Clarice Deal, Portuguese Lecturer, coordinates occasional ASU summer and winter programs in Portuguese. Other programs have been done in Lisbon, Portugal, and Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Brasil.
2006 Summer in Cascais, Portugal.
2005 Summer in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Brasil
ASU International Programs Office (IPO)
The ASU Study Abroad Office coordinates Portuguese programs in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Lisbon, and many other destinations in other languages worldwide.
Many countries issue student visas when a school accepts and sponsors the student, so the main requirement is usually to get accepted to a foreign school, exchange program, or study abroad program. But you must fill out the applications correctly and submit all required documentation. The ASU Passport Office can sometimes be helpful in assisting students in discovering and meeting the requirements for getting student visas to study in foreign countries. They have programs at PUC-Rio and USP among others.
At least 2 ASU students (David Jess Borough in 2005 and Matthew in 2007) have studied at Pontifícia Universidade Catôlica in Gávea, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil. They have an international student program that generally accepts students from universities that have an exchange program with PUC. They also accept students that are regularly admitted to any accredited university. Their tuition is less than ASU's in-state tuition. For a student who is independent and willing to coordinate applications, housing, travel, communications, itinerary, studies, and safety, the PUC-Rio international student office can be very helpful in providing resources and support. They even provide room and board to most (but not all) early applicants in local households for a fixed semester rate. PUC-Rio is located at the end of the subway line (Metrô), and is usually 30 to 60 minutes by bus or Metrô from the provided housing.
Highly able and independent students may also be able to
obtain a lease on a condominium in Gâvea, Leblon, Ipanema, or Jardim Botânico,
neighborhoods (Bairros) that are close to the university. But it is not
recommended because living with a family is both more secure and less expensive
and gives you more practice with Portuguese and Brazilian culture. If you commit
to stay with a family, you should generally stay to the end of the semester. But
if you do decide in advance to get your own flat (condominium), note that
getting a lease in Brasil is not as straightforward as getting one in the USA.
It usually requires consulting a real estate agent, taking a lot of mornings and
afternoons to look at places, and then hiring an attorney to supervise the
contract. Besides that, foreigners have a harder time because they are not seen
as credit-worthy to pay to the end of the contract (show them that you are
staying to the end of the semester and have the money, but be careful about
pre-paying for more than one semester, in case you come back early). Students
should plan to stay in a hotel and have plenty of money for hotel or monthly
flat rental in case they are not able to get lower-priced lease. Some student
groups have leased furnished flats with amenities like swimming pools,
high-speed internet, 5 or more bedrooms, and sort of pass them on to new
students semester-to-semester (look to the exchange schools in France for good
examples). Staying in favelas is emphatically discouraged by the international
student program at PUC, as they are generally highly, highly dangerous places to
visit or live, particularly for a foreigner.