Political Science & Politics Study Abroad Programs in Santiago, Chile

*Due to the global health status worldwide, USAC is making programmatic changes to summer, fall, and yearlong programs, and some options might not be available. These changes are posted on individual program pages on the USAC website.*   Santiago is a city of contrasts: historic areas stand side-by-side with modern urbanism; plazas and parks are oases in the midst of the metropolis. Leading Chile’s considerable cultural endeavors, Santiago boasts symphony orchestras, major dance companies, a host of professional theatre groups, a full slate of concerts and movie theatres, and attractive local markets. Tempt your taste buds with Chile’s tasty cuisine, which incorporates seafood from its long- stretching coastline, fresh meats, and abundant fruits and vegetables. Enjoy traditional empanadas and avocado hotdogs, along with international restaurants all over the city.

Learn among like-minded advocates and leaders in bustling Santiago, in the foothills of the majestic Andes Mountains. Explore a sophisticated city, emerging as a major economic and cultural center in Latin America, as you follow your penchant for business, politics, law, or social justice. Designed so you can live like a Santiaguino, this program allows you to learn local customs from a carefully selected host family and learn alongside Chilean peers. Ideal for pre-law, political science, international relations, and business majors, with the freedom to choose classes from two of Latin America’s top universities: Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile. Some classes available in English. Hoping to get closer to Santiago’s issues and challenges? Community-based learning opportunities make it easy to do that—and deepen your understanding of Chilean people. Thinking ahead to life after college? Add a resume-enhancing internship or directed research for a great window into career possibilities, plus experience employers will value.

CIEE offers the most extensive network of internship programs. Are you a U.S. college student looking to study and intern abroad? We have full-time and part-time placements across 40+ locations worldwide and in diverse fields, from AI and engineering to public policy and business administration. Find the right fit for you! Live, learn, and work abroad on an internship program with CIEE! CIEE Summer Internships CIEE Summer Global Internships are 6-credit, 8-week programs with full-time working hours (approximately 30 hours weekly) and a seminar. CIEE Summer Intern and Study Abroad are 6 to 7-credit, 6-week programs with a part-time internship (approximately 20 hours weekly), a seminar, and a 3-credit academic course. CIEE Semester Internships CIEE Semester Global Internships are 9 to 13-credit, 12-week programs that feature a full-time internship (approximately 30 hours weekly), a seminar, and an optional 3 to 4-credit academic course online. CIEE Semester Intern and Study Abroad Programs are 12 to 14-credit, 12-week programs that feature a part-time internship​ (approximately 20 hours weekly), a seminar, and two academic courses.

Santiago is a modern metropolis, one that visitors will come to know for its lively neighborhoods and unique charm. A Spanish-immersion program, the IES Abroad Santiago Program - Politics, Social Justice & Language - will help students improve their language skills while observing and learning about sociopolitical topics. Also offered are internship and service learning placements, field trips, and extracurricular activities through which visiting students will have the opportunity to meet Chilean and international students alike. Applicants must have four semesters of college level Spanish before applying to the program.

Santiago, the capital and largest city in Chile, bustles with activity and is home to more than a third of the nation’s inhabitants. Despite its large size, its extensive public transport system, including a subway, makes it easy to navigate. Founded in 1541, the city is nestled in a plain between the Andes Mountains. It is the country’s political, cultural, and economic center and offers visitors a wealth of attractions and activities to explore. Students will enjoy its incredible views, where the city’s skyscrapers and surrounding mountains can be admired from afar, as well as its museums, historic sites, shopping centers, and restaurants.

At the School in Chile, students come in at the intermediate-advanced level of Spanish and adhere to the Middlebury Language Pledge® to reap the benefits of linguistic immersion. By living and studying with Chileans and getting involved in the community through volunteer work, internships, and extracurricular activities, they can build authentic relationships and integrate fully into life in their host city. Chile’s largest city, Santiago, offers a pleasant mixture of colonial buildings and parks with the convenience of modern transportation and the look of newer architecture. Santiago has a strong and active cultural life, with the presence of various theaters, museums, and cultural centers. Here, students have the option of studying at three excellent universities: the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, the Universidad de Chile, or the Universidad Alberto Hurtado. We have several special tracks in Santiago: Social Movements and Human Rights and Memory.