CIEE Study Center at the Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo in Sao Paulo, Brazil: Liberal Arts

  Brazil

• Sao Paulo: 
Sao Paulo

Term: Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Throughout the year 
Dates: Fall 23 weeks: late June-mid December; Spring 23 weeks: early-January-early July; Academic Year 49 weeks: late June-early July; Calendar Year

Description: The three main goals of this program are to improve students oral and written Portuguese language skills; to facilitate students knowledge of contemporary Brazil and the São Paulo region; and to provide students with the opportunity to take a broad range of courses at a Brazilian university.

Academic Program
The program in São Paulo was established in 1973 and has been administered by CIEE since 1989. The program begins with a four-week Intensive Language and Culture Program (ILCP), held in Salvador da Bahia for the fall semester and in São Paulo for the spring semester. The ILCP prepares students for the regular semester by providing them the opportunity to focus intensively on Portuguese language acquisition and learning about Brazilian contemporary society. The regular semester offers a combination of direct enrollment classes at a Brazilian university, CIEE Portuguese language courses, and specially-designed CIEE courses about contemporary Brazilian society and urban studies, using São Paulo as a case study. This program is ideal for those wanting to improve their Portuguese language, or for those advanced Spanish speakers who would like to learn Portuguese.

Academic Culture
While U.S. students are accustomed to a very structured academic system, Brazilian professors generally leave students on their own to determine the intensity of their work. This approach is geared towards the student who is motivated, self-sufficient, and deeply interested in the subject matter. It is a more rigorous, autonomous academic system. While some U.S. students could misperceive that the workload is light and that there are very few assignments, students are given bibliographies for courses with the expectation that they read as many of the listings as possible, selecting those titles which most specifically meet their needs and interests. In some courses, the entire grade is based on a term paper or critical analysis of a particular article that is expected to be based upon a fairly extensive reading from the bibliography. This relative freedom places a great deal of responsibility on the student.

The CIEE academic year program roughly coincides with the North American academic year, taking place from late June to early July of the following year, and the CIEE calendar year program coincides with the Brazilian academic year, taking place from early-January to mid-December. Academic year students have a two month break between fall and spring semesters and are encouraged to travel independently throughout other parts of Brazil and Latin America. Calendar year students have a break of four weeks between the Brazilian first and second semesters (the North American spring and fall semesters).

Highlights:

• Intensive four-week language and culture program
  
• Live in São Paulo, a cultural and economic center affected by globalization, diverse ethnic heritages, and influential social movements
  
• Learn directly from Brazilian students during orientation about how to manage daily life in São Paulo
  
• Extensive cultural activities and field trips integrated into the CIEE core course show students the hidden Brazil

Cost in US$: See below for CIEE Fees

Experience Required: yes