Semester in Lisbon

GPA

2.5

Additional Requirements

 Please refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.   

Requirements

All CIEE Semester in Lisbon students take four to five courses per semester, for a total of 12-18 credits, which can be a mix of CIEE and host institution courses. Students can combine courses at NOVA-FCSH and either NOVA-SBE or ISCTE-IUL but not from both. Students can take up to two host institution courses at either ISCTE-IUL or NOVA-SBE. 

Program Credit

Total credit: 12-18 semester/18-27 quarter credits 

Course Credit

• CIEE Courses: 3 semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours, unless otherwise noted  
• CIEE Internship: 3 semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 100-120 internship placement hours  
• ISCTE-IUL Courses: 3 semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours, unless otherwise noted  
• NOVA-FCSH and NOVA-SBE Courses: 3 semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours, unless otherwise noted 

Academic Culture

CIEE courses are designed to follow U.S. academic culture and standards. The class environment typically features a combination of traditional lecture and discussion with co-curricular excursions and activities. Heavy emphasis is placed on student participation.  To avoid falling behind, students should not plan personal travel out of Lisbon when classes are in session and plan trips for the long weekends. 

Host Institution classes tend to be more lecture-based and students are expected to work much more independently than in the U.S., thus more time may be required for studying than students are accustomed to at their home campuses. Both NOVA and ISCTE-IUL value active, intellectual inquiry, and exploration, particularly through interdisciplinary study and creative thought.  

The academic calendar is close to the North American calendar. CIEE, NOVA-FCSH, NOVA-SBE, and ISCTE-IUL fall classes begin in September and end in December, and spring classes begin in February and end in May. ISCTE-IUL exam dates go into January for fall and into June for spring. Special accommodations may be possible for students enrolling in ISCTE-IUL courses. 

Class Format

Courses taught at the CIEE Center are typically for CIEE students only. Host Institution classes include both local and international students. A typical class schedule includes a combination of CIEE and Host Institution-administered classes and will span from Monday to Friday. CIEE classes meet twice a week for 90 minutes, or once a week for three hours, with class sizes ranging from 10 to 25 students. Classes at Host Institution meet two to four times per week, for anywhere from one to three hours per class session, depending on the course. Similar to classes at U.S. institutions, students should expect to spend an average of two hours of preparation and study for each hour in CIEE classes. Attendance in CIEE classes is strictly enforced, both for classes and required co-curricular excursions. Instruction is supported and augmented online by CIEE’s learning management system, Canvas. 

Grading

CIEE reports all final course grades to students’ home institutions using a U.S. letter grade equivalent scale of A-F. For CIEE-administered courses, students’ grades are based on class participation, homework, project work, presentations, and midterm and final examinations. Learning outcomes assessment is continuous through personal reflections, evaluation feedback, self-assessment, and requirements as set out in course syllabi. Host Institution courses are graded using a 20-point grading scale, and primary assessments may be held as either oral or written examinations, and final exams are typically worth 50-70% of the final grade for the course. 

Language of Instruction

English and/or Portuguese