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santiago chile fountain sunny day
Santiago, Chile

January in Santiago

Study Program

Dates

-

3 weeks

Costs

$3,950 See Full Breakdown

Credit

3 semester hours

4.5 quarter hours

Eligibility

2.5 Overall GPA

Application Deadline

Apply Now

Request Information

Overview

Your January in Santiago program lasts three weeks and is designed for students from all academic backgrounds. You will enroll in one CIEE course taught at CIEE Santiago. Enhance your experience with extracurricular activities while immersing yourself in Chilean culture. Live and learn in Santiago!

Unique Experiences

Discover Chile

through engaging cultural activities, urban tours with Santiago student ambassadors, and hikes in the Andes foothills

Live with a Chilean Family

where students learn the language and enjoy delicious cuisine from a host family

Explore World-Class Museums

such as the Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts or the Human Rights Museum

Experience
  • santiago ch city plaza

Your Destination

Santiago is Chile’s cosmopolitan capital, celebrated for its sunny summer weather and vibrant cultural scene. January is the perfect time to experience the city's charm with fewer crowds, open-air festivals, and stunning views of the Andes. Explore colorful neighborhoods, visit world-class museums, and enjoy delicious Chilean cuisine. Whether you are majoring in business, science, engineering, technology, communications, psychology, health sciences, liberal arts, language, or fine arts, Santiago is the perfect place to study abroad on winter break.

santiago-ch-meals-students-at-market

Program Highlights

  • Academic Courses: Choose from CIEE courses that align with your academic major.
  • Immersive Experiences: Participate in activites, excursions, study tours, and more that showcase your host city's culture, values, and local art, film, music, cuisine, and sports scenes.
santiago ch street mural

Excursions & Activities

CIEE’s excursions and cultural activities in Santiago will open doors for you to explore Chile's rich diversity, language, culture, history, and timeless beauty in ways that will enhance your time abroad.      

Samples of past excursions and activities: 

  • Visit a vineyard and learn about the wine industry and exporting business
  • Wander through Santiago’s neighborhoods and get insider tips with CIEE-organized activities with cultural ambassadors
  • Take a boat ride to witness the beauty of the nearby twin cities: Valparaiso with its architectural wonder and Vina del Mar with its high residential towers  

Please note: Activities are based on past programs and subject to change at CIEE's discretion to adapt to local circumstances and participant feedback. Our goal when arranging activities is always to enhance your experience.    

Program Blogs

studying abroad in chile guide
From CIEE

Study Abroad Chile: The Ultimate Guide

By College Study Abroad at CIEE

Ready to take your study abroad experience to the next level? Say hello to Chile, the long, skinny gem of Latin America, where adventure meets education in the heart of... keep reading

January term students 2024 in their farewell celebration
From CIEE

Embarking on a Cultural Odyssey: The CIEE Santiago January Exchange Unveiled

By CIEE Santiago at CIEE

Santiago's vibrant tapestry provids the backdrop for weeks filled with enriching encounters and memorable moments. Although, not primarily a language-oriented program, the immersion component stands out as daily interactions with... keep reading

Photo for blog post
From CIEE

Valparaiso Reflection

By CIEE Santiago at CIEE

Author: Emma Denny University of South Carolina During their trip to Valparaíso, another Capstone scholar student from the University of South Carolina wrote the following reflection on the architecture of... keep reading

Housing

Housing & Meals

Housing

Homestays: Living with a Chilean family is your ticket to integration into life in Santiago de Chile as it provides an excellent opportunity for immersion into the local culture. Although families may be able to communicate in English, they foster communication in Spanish to motivate language and cultural learning.   

You may be placed in a host family with or without another CIEE student. Your host family provides a single room with a desk, laundry once a week, Wi-Fi, and a copy of the house keys. Students benefit from the proximity to subway stations, coffee shops, convenience stores, ATMs –also available in metro stations-, and restaurants.  

Meals

Homestays include two meals per day. Host families and students arrange their own meal schedules. Students are responsible for the remaining meal, either preparing them at home or eating in one of many restaurants and cafés throughout the city. 

santiago ch host mom and sister

Homestay

A student with her host mom and sister.

santiago ch student making guacamole sandwiches

Meals

A student prepares guacamole sandwiches.

Academics

Academics

CIEE Santiago: Study on the main campus of University Diego Portales (UDP), CIEE’s partner institution, surrounded by the beauty of Cerro San Cristóbal Hill. CIEE Santiago boasts a student-friendly campus with spacious classrooms, a comfortable lounge, quiet study areas, and common spaces for coursework and socializing with fellow students.

GPA

2.5

Language Requirements

There are no specific language requirements for this program.

Additional Requirements

Please refer to the detailed Program Essential Eligibility Criteria.

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Requirements

All students take one 3-credit CIEE course. 

Program Credit

Total credit: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits 

Course Credit

CIEE course: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Academic Culture

All courses are taught in English at CIEE Santiago by local faculty. The program is made up of three weeks of class including an intensive orientation. CIEE classes are designed to follow U.S. academic culture and standards. Each course is a full semester in content, so the pace is accelerated, and the workload is demanding. Heavy emphasis is placed on student participation. The class environment typically features a combination of traditional lecture and discussion with co-curricular excursions and activities. Class attendance is strictly enforced both for classes and required co-curricular excursions. To avoid falling behind, students should not plan personal travel out of Santiago when classes are in session. 

Class Format

Courses are taught to CIEE students only. Courses are taught Monday-Friday, and attendance is strictly enforced both for classes and required co-curricular excursions. Students should expect an average of two hours of preparation required for each hour in class. Instruction is supported and augmented online by our learning management system, Canvas.  

Grading

Assessment is based on the individual’s overall performance in the course, including attendance, 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. Under no circumstances will CIEE alter deadlines or exam dates for study abroad students who have made conflicting travel plans. The U.S. grading scale of A-F is used. 

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Language of Instruction

English

Individual courses may have additional prerequisites; for CIEE courses, these are listed in the syllabi below. Students are responsible for having their own course approval conversations with their advisors. Your study abroad advisor and CIEE staff can help you understand your course options if you don't see a recommendation that fits your course needs.

Courses

Course Information

Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.

Scholarships

Scholarships & Grants

CIEE offers scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.

Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:

  • Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants

To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.

Learn more about scholarships

Dates & Fees

Dates & Fees

You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.

Program

Application Due

Start Date

End Date

Fees & Housing
Program January 2026 3 weeks Start Date End Date Fees & Housing $3,950

To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.

Program Fees

CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.

Participation Confirmation $300 *
Educational Costs $2,670 **
Housing $900 ***
Insurance $80
Total Fees $3,950

Financial Aid

CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.

See Scholarships

Estimated Costs

Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.

Meals not included in program fee $189 †
International Airfare $1,000 ††
Local Transportation $45 †††
Books & Supplies $20 ††††
Personal expenses $130 †††††
Total Costs $1,384

*non-refundable fee

**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students

***includes all meals

†For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals (breakfast and dinner). For students in apartments, you should budget approx. $280 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.

††round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure

†††One round trip a day in public transportation, for three weeks

††††For notebooks, pencils, etc.

†††††$100 emergency fund + cell phone expense + toiletries

What's Included

Tuition

Housing

Pre-departure Advising

Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions

Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet

Orientation

Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city

On-site Staff

Full-time program leadership and support in your city

Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities

Travel Protection

CIEE iNext travel protection

24/7 emergency on-site support

Staff

Our Staff

Victor Muñoz

Victor Muñoz

Programs and Finance Manager

Víctor is passionate about studies. He graduated in Business and Economy, has a master's degree on Strategic Management and Project Evaluation, and certifications on Data Science in Python. He also...

Camila Soto

Camila Soto

Program Coordinator

Camila Soto has a BA in Literature with experience in independent publishing, language teaching and international education. At CIEE she has worked at the Teach in Chile program and as...

Get Started Steps

Get Started

Here’s what you need to do to take the next steps:

1

Start an Application

You're one step closer to an amazing study abroad experience!

Apply Now

2

Connect With Your Campus Study Abroad Office

Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad.

3

Contact Us

Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.

Contact Us

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