't treat us like international tourists who just wanted to observe from an outside view. They know that we are students eager to learn, so they treated us like normal international students and helped us integrate as students, not as tourists. Students studying with IFSA really feel a sense of individuality, at home and at school, due to the amount of freedom that IFSA gives them. But at the same time, IFSA is always there for help, support, questions, or whatever it may be. Studying with IFSA gave me the perfect amount of freedom so I could learn on my own, yet also provided me with the perfect about of comfort, showing me that i am never actually alone with them.

Program Details

Learn all the nitty gritty details you need to know

Locations

  • Valparaiso, Chile

Types and Subjects

  • Subjects & Courses
  • Accounting
  • Anthropology
  • Art History

Availability

Years Offered: 2025, 2026

Age Requirement

Age Requirement Varies

Guidelines

  • American
  • Canadian
  • This Program is also open to Solo

Program Cost Includes

  • Tuition & Fees
  • Accommodation / Housing for Program Duration
  • All Program Activity Costs
  • Wifi Costs

Accommodation Options

  • Home-stays

Qualifications & Experience

    Language Skills Required

  • Spanish

    Accepted Education Levels

  • University Freshman (1st Year)
  • University Sophomore (2nd Year)

Application Procedures

  • Online Application
  • Transcript
IFSA, Institute for Study Abroad

IFSA, Institute for Study Abroad

9.11Verified

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The Institute for Study Abroad offers study-abroad opportunities in Chile. The program allows students to study at a Chilean university in Valparaíso while living with a local family. Students study in a beautiful coastal Chilean city while taking advantage of the wide range of courses offered at a well-regarded university. Two special courses are also offered to help students meet their linguistic and academic needs. Situated between the mountains and the sea, Valparaíso's cobbled streets and Victorian houses provide a unique setting to examine the economic and psychological factors that create Latin American politics. The city is famous for its charm and picture-perfect views, not to mention the passionate and edgy art scene and politically active student body. An optional internship co...

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