Study in Santiago, Chile (USAC)
The Program
Experience a vibrant mix of university and daily life, with both historical and modern tastes
Students will take courses at Universidad Andrés Bello in the capital of the city, home to approximately 45,000 students and widely regarded as one of Chile's most important private universities. Santiago is the fifth largest city in South America with 6 million people, known for its cuisine and beautiful plazas. Courses available in a wide variety of subjects in English and/or Spanish, as well as field studies, cultural excursions, and internships for eligible students. USAC courses/office are located at the downtown Santiago campus, situated along the subway line for a convenient commute.
Program Location
Chile
Santiago
Santiago is a vibrant mix of university and daily life, with both historical and modern tastes. Santiago combines a large urban city with the accessibility of a small community. It is known for its historic French architecture and modern urbanism as well as its cuisine, which includes seafood from its coastline, fresh meats, traditional empanadas, and even avocado hot dogs! There's something for everyone though; Santiago also offers many international restaurants. The daily/night life will also keep you busy, with plazas, parks, museums, orchestras, theatres, concerts, and local markets. Outside of the city, there are a plethora of landmarks to explore, including the Atacama Desert in the north, and rain forests, volcanoes, lakes, and beautiful fjords to the south.
Academics
In order to have an idea of what classes are available, you should visit the USAC website. Courses range from Latin American Studies, to Journalism, to International Studies, Language Electives, History, Business, Corporate Social Responsibility, and more. Students can take classes in English or Spanish, depending on the level. There are also Spanish Language Tracks in which courses are taught sequentially within one semester. The intensive language approach allows you to complete up to two years of university foreign language coursework in only one semester. You may choose to study for one semester or a full year and meet Spanish minor or major requirements.
In addition to offering courses, USAC: Santiago offers Field studies in which students embark on a 1-credit field study course where they will explore cultural, historical, and natural features of a distinctive region of Chile through planned excursions. These trips are paired with academic components such as readings, reports, etc. During the Fall Semester, students will travel to Northern Chile.
For more information on cultural excursions/field studies, please click here.
For more information on internships, please click here.
You will need to be sure that you are registered as a full time student according to USAC Chile and Rutgers University. That means you will need to take approximately 12-18 credits while abroad. Courses range from 1-4 credits, much like Rutgers. The credit translation system between USAC Chile and Rutgers University is 1:1, meaning a 3-credit course there will also be a 3-credit course on your Rutgers University transcript. It is not possible to take classes as not-for-credit or pass/fail.
Housing and Meals
Students have the option of a Homestay, or Shared Apartments.
Homestay
You will move in with your host family after orientation. The families are located within a 30- to 50-minute commute to the university and will provide you with a room and breakfast and dinner daily. Lunch, the main meal in Chile, is available in the university neighborhood at a modest cost. Boarding with a family provides an unmatched opportunity for practicing your Spanish and learning Chilean culture and customs and is highly recommended.
Staying in a homestay in Santiago will provide you with a synthesis of a big Latin American capital city coupled with the atmosphere of a local Chilean neighborhood; the neighborhoods of Providencia, Las Condes, and Ñuñoa mix residences and offices with small streets and expansive avenues, commercial centers, traditional boutiques, parks, and plazas. Areas with cafes, restaurants, and cinemas can be found in different parts of the city with a diversity of styles and local cultures.
Shared Apartments
There are private rooms and shared rooms (two people) available, as well as private or shared bathrooms depending on the room chosen/available. Each apartment has a small study area and a kitchen. Depending on the building there may be other facilities available, such as a laundry room, gym, swimming pool, bikes, and grills for barbecues. The apartments are conveniently located in downtown Santiago and are only a 10-minute commute by metro to get to campus. In apartments, students will live with other USAC students.
To choose a privately owned residence hall or rental apartment, you will be responsible to locate and make your own rental agreements.
For more information about housing, please refer to the USAC Housing website.
Financial Information
Program Costs
| NJ Resident | non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| ATW Program Cost* | $10,000 | $13,900 |
Program Cost includes:
• Tuition
• *Housing (either homestay or double-room apartment)
• Housing deposit
• Administrative Fees
• Emergency Medical Access Abroad
• *Access the World (ATW)
* Single-room apartment housing is available and student will need to pay the difference directly to USAC by their stated deadline.
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $1,500 |
| Meals | $1,100 |
| Personal Expenses | $1,000 |
| Visa (Estimate is for US Citizens) | $160 |
| Books and Classroom Materials | $275 |
| Local Transportation | $375 |
| USAC Application Fee (waived) | $0 |
| Deposits/Fees | $250 |
| Total | $4,660.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket and visa costs, while some of these expenses, such as meals and local transportation, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Program Costs
| NJ Resident | non-NJ Resident | |
|---|---|---|
| ATW Program Cost* | $10,000 | $13,900 |
Program Cost includes:
• Tuition
• *Housing (either homestay or double-room apartment)
• Housing deposit
• Administrative Fees
• Emergency Medical Access Abroad
• *Access the World (ATW)
* Single-room apartment housing is available and student will need to pay the difference directly to USAC by their stated deadline.
Out-of-Pocket Costs
| Airfare | $1,500 |
| Meals | $1,100 |
| Personal Expenses | $1,000 |
| Visa (Estimate is for US Citizens) | $160 |
| Books and Classroom Materials | $275 |
| Local Transportation | $375 |
| USAC Application Fee (waived) | $0 |
| Deposits/Fees | $250 |
| Total | $4,660.00 |
Out-of-Pocket Cost includes:
The above costs are estimations and represent the known out-of-pocket costs students encounter during their time abroad.
Some of these expenses will be paid for prior to going abroad, such as an airline ticket and visa costs, while some of these expenses, such as meals and local transportation, will be paid in-country as part of your daily expenses. As you plan, you will need to budget these costs and spend wisely throughout your time abroad.
Scholarships
Featured Students
“As a transfer student from Rutgers Newark it was my dream to travel abroad for my last semester. I wanted to finish my Spanish degree in Latin America given that my concentration was Latin American literature. As a child I emigrated from Cuba to the United States and experienced first hand a new culture, language and country. As a college student I was ready to experience this all over again with my study abroad semester. Chile was the best choice for me, and after much research I decided that Valparaíso would be the perfect fit for the experience that I was looking to get out of my time abroad.”