BRAZIL - ISEP Fundacao Armando Alveres Penteado (FAAP)

To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Good academic and judicial standing during time of application AND time of participation in program
• Undergraduates must have completed at least two semesters of study at Lake Forest College AND have junior status or higher before participation. 
• At least 18 years of age by the program’s departure date. 
• Be able to stay at the host program for the duration of the semester, including through the exam and travel periods
• Minimum GPA of 2.75.  
• Language Requirement: A minimum of 4 semesters of university-level Portuguese (Intermediate level) or an advanced Spanish level (native speaker or equivalent) must be completed prior to the program. Spanish speakers that do not have an Intermediate level of Portuguese will be required to enroll in the 5-week pre-session intensive language program. The tuition for the pre-session program is included, but room and board is an additional fee.
• The student must submit ISEP language proficiency report in the application, even if native speaker.

FAAP is located in one of the most traditional districts of São Paulo, called Higienópolis. Founded in 1554 by Jesuits priests, São Paulo is the main city of Brazil. 

Entertainment and Art have the face of São Paulo; there is a feeling of culture everywhere. The city has 223 cinemas, 92 theatres, 11 cultural centers, 70 museums, and a dozen of historical buildings. The five amusements parks and the great number of leisure places are the icons of the city. São Paulo has 7 large soccer stadiums and the automobile racecourse of Interlagos, seat of the World Championship of Formula I, the only one in the entire Latin America.

FAAP was a small foundation destined to help and develop Fine Arts in 1947. Today it is considered one of the most important and respected academic institutions in Brazil and houses the following schools: Arts, Business, Communications, Law, Economics, Engineering and Computer Science; besides FAAP - Graduate School, the Executive MBA (considered one of the best courses in Brazil) and a High School. 

With over 13,000 students and 750 current professors, FAAP is also present in the cultural area through the MAB - Museum of Brazilian Art and the FAAP theatre. 

Please understand that the academic system is quite different. Classes are usually lecture-based, instead of discussion or group work. FAAP offers small classes and individualized programs. ISEP students are welcome to attend and combine courses in all fields of study provided they have the appropriate level of Portuguese and preparation for the classes they choose. Grades are based heavily, at times almost entirely, on one end-of-term exam, though some courses will also offer a midterm.  Professors are often more formal than those in the United States.

COURSEWORK
Language Courses: A 5-week intensive Portuguese language course is offered in addition to regular classes during the academic year or semester for the Intermediate level.

Pre-session: A 5-week pre-session, intensive Portuguese language course is offered before both semesters for an additional fee for Intermediate level students.

Hints for Researching Courses:

1. Go to the Regular Program Course Information page to find a list and description of courses offered at FAAP.
2. If you are studying January-June, only the classes listed in the ODD-NUMBERED semesters will be available to you. If you are studying July-December, only the classes listed in the EVEN-NUMBERED semesters will be available to you. The annual courses are year-long courses instructed during the Southern Hemisphere academic full year (January – December)

Note: The courses may not be available each semester. Some courses are full-year only (January – December) and these are known as annual. Upon receipt of your application, the ISEP coordinator at FAAP will confirm whether or not your desired courses are available during your requested study period. 

Classes 
The Brazilian student traditionally spends approximately 20 or more hours in class per week. In the classroom, lectures are the most common teaching method used, and, in some institutions, the only approach followed. Brazilian students rely heavily on the professor as a resource as, at times, he is the only source available.

The traditional method of learning has been for the student to take down everything the professor says and then to repeat this on the examination. This approach is, however, undergoing rapid modification. The normal full-time course load per semester is six or seven courses; the minimum course load permitted is two. Each course carries a fixed number of credits and is completed in one semester.

There is little uniformity regarding the number of credits granted per course. The weight or credit attached to each class varies with the institution, as does the total number of credits required per semester. In most cases, courses are assessed for a higher number of credits than might be in other countries. Therefore, a full-time student will take between 25 and 35 credits per semester.

Grading
There is no uniform grading scale used in all Brazilian institutions. Many use a system based on a 0-10 scale (with 10 being the highest); others may use letter scales, similar to those found in the United States. Grading scales may even vary within each institution. Variance also occurs in regard to the grade point average required for graduation. The reform laws enacted in 1971 do, however, require that students attend at least 75 percent of the classes for a given course in order to take the final examination. Missing a final examination results in flunking the course.

Grading is fairly severe. The top grades are awarded to relatively few, and the failure rate in a given course can be high. Still, there is little stigma attached to failing. In the basic cycle, a failure rate of up to 50 percent is common; in the professional cycle, failure rates of up to 30 percent in individual courses are not uncommon. A student may repeat a course twice. The majority of students receive grades in the “average” range. What is considered most important is simply passing the course, not necessarily achieving a high grade.

Academic Environment and Teaching Style

Please understand that the academic system is quite different. Classes are usually lecture-based, instead of discussion or group work. Classes are often much larger than those found at Lake Forest College. Grades are based heavily, at times almost entirely, on one end-of-term exam, though some courses will also offer a midterm.  Professors are often more formal than those in the United States.

All courses/modules may have prerequisites.  Some departments may have limitations on numbers of courses that can be taken within or outside it.  Be aware of these limitations.

Please review country handbook for more information on the education system, grades, class hours, and classroom etiquette.

The orientation program introduces the student to FAAP and the city of São Paulo. All international students will have an “Orientation Meeting” and an “Integration Meeting”. The orientation meeting provides information about the city of São Paulo, the neighborhood “Higienópolis”, the institution and the different internal procedures and rules that the students must follow during the semester. The integration meeting is an event organized by FAAP’s Portuguese Language Professors and consists of games aiming to integrate the international students into Brazilian culture. During the semester, the International Office will organize more integration events.

Students are housed in either a student house or a homestay. In a homestay, students will live in a shared apartment with a Brazilian and other international students. In the student house, students will live in a shared room with other international students. All students will receive stipends to pay for meals. The meal stipend will be equivalent to 19 meals per week, which can be used to prepare meals, purchase meals at a cafeteria, or purchase meals from the restaurant. FAAP also has a cafeteria on campus. 

For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a semester with the ISEP Exchange to the FAAP program includes orientation, on-site director, college fees, insurance, housing, and a stipend to cover the equivalent of 19/meals per week.  

ISEP costs for Exchange are usually the most cost-effective, as it is intended to promote mobility of students around the world.  Direct options are available for those students that prefer to attend a school with limited availability for Exchange, though costs may be different as they are set by the host school. For students that participate in ISEP Direct to Salvador, the program fee includes all of the above plus insurance.  However, the program fee may be different than that of Exchange.

Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2018/Spring 2019 programs:

Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as of February 2018. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change.

You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution.

Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices.  

Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.