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.
Thoughtful connections. We maintain long-term, respectful relationships with our host communities and are proud to be invited back to learn from them year after year. With their help as co-educators, you have meaningful opportunities to connect with those most impacted by the consequences of poverty and inequality. Spend time with a Guarani indigenous community and learn from their leaders. Attend a politically engaged poetry reading in the city’s peripheral neighborhoods. Hear from members of the Homeless Workers Social Movement.
English and Portuguese. Tailor your curriculum with electives in English or Portuguese. If you’re an intermediate-level Portuguese speaker, you can direct-enroll in an elective at PUC-SP where all of the coursework is done in Portuguese alongside Brazilian undergraduates.
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.
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.
Note: Because elective courses are based on total program enrollment and faculty availability, not every elective is offered every term.
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 (titles translated from Portuguese to English):
*CET converts final grades from PUC-SP to US letter grade equivalents
Over the years, we’ve built a strong network of locally-based faculty that we’re proud to call our peers. These faculty make up our Academic Consultation Board—a select group of local voices and thought leaders that help advise and shape components of the CET Jordan program.
Board members support the program in many ways, including but not limited to: