Sandwiched between the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains, and stretching 4,300 km from the Peruvian border in the north to Cape Horn and the Strait of Magellan in the south, Chile encompasses every kind of environment from tropical to desert to sub-Antarctic. The long, impossibly thin line of Chile boasts a magnificent Pacific coastline, Andean peaks with over 50 active volcanoes, the inhospitable Atacama Desert, and Chilean Patagonia. Since the end of military rule and the return of a stable democracy in 1990, Chile has proven an attractive site for university-level study. Chilean history covers all phases and models that students may have studied and wish to learn about first-hand.
Following in the Jesuit tradition, the Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago promotes a strong institutional focus on social justice and offers a wide variety of courses in the social sciences and the humanities.
Students attending the Universidad Alberto Hurtado have the option of enrolling in mainstream courses or in the Human Rights Track or Social Movements Track.
Human Rights Track
In the Human Rights Track, students will have the opportunity to have both academic and work experience in a context where human rights have played a central role in recent history. The track is a unique opportunity for students to get a deep, holistic understanding of this topic.
Issues related to human rights and memory have historically played a central role in Chile, as well as in many other Latin American countries. Like most of its neighbors, Chile experienced a violent military dictatorship between 1973 and 1989 under the rule of Augusto Pinochet who introduced severe and dramatic changes into Chilean society. The particular pattern followed by Chile from the late 60s until the election of Salvador Allende and after the end of Pinochet’s dictatorship makes this country a paradigmatic example in the region in terms of this historical experience.
The track is characterized by its multi-focal approach through three main components: direct-enroll courses at the host university, a guided research project, and an internship. Several track-specific excursions related to Chile's recent past will round out the student experience.
Social Movements Track
This interdisciplinary track is comprised of two main components: direct-enroll courses at the university and an independent research project coordinated by the School in Chile. In some cases, students may apply for an academic internship as well. This track will give students the opportunity to engage with the topic of social movements in contemporary Latin America, with a particular emphasis on Chile, in a holistic manner.
Contemporary Chilean history provides us with multiple examples of social movements, which have challenged the political mainstream in both democratic and dictatorship orders. In this context, the diverse social movements that coexist today (e.g., feminist movements, student groups, LGBTQ+ communities, and indigenous rights groups), make the case of Chile a unique example in Latin America. The Social Movements track provides students with an enriching opportunity to approach this relevant issue in a global context.
Mental Health & Wellness Resources
To ensure a successful study abroad experience, it is important to research the mental health and wellness resources provided by the study abroad program to determine if they offer appropriate support for your particular needs.
Middlebury in Santiago provides on-line counseling sessions via GeoBlue and partners with
Global Rescue to provide 24/7 Support to its visiting students. More information about health and safety will be distributed to students in country-specific handbooks by Middlebury. We urge you to explore these resources via the links that Middlebury has provided below to determine if your needs will be met.
Global Wellness Assist
Medical Care Abroad
Middlebury Schools Abroad Health and Safety
Health Insurance
Disabilities and Medical Considerations
Requirements for Vassar students
Vassar students must have completed two years of college-level Spanish plus one content course taught in Spanish or the equivalent of HISP 216 in order to apply.
