Why Brazil: Social Justice?
As a student of CET Brazil: Social Justice and Inequality in São Paulo, you build a foundation for understanding the dynamics of global poverty and inequality—both in and out of the classroom. Study social movements within Brazil, take Portuguese classes to better engage with the community, live with Brazilian roommates that give you an access point into local life, and even travel to Salvador da Bahia to take on learning by experiencing.
Academics
Semester
Snapshot
- Recommended Credits: 15-18
- Portuguese language class for all levels
- Electives in English and Portuguese
- Traveling Seminar to Salvador da Bahia
- Out-of-class learning & assignments
- Host University: Pontificia Universidade Catolica de São Paulo (PUC-SP)
COVID Modifications
Because of program adjustments CET is taking related to COVID-19, your academic experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the Spring 2022 Program Updates Page for more information.
Curriculum & Syllabi
You take one core course, a Portuguese language class, and three electives to meet the total 15 to 18 recommended credits. Intermediate or advanced Portuguese language students can swap CET electives for direct-enroll classes, taught in Portuguese.
You take this 3-credit core course, taught in English or Portuguese depending on your language abilities:
You are placed into one of these 3-credit courses:
Beginning Portuguese students choose three CET electives. Intermediate and advanced Portuguese students choose three electives with at least one direct-enroll elective at PUC-SP to meet the total 15 to 18 recommended credits.
CET Electives
- SP/ECON 320 Economics and Development in Brazil
- SP/INTR 360 Brazil-US Relations (taught in English or Portuguese)
- SP/LAST 330 Contemporary Issues in Brazilian Society
- SP/LAST 340 Brazilian Cinema (taught in Portuguese)
- SP/POLI 310 Brazilian Politics and Society (taught in conjunction with PUC-SP)
- SP/SOCI 350 Re-Thinking Racial Democracy in Brazil
Direct-Enroll Electives at Pontificia Universidade Catolica de São Paulo
Intermediate and advanced Portuguese students can directly enroll in an at least one elective offered at PUC-SP for 2 to 4 credits each. These courses are taught in Portuguese and are taken alongside Brazilian undergraduates. Some past courses have included:
- Sul Global, Potências Emergentes e os Desafios à Governança Global Contemporânea (Global South, emerging powers and the challenges to contemporary global governance)
- A Extrema Direita em Ascensão: Ideólogos, Causas e Casos (The Far Right on the Rise: Ideologues, Causes and Cases)
- Gênero, Raça e Classe nas Relações Internacionais (Gender, Race and Class in International Relations)
- Meio Ambiente e Capitalismo (Environment and Capitalism)
CET converts final grades from PUC-SP to US letter grade equivalents.
Out-of-Class Connections
Traveling Seminar to Salvador da Bahia
Day 2: Visit Arte Consciente, a local NGO based in Saramandaia.
Day 3: Attend a lecture on Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion.
Day 4: See the Folkloric Ballet of Salvador at the Miguel Santana Theatre.
Day 5: Visit Steve Biko, an organization dedicated to providing resources and educating Afro-Brazilian teens that want to to pursue a college degree.
Day 6: Board a schooner to island hop while enjoying live music.
Day 8: Fly back to São Paulo.
English and Portuguese
Tailor your curriculum to suit your language level—take engaging electives in English or Portuguese, and language classes that match your abilities. And if you’re already an intermediate-level Portuguese speaker, you can choose to direct-enroll in an elective at Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Sao Paulo. All of your coursework at PUC is done in Portuguese, just like your local counterparts. By the end of the term, you’ll be speaking like the Brazilian undergrads sitting next to you. Maravilha!
Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo
The program is hosted by Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. PUC-SP is a private Catholic university of 23,000 students located in Perdizes, a neighborhood with easy public transportation, plenty of cheap eats, and a lively nightlife. The campus itself is small and friendly—on your way to class, you pass students studying, playing music, holding rallies, or just out enjoying the sunshine.
"There were many moments during this program that checked me and challenged me to approach things differently. Some things affirmed me and supported me, but I don't think I would have been able to be checked/proven wrong in such a way had I not physically come to Brazil and experienced the dynamics. I am extremely grateful for these challenges."
Kalamazoo College | Fall student
Housing & Meals
COVID Modifications
Because of precautions CET is taking related to COVID-19, your housing experience will look different from standard programming. Please see the COVID playbook page for more information.
- Apartment
- Off-campus housing
- Live with CET peers & local roommates
- 4-6 people/apartment
- 1-2 people/room
- Fully equipped kitchen, living room, shared bathroom per 2-3 students, in-unit washer
- Wifi, A/C, linens, towels, basic furnishing, kitchenware, TV
Share a conveniently located apartment with CET peers and local Brazilian students. Apartments are a 15-minute walk from campus and are equipped with all the basics. And you live in Perdizes, a residential neighborhood with tree-lined streets that have everything you could need: a farmers’ market, several grocery stores, restaurants, gyms, running and biking trails.
Local Roommates
Sharing an apartment with a local student from PUC-SP can teach you everything you need to know about Brazilian college life. Where to find the best pão de queijo (cheese bread) for on-the-go snacking. What mobile apps are used locally. Which trails to hike in Ibirapuera Park. Some roommates even invite CET students back to their home for dinner or a weekend away, giving them a glimpse of Brazilian family life, too. It’s no wonder students often tell us that their roommate is “one of the best parts of the program.”
Eating in São Paulo
For meals, take advantage of the city’s huge and vibrant food scene… and try all the local specialties. Brigadeiro (condensed milk-based chocolate truffle), anyone? Feeling like a home-cooked meal? Grab ingredients at the farmers’ market down the street and have a night in with your roommates at home.
Life in São Paulo
- Known locally as: São Paulo
- Population: 12.18 million
- Local Currency: Brazilian Real
- Famous for: Diversity, international food scene, Liberdade, business opportunities, fewer tourists, good public transportation
São Paulo is a diverse and vibrant city, filled with things to do and people to do them with. Go to a weekend festival. Learn to make feijoada (black bean and meat stew). Find your favorite café in Perdizes, the neighborhood you’ll call home for the term. Hang out with friends at a boteco (corner bar). Shop at a craft fair in Liberdade, home to the largest Japanese community outside of Japan. And if you’re studying abroad in the spring, get ready for Carnaval…
Activities & Excursions
Around São Paulo
Each term, the program offers different extra-curricular activities that allow you to explore São Paulo and Brazilian culture. Head to Embu das Artes, a nearby town that comes alive on the weekends with artisan markets, food stands, and street music. Go on a guided walk through the city’s historical center. And there’s even more to see on your own—take a road trip to the beach, see a soccer game with friends, or get food in Vila Madalena with your roommates.
Away From the City
"Living with Brazilian roommates is a very important part to the language and cultural exchange, but more importantly, my roommates are inspiring and incredible human beings that I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet."
American University | Fall student
On-site Staff
Súlia Folli
Resident Director
Program Fees
Fall/Spring
|
$18,990
Fall/Spring: $18,990
Of the total program fee, $16,990 goes to tuition and fees, and $2,000 goes to housing and other student life fees.
All of your classes and program-related learning are included with your tuition.
We take you to Salvador da Bahia for a Traveling Seminar. Just bring a camera and your intellectual curiosity.
We arrange for you to live in an apartment with CET peers and a local roommate. Your program fees go toward rent, furnishing, and other management costs.
From pre-departure to orientation, from on site to re-entry, CET provides you with the support you need every step of the way.
You’re provided with a comprehensive insurance plan through GeoBlue that includes medical evacuation coverage.
The activities and excursions that we arrange are included in your program fee. All you need to do is remember to bring your camera!
Your textbooks and course supplies are covered and waiting for you on site.
At the end of the term, you can view your grade report in your online CET account. Your official transcript is issued by the University of Minnesota and sent directly to your home institution.
Estimated
Out-of-Pocket
Costs
- Round-trip Airfare: $750 - $1,300
- Meals: $1,950
- Personal Expenses: $1,500
- Housing Deposit: $100
- Must be 18 or older at the time of program participation.
- Open to students from any US college or university
- GPA: 3.0 or higher preferred, but admissions decisions are made on a case-by-case basis; lower GPAs still encouraged to apply
- Open to all levels of Portuguese language speakers
Complete the application through your online CET account. This is a brief form that asks for basic information and has a few short answer questions about why you want to study abroad.
Use the link in your online account to send a recommendation request to one of your previous instructors.
This is an online form that your study abroad office completes to let us know you meet the requirements to study abroad. To send the electronic form request, simply enter the name and email address of your study abroad advisor in the designated fields of your online account.
Your online CET account has specific instructions for submitting an official transcript.
Fall deadline:
April 1st
Spring deadline:
November 1st
Price Subject to Change:
CET reserves the right to increase quoted charges at any time without prior notification, based on increased instruction costs, exchange rate fluctuation or other cost increases beyond CET’s control.
Have a question? Get in touch!
Melanie MacKenzie
Senior Student Services Coordinator
Advises on CET programs in Brazil, Colombia, Japan, and Jordan.
202.846.7662
[email protected]