Study abroad in Peru with IFSA
Lima
, Peru

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Partnership

Program Overview

Snack on plantain chips or cancha and practice your Spanish skills on the way to class on a modern, 100-acre campus at one of Latin America’s highest-ranking universities. See big-city contradictions up close, as you dig into urban social, economic and political issues through community service or research with Lima NGOs. Interested in education? Help a local organization support disadvantaged kids.

Details at a Glance

Application deadline

Fall: May 1
Spring: Nov. 1

Minimum GPA

2.50

Credit load

15

Housing

Home Stay

Instruction language

Spanish

Prerequisites

4 semesters of university-level Spanish or equivalent
What does this mean?

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Academics

Looking for specific classes? Explore CHART, our exclusive class database — if the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú Program is preapproved at your institution, you’ll find classes recently taken by other IFSA students.

IFSA’s program in Lima allows you to enroll in classes alongside local students at the prestigious Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP).

You can also choose from 1-2 IFSA classes designed exclusively for our participants. These classes, taught in Spanish by local professors, are intended to provide you with an understanding of the events and issues that make Peru what it is today.

IFSA CLASSES

Advanced Spanish I or Advanced Spanish II

While in Lima, you can opt to continue your Spanish language study. A mandatory pre-arrival language assessment will determine your appropriate language level. Based on your score, IFSA may require you to take a Spanish language class to support your academic success in Spanish-taught direct-enroll classes. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Communities in Action: Lima

This class presents an overview of social, economic, and political dimensions of the local community groups and contemporary relevant issues influencing Perú today. Through reflexive instances, critical analysis and class discussion students will explore key concepts such as community and interculturality and its relationship within a community organization. This class will enable students to develop a contextualized reading of Peruvian realities, gain a meaningful integration into these communities, and develop their own intervention process in a field of action from a specific organization or institution. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

DIRECT-ENROLL CLASSES

Most of your course load will be taken at PUCP alongside degree-seeking Peruvian students. PUCP publishes their class offerings online. Follow these steps to find classes that may be available during your semester abroad:

  1. Review a list of subjects offered at PUCP.
  2. Click on the especialidad in which you are interested.
  3. Click on the link for the plan de estudios to see the class offerings. For class descriptions, click on sumillas.

Please keep in mind that ciclo or nivel of a class does not indicate which semester the class is delivered. To determine when a class is being offered, please follow these steps:

  1. PUCP course semester and level information.
  2. Enter the name of the class in nombre del curso.
  3. Select the appropriate term from the dropdown menu (i.e. "2018-2" corresponds to semester 2 2018) in ciclo de dictado de curso. 
  4. Click on buscar to see if the class is being offered during the indicated semester.

While searching for classes fitting your interests and academic needs, you may find some host institution classes delivered in English as well as in Spanish. Classes taught in English are open to you as an IFSA student provided you meet the stated prerequisites. However, prior to arrival you should discuss with your home institution’s study abroad advisor any academic requirements related to study abroad in a non-English speaking location.

If a particular class you are looking for is not listed, contact your IFSA Admissions Counselor for assistance. Class availability changes every semester.

Lab & Field Trip Fees

Please review syllabi and course materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

There are no restricted departments at PUCP for IFSA students. However, it can be hard to get into some media studies courses. The classes fill up quickly, and there are few spots for international students.

Past students have shared that regularly volunteering enhanced their study abroad experience by providing them with access to the local culture and a deeper understanding of problems that face Peruvians on a daily basis. If you are interested in volunteering during your semester abroad, we encourage you to attend the informational session during orientation to learn about the available opportunities. Below are examples of how you could help the local community during your time abroad:

  • Assist afflicted groups such as domestic workers, women and children, through a variety of activities in impoverished sections of Lima
  • Support the Children’s Hospital of Lima with providing recreational activities and events for families of long-term hospitalized children
  • Play an active role within the world of education and community building by assisting local schools with initiatives on a wide variety of topics or by helping Fulbright or EducationUSA in developing presentations on the U.S. higher education system
  • Participate in one of the longest running archaeological excavations in Lima, a 1500 year old site in the middle of the city, either through excavation efforts or cataloging information already discovered on site
  • Utilize event planning skills by organizing environmental awareness initiatives at Católica University

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

  • You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
  • You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
  • You must have completed at least one (1) semester of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.

Recommendation Letter
Not required.

Language Requirement
Four (4) semesters of college-level Spanish or an Intermediate II level proficiency is required.

Residence Permit Requirement
A resident permit is required for all students. The permit is completed once you arrive in Peru.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects courses taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.

Excursions

Activities and excursions are designed to pull you into the communities you visit and encourage cultural connections of every kind. There’s no extra fee to participate in these optional outings—everything is included in your program fee.

Below are examples from previous terms; outings may be different for your program. We’ll make every effort to run them all, but sometimes things we can’t our control, such as local regulations and health protocols, get in the way. As result, we cannot guarantee activities and excursions.

Activities

  • City-as-Text Activity: Exploring the districts of Miraflores and Barranco will give you sense of the city’s socioeconomic situation and a view into urban sprawl and gentrification. You’ll also learn to navigate Lima’s transportation system.
  • Huaca Pucllana Visit: Go back in time with a guided visit to a renowned archaeological site in the heart of Miraflores, with a history that spans 5,000 years. This visit provides great context for Lima’s pre-Hispanic roots.
  • Lima Historic Center Tour: During this guided visit, you’ll walk through Lima’s history as an important strategic center, with a location that impacted food distribution, mining, and political control of the Vice-royalty, to grow into a sprawling city.
  • Pandemic and the Inequities Seminar: Did the COVID-19 pandemic look the same in Peru? Join the discussion as a guest lecturer explains how challenges were handled here and the pandemic’s impact on the country.

Excursions

  • Caral Trip: Visit the oldest pre-Incan urban settlement in the Americas, built between 3000 and 1800 BC. As you explore the city’s organizational structure, ceremonial centers, markets, and family homes, you’ll draw parallels to today’s Peru.
  • El Carmen Trip: This overnight excursion takes you three hours beyond Lima to the village considered to be the cradle of Afro-Peruvian culture. It’s an inspiring place to explore race and exotization.

Housing and Meals

Housing

Home Stay

Meals

All Included

Details

Your homestay will be arranged with a carefully selected host family and located within a typical commute of the IFSA program center. Only one student is housed per family for maximum cultural and language integration. You will have a single bedroom with a bed, shared bathroom, and desk or other designated place to study. Laundry and three meals per day are included. You may occasionally want to buy snacks and eat at restaurants beyond what is provided by homestay families.

Dates and Fees

Term

Term begins

Term ends

Program costs

Application deadline

Fall 2023 - Suspended

Early Aug. 2023 - Suspended

Mid-Dec. 2023 - Suspended

$16,975

Suspended

Spring 2024

Mid-March 2024

Mid-July 2024

$16,975 (estimated)

Nov. 1

Fall 2024

Early Aug. 2024

Mid-Dec. 2024

$16,975 (estimated)

May 1

Term

Fall 2023 - Suspended

Term begins

Early Aug. 2023 - Suspended

Term ends

Mid-Dec. 2023 - Suspended

Program costs

$16,975

Application deadline

Suspended

Term

Spring 2024

Term begins

Mid-March 2024

Term ends

Mid-July 2024

Program costs

$16,975 (estimated)

Application deadline

Nov. 1

Term

Fall 2024

Term begins

Early Aug. 2024

Term ends

Mid-Dec. 2024

Program costs

$16,975 (estimated)

Application deadline

May 1

Get Started

Selena Rincon

Selena Rincon

Admissions Counselor

Eleni Katsarelas

Eleni Katsarelas

Prearrival Counselor

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