Study Abroad | Viña del Mar
Fall 2024: Academics

Course Code: Business 301/MGT 335

Instruction Language: English

In 2010 Latin America integrated 5 nations classified as high-income countries: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Mexico and Panama. Today countries in Latin America show stability and growth allowing them to become increasingly influential players in world affairs. For many foreign investors Chile is considered a gateway to South America because of its political-economic security. South America retains a close business relationship with the U.S. due to its proximity. According to Goldman Sachs’ BRIC review of emerging economies, by 2050 the largest economies in the world will be: China, United States, India, Brazil, and Mexico. All these factors make it essential to learn about doing business in Latin America. Students will examine socio-cultural issues; economic, political and legal environment, and strategic considerations for doing business in Latin America. Case studies as well as lectures will form discussion.

Course Code: Film 301/LAS 335

Instruction Language: English

Latin Americans seek their identity through art. This allows them to integrate a vision about themselves and their world. This course provides not just an historical, but also cultural and cinematographical approach to Latin America. Through cinema, crosscultural issues can be observed; consequently the approach will have a multicultural nature: including films by artists from Chile, Germany and the United States. This multicultural view highlights the unique richness present only in Latin America.

Course Code: Spanish 302/SPAN 355

Instruction Language: Spanish

Use of indicative tenses, the subjunctive in simple or complex structures, ser or estar, prepositions and conjunctions. Different meanings of se and verbal circumlocution. Students practice speaking, prepare compositions, read and discuss Spanish novels, magazines and newspapers.

Course Code: History/Sociology 302/LAS 360

Instruction Language: English

Human Rights are perhaps the greatest development of social life in the second half of the XX century. Despite the consensus regarding human life and its dignity reached in documents of the importance and impact of the Charter of the United Nations, the concept still becomes a very complex matter when it comes to its practical application. Most western countries have faced tough situations and internal debates regarding the issue, and South America in general (and Chile in particular) has not been an exception. This course will first work its way through the complex process of nation and state building that Chile faced after its Independence on the early XIX Century, and how its society became gradually highly rigid, to the point that its reform processes regularly erupted into conflict. In that sense, we will build the basis to analyze the Chilean political and social process that developed through the first half of the XX Century into the first elected Socialist-Marxist government of Chile and the first in the world elected democratically. The Unidad Popular Government will be reviewed in its bid to build a socialist society and its failure to achieve consensus both inside the Chilean Left and the country at large. The coup D’état of September 11th , 1973 and the first stages of the military government will be reviewed and then we will analyze some of the writings pertaining the state of the art of the theory of Human Rights. Then, we will proceed into the development of the Military Government, and we will check, on one hand its projects and objectives, and on the other the development of the human right violation dynamics, the organization of secret police and the policy regarding the issue. The “Transition” and first Democratic Government led by former president Patricio Aylwin settled the basis for an analysis of the current review and perspective on the past 55 years of Chilean political history. Finally, we will cover some recent issues in modern Chile, its theories and practices, such as Indigenous human rights; LGBT+ rights; Women rights; among others. A formal evaluation of the current stage will set the end of this program.

Course Code: History/Sociology 303/HIS 315

Instruction Language: English

Aims to show aspects of Latin American culture related to essential ideas including the “Latin American issue” as a historical process. Students will analyze the foreign perceptions and historical interpretations of cultural exchange that the continent has experienced.

Course Code: Business 333/MGT 333

“Starting Up in Latin America: Do you have what it takes?” aims to develop the mindset, tools and skills required to understand complex challenges in this region, craft innovative solutions, and create startup business models that can stand in the real world. We want you to experience the process that most entrepreneurs face in Latin America when creating their own startups, with an emphasis on the opportunities that the public and private sectors offer to support them through this exciting journey.

Course Code: Management 320/PLE 320

Instruction Language: English

Provides students with detailed knowledge of Latin American history through the study of its economic development, milestones and crises. It includes case studies of specific situations in countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Chile. Students will develop a thorough knowledge of key historical issues, trends and events, as well as key concepts and theories of economic history.

Course Code: Marketing 334/MKT 334

Instruction Language: English

This course will focus in contemporary marketing trends and strategies in Latin America. Students will learn about socio-cultural issues, economic and political-legal environment, together with strategic and marketing considerations when doing business in Latin American countries. Learning approach will be base in cases of study as well as lectures and a team project.

Course Code: Marketing 334/MKT 334

Instruction Language: English

This course will give an extensive insight to the students about the global dynamics of marketing strategies and its importance. It has been designed with corporate case studies for each section/topic which will help the nominees’ gain comprehensive understanding about the subject in real life scenario. It provides a practical overview of the key elements of international marketing and issues faced when entering and operating in foreign markets. Student’s gain command on major theoretical and conceptual topics of International Marketing strategies and its implications. Also, it will help students to understand marketing environment in Latin America.

Course Code: History/Political Science 305/LAS 350

Instruction Language: English

Both communism and socialism were born in Europe as a response to capitalism, but it was in Latin America where both left wing movements reached an unsuspected relevance. Both arose as a product of economic inequality and a strong ideology of a group of intellectuals linked, in many cases, to the elite. Though both doctrines rejected the democratic system and prompted the seizure of power through arms, they now claim the popular vote. Students examine how organized movements of the extreme Left in Latin America, still vindicate armed warfare, and have moved away from doctrinal roots to be linked today to terrorism and drug trafficking.

Course Code: Spanish 303/SPAN 341

Instruction Language: Spanish

This course encourages students to improve their language skills by reading original texts in Spanish and listening to more complex passages and/or conversations, all focused in the Business area. Students will also broaden their vocabulary and practice spoken Spanish in order to express themselves in a fluent and coherent manner.

Course Code: Spanish 301/SPAN 340

Instruction Language: Spanish

This course encourages students to improve their language skills by reading original texts in Spanish and listening to more complex passages and/or conversations. Students will also broaden their vocabulary and practice spoken Spanish in order to express themselves in a fluent and coherent manner. Students will work on a project where they will analyze the political and socio-cultural situation of Chile.

Course Code: Spanish 201/SPAN 221

Instruction Language: Spanish

Problems Spanish grammar presents to foreign students – indicative tenses with emphasis on the contrasts between the indefinido and the imperfect and the perfect tense, the future and conditional and how they contrast, the subjunctive with its use in subordinate clauses, ser or estar and use of prepositions.

Course Code: Spanish 304/SPAN 350

Instruction Language: Spanish

A practical and theoretical course that delivers the necessary linguistic competencies for the oral reproduction of the Spanish language in its formal standardized norm for the different domains in the Hispanic world, starting with the linguistic base of the native language of the user, comparing both phonetic and phonological systems with the means of eliminating the interferences of the native language in the reproduction of the second language.

Course Code: ECO 202

Instruction Language: English

Students will learn about different socioeconomic and sociopolitical concepts and facets, as well as, the challenges and opportunities posed by the shift from carbon – to resource efficient – to Non-Conventional Renewable sources of Energy.