Salvador da Bahia

Location

Salvador da Bahia, located on the Atlantic coast in northeastern Brazil, is a historic city of 2.1 million. During the colonial period, Salvador was the capital of Brazil and the center of the sugar industry. Due to the strong slave presence during this period, Salvador and the northeast region of Brazil has a strong African influence which is notable in many ways, including religious and spiritual practices, artistic manifestations, cuisine, and ethnic dynamics.

Today Salvador is a booming city and its historical and ethnic diversity can be noted in the city's architecture and layout: old colonial parts of the city are next to modern complexes, while shanty towns ( favelas ) lie adjacent to some of the wealthier neighborhoods. The CIEE Study Center is located on a bustling and beautiful square called 2 de Julho , located near Pelourinho , the historic center of the city.

Program of Study

The Office of International Study Programs (ISP) offers this option in conjunction with CIEE. The CIEE Study Center in Salvador da Bahia was established in 2000. The program begins with a five-week Intensive Language and Culture Program (ILCP), held in Salvador da Bahia for the fall semester and in São Paulo for the spring semester. During the ILCP, students are required to take an intensive Portuguese language class and the interdisciplinary core course entitled Contemporary Brazil. Students who are near native speakers of Spanish may be placed in a Portuguese for Spanish Speakers course (offered based on enrollment).

For the remainder of the semester, students must enroll in two required courses: Portuguese language and the CIEE core course, Culture and Society: Bahia and Brazil. The core course consists of lectures and discussions focused on Brazilian and Bahian history, literature, economics, race relations, and current social movements. The remainder of the course load (two or three courses) is drawn from a combination of CIEE courses and/or the wide range of courses offered at UCSal.

Students must enroll in Portuguese language study throughout their study abroad experience, including academic year and calendar year students in their second semester. Academic and calendar year students are exempt from the CIEE core course, Culture and Society: Bahia and Brazil, during their second semester. However, students continuing from the CIEE São Paulo program must enroll in this course during their semester in Salvador.

Host institutions:

Universidade Catolica do Salvador (UCSal)

Universidade Católica do Salvador (UCSal), established in 1961, is the highest-ranking private university in northeast Brazil. The University offers courses in communications, history, geography, biology, mathematics, education, music, law, civil engineering, social service, nursing, and theology. The UCSal campus is housed in renovated monasteries and some modern day buildings that include libraries, computer rooms, research centers, a bookstore, and cafeterias. During the semester, students enroll in UCSal courses alongside Brazilian students.

Universidade Federal da Bahia

Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) is ranked as one of Brazil's top ten universities. It has 58 departments for undergraduate majors and 18,000 students. UFBA is situated near the downtown area and Salvador's well-preserved colonial zone, Pelourinho.

Calendar

NOTE: The academic calendar below is an approximation based on previous schedules and observances. Specific dates may vary.

Fall Semester:
July: a month-long, intensive orientation course
Semester 1: early August - mid-December

Spring Semester:
January: a month-long, intensive orientation course
Semester 2: late February - early July

Eligibility for the Program

At least two years of college-level Spanish or one year of Portuguese or the equivalent. Students are strongly encouraged to complete three semesters of Portuguese before participating in CIEE programs. Overall GPA of 2.75 is required.

Click HERE for a recommended sequence of classes for the CIEE programs.

The application deadline is November 15th for the Brazilian July semester or January semester.

Additional Information

There is much more we can tell you — about this location, vibrant religious, cultural and recreational life of this community ... about the student housing, transportation, health care and much, much more. It is, after all, the details that make this program so appealing. Interested? Just click here for additional information.