Lauren RabainoMost students attend Cal Poly to earn a degree in hopes of having a better chance in today’s competitive job market. Employers often see an applicant as more valuable if they have experience abroad.
The College of Liberal Arts has developed a new student exchange program to help set participants apart from the rest of the job-hunting crowd. Beginning this spring, five students will be selected to study abroad in La Serena, Chile.
“There is definitely a lot of personal growth that comes along with studying abroad,” said Monica Schechter, the associate director of Study Abroad International Education and Programs.
“Students often come back with more maturity, open-mindedness, adaptability and these are all skills that employers are looking for. It sets them apart when they are applying for jobs,” she said.
Participants are fully immersed in the Spanish language and Latin American culture by attending La Serena State University. The university is much smaller than Cal Poly with only about 8,000 students.
Students in the program attend regular classes with students from all over Chile to aid in the immersion process. Cal Poly students are able to take any classes offered by the university. Almost all classes offered are taught entirely in Spanish.
Cal Poly students would be taking classes from March 24 through July 18 or Aug. 1 through Dec. 19, depending on the semester they choose at La Serena State University. There is also the option to stay for a full academic year.
The program is only open to students of the College of Liberal Arts. Students are required to have completed a two-year minimum of university-level Spanish with an average grade of B or better to qualify for admission.
Course credit is transferable to Cal Poly and financial aid is available for those that qualify.
La Serena is one of the cheapest study abroad programs for Cal Poly students. Participants pay Cal Poly tuition fees to take classes at the university. Students do need to pay for their own health insurance while abroad. Students can expect to spend about $1,000 on a flight and have multiple options available for housing.
Students can live for about $330 per month in a pensión, similar to a boardinghouse, Chile faculty exchange coordinator Kevin Fagan said. In a pensión, students have their own room, and all meals are provided.
Host families and apartments are also available for students.
“There are several faculty there who have sons or daughters in college. They are very interested in having our students there, which would mean you could stay with a family who has a college-aged boy or girl,” said Fagan.
La Serena State University has colleges of social sciences, natural sciences and liberal studies.
Degrees offered include Spanish, history, journalism, music, psychology, translation and teaching English as a second language (TESL). Many classrooms at the university are smart rooms.
Fagan describes the area of La Serena as “safe, healthy, modern and friendly.”
La Serena is a colonial city near the coast with a climate similar to San Luis Obispo. It was founded in 1544 and has a population of approximately 160,000. The area is known for its vineyards, astronomical observatories and the seaport region of Coquimbo, according to Fagan.
Those who are interested in the program should contact Kevin Fagan in the modern languages and literatures department. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1, 2007.