Santiago

Internship

The Santiago predeparture guide prepared by IES provides important information about the program, and you should read it with care. The following supplemental information pertains to Indiana University students only.

IES and IU

IES Abroad is a nonprofit organization that administers 140+ study abroad programs in more than 34 global locations worldwide. More than 250 U.S. colleges and universities, including Indiana University, have formal agreements with IES, and their representatives work with the Institute to set academic policy and approve curricula. Through its office in Chicago, IES administers the Santiago Internship Program.

IU has made special arrangements with IES to recruit and orient IU students for this summer program. A number of IU students will be enrolled in the Santiago program. You will, however, have many classmates who come individually from other U.S. universities.

Financial Arrangements

You pay all program fees directly to Indiana University. Any questions regarding finances for the program, including financial aid, should be addressed to the Office of Overseas Study at Indiana University. Students from other U.S. universities have different arrangements with IES regarding fees and housing deposits.

Internship Course

Interns participate in an academic seminar with other IES interns, where they gain context for the internship placements by examining cultural issues in the workplace. Some online course sessions will be completed prior to departure for your program. Topics covered include resume writing, interview coaching, communicating across cultures, global leadership competencies, building trust and teamwork, networking, conflict negotiation and mediation, stereotypes and cultural differences, and international careers and job search preparation.

Coursework

You will earn 6 IU credits in a combination of a Spanish language course and the internship course.

General Education Requirement: This program will satisfy the International Experience option of the World Languages & Cultures general education requirements.

Final enrollment will not be confirmed until you arrive in Santiago. If you have any questions about how Santiago courses fit into your degree program, contact Overseas Study.

Courses cover a great deal of material rapidly. Do not let the excitement of Santiago distract you from your studies. Prepare your papers and reports far enough in advance to avoid the last-minute crunch.

Language Placement

You will be assigned to language classes on the basis of an IES placement test. Since IES students come from many different U.S. colleges, each with its own textbooks and class sequence, IES language classes cannot match IU's courses perfectly. Nevertheless, every attempt will be made to place you in a level that challenges you sufficiently and does not repeat previous coursework.

We anticipate that you will, based on the placement examination, be placed into the next highest level of language. If you test into a language course at a lower than anticipated level, you will receive elective credit. You may petition IES to be re-assigned to a higher level language course, but the final decision would be at their discretion.