Program Duration

First semester/Lima: August-December Second semester/Santiago: mid February-mid July

Program Description

On this innovative University of Wisconsin-Madison study abroad program, students experience variations of Spanish language, social customs, indigenous and European influences, and much more while studying for a semester in both Peru and Chile.

Students begin their experience studying at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru (PUCP) in Lima, Peru. Lima is located on the western coastline of Peru and is the capital city with a population of around eight million inhabitants. The historic center of Lima was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988 due to the large number of historical buildings dating from the Spanish Colonial era. Most notably are the Plaza Mayor with its 16th Century Cathedral and the Presidential Palace and the Catacombs of the Convento de San Francisco. The city also has a large number of fine museums such as the Museum of Anthropology and the Gold Museum.

The second semester continues at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (La Católica). Santiago, Chile’s cultural, political, and economic center, is a dynamic, cosmopolitan metropolis with a population of approximately five million people. The unique environment in Santiago combines European influences in architectural and cultural traditions with its Latin American heritage. Located in the central valley between the Andes and the coastal mountains, Santiago offers opportunities to explore the Pacific beaches and the mountains outside the city.

Academics

Students directly enroll in both PUCP and La Católica and can choose from a wide range of humanities and social sciences courses taught in Spanish.

In Lima, participants attend PUCP, a university with an enrollment of over 16,000 undergraduates that offers a wide variety of coursework in fine arts, management and accounting, archaeology, anthropology, political science, education, natural sciences, engineering, communication, social sciences and humanities.

Following the break between semesters, students arrive in Chile to take a two to three week Spanish course prior to the start of La Católica’s semester. La Católica is one of the most prestigious universities in South America and thrives today with more than 20,000 students in 17 different facultades (schools) spread across four campuses. Students can choose from a full range of courses in the humanities and social sciences.

The international office staff in Peru is available to assist students during the first semester with academic or cultural questions. In Chile, a local part-time program liaison and the International Academic Relations Office are available to help students adjust academically and culturally to Chile, coordinate excursions and some social events, and serve as a point of contact in cases of emergency.

Housing

In both Lima and Santiago, students have the choice to live with a host family find their own apartments or in student residencias located throughout the cities. Students make their housing arrangements prior to arrival in Peru and Chile.

Excursions and Activities

Both universities offer program participants ways to get involved in cultural or sport activities on-campus. PUCP offers a Compañero PUCP program that matches a PUCP student with international students to help introduce the international students to university life and to Lima. As part of the semester in Chile, two to three excursions are planned each semester. Past excursions have included Pomaire, Valparaiso, Cajon del Maipo, Viña Concha y Toro, and Isla Negra.