1 School of Management - UASM Graduate Students Exchange Information FACT SHEET 2015 Academic Aspects General Information is a private university founded in 1948 in Bogota, Colombia. It is a non-profit, non-political and non-religious institution of recognized academic excellence in Colombia and Latin America. The School of Management (UASM) is an AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA accredited school, and it is the only school in Colombia that has achieved this distinction. Founded in 1972, it is recognized as one of the premier schools in Latin America. It has a consolidated portfolio with a diverse range of academic programs at the undergraduate and graduate level (PhD in Management, Master of Science in Management, MBA, Master in Finance, Master in Marketing, Master in Environmental Management and Master in Development Practice), which are complemented by a series of high-quality and long-standing Executive Education programs. For more detailed information please visit our website: http://administracion.uniandes.edu.co/ Semester Dates 2015 Period 1 - First semester 2015: 19 January - 16 May Period 2 - International Summer School 2015: 1 June - 18 July** Period 3 - Second semester 2015: 27 July - 28 November Periods 1 and 3, last 4 months including a one week break, and offer courses taught in Spanish (there are some courses available in English). On average, exchange students take approximately 3 to 6 courses. Period 2, offers 30-hour elective courses taught in English by Faculty from prestigious universities around the world, as part of the International Summer School. Most courses are taught between 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. on weekdays and Saturdays. On average, exchange students take approximately 2 to 3 courses during this period. Exchange students should arrive at least one week before the start of each academic period.
2 Partner Nomination The home institution should fill out the following online nomination form before: http://decanaturadeestudiantes.uniandes.edu.co/index.php/es/centro-estudios-exterior-inicio/686 Period 1 - First semester 2015: 1 October, 2014 Period 2 - International Summer School 2015: 13 March, 2015** Period 3 - Second semester 2015: 1 April, 2015** Application Deadlines The students must fill out the online application form: http://registroapps.uniandes.edu.co/convenios/buscaestudiante.php *; and send by email the required documentation to UASM s Academic Programs Coordinator by: Period 1 - First semester 2015: 15 October, 2014 Period 2 - International Summer School 2015: 1 April, 2015** Period 3 - Second semester 2015: 15 April, 2015** Application Procedure and Required Documentation Procedure: Students must send the required documents by email to Catalina Rodriguez (Academic Programs Coordinator), to the following address: catal-ro@uniandes.edu.co. Required documentation: Filled online application form. Passport photocopy (the page with the students photo and passport number on it). Updated resume (attached in PDF format). Original transcripts of the courses the student has taken during his current academic program (PDF format). A list of the courses in which the student is currently enrolled at the home institution. A letter from a Spanish teacher stating the language ability: desired B2 according to the CEFR. An essay in Spanish explaining the reasons why the student wants to study at UASM (max. 1000 words). Two passport size photos with a white background (attached in gif or jpg format). To be considered in the selection process, exchange students must submit ALL the listed above documentation. Candidates with incomplete documentation will not be considered in the selection process. *Please use Firefox or Google Chrome to fill out the form
3 Admission Requirements for the Exchange Program On average, UASM MBA students are 31 years old and have minimum 3 years of work experience. Exchange students are expected to have at least 2 years of formal work experience to be considered in the selection process. If students do not comply with this requirement, they may be assigned to upper-division undergraduate programs or other graduate programs (e.g.: Master of Science in Management, Master in Finance, Master in Marketing). UASM will make the final decision as to the acceptance of exchange students in accordance with its admission policies. Orientation Program Does the School have an orientation program? Yes. It s mandatory for all exchange students to assist to this session. Orientation dates: Period 1 - First semester 2015: 14, 15 and 16 January, 2015 Period 2 - International Summer School 2015: UASM will schedule an individual orientation session upon students arrival Period 3 - Second semester 2015: 22, 23 and 24 July, 2014** Does the School have a student support program? A group of Uniandes students will help exchange students through the exchange experience. They will guide students in both academic and personal needs. Characteristics of the Graduate Exchange Program Language of instruction: Spanish. Regular courses have 12-48 hours per term. The academic level of Uniandes master courses is demanding; for each contact hour, students are expected to study 3 hours outside the classroom. Attendance to class is mandatory. Students must attend a minimum of 80% of the classes. Reading material and coursework are in Spanish and English. Students should take into account that at Uniandes most reading materials are delivered in English. Thus proficiency in English is expected. Most course materials are uploaded into a virtual platform. Students must buy their own textbooks and class supplies. Personal laptop is strongly recommended (compulsory for most courses).
4 The grading scale used at Uniandes ranges from 1.0 to 5.0; being 5.0 outstanding. Students fail the course with a grade under 3.0. Students can enroll in sports classes if desired. Each sport class is worth 0.5 credits, and will be graded on the pass or fail basis. Also, students can freely practice sports in the facilities according to the established policies. To check the list of available sport courses please visit: http://decanaturadeestudiantes.uniandes.edu.co/index.php/es/cursos Please remember that In some courses students must demonstrate that they have taken the required prerequisites. If the student does not meet the required criteria, he/she will not be able to enroll in the course. Students should be aware that if they do not register for courses on time, it will be difficult for them to find places on the courses of their choice. During periods 1 and 3, students should register a minimum of 6 credits and a maximum of 15 credits. This does not apply for the International Summer School period (period 2). Language of Instruction The language of instruction at Uniandes is Spanish (all students must have good knowledge of the language to be able to participate in the exchange program). Students must present a letter from a Spanish teacher stating the language ability: desired B2 according to the CEFR. At Uniandes most readings and coursework are delivered in English therefore students should also have good knowledge of the English language. On average, 3 courses are taught in English at UASM Graduate School, each period. All the International Summer School courses are taught in English. A Spanish course is offered to all international students; if students want to take this class, they must take the language classification exam (written and oral) and register for the class officially. This class is 3 credits. There is an intensive 3-week Spanish program, free of charge for exchange students offered during July. For more information visit: http://ele.uniandes.edu.co/index.php/cursos/modalidades-de-estudio Course Enrollment/Registration Do students have to be pre-registered to be able to enroll in courses? Yes, they have to do it by filling out the Application Form and sending all the required documents before the deadline. When will students have access to the course offering? Once exchange students have been selected by UASM, the School will send them the list of available courses to make the selection. Do students have to register courses themselves? No, students select their courses by sending an email to the Academic Programs Coordinator. It is important to remember that the University and the School apply the first come, first served rule.
5 General Aspects Airport Pick-up Services At which airport should I arrive? Bogota only has one international airport, called El Dorado. It is located approximately 40 minutes from downtown and has a private taxi service. For more information please visit: http://www.elnuevodorado.com/ Does the University have an airport pick-up service? The University can arrange the pick-up service for exchange students if they request this service in advance. It is important for students to let the Centro de Estudios en el Exterior know beforehand when they will be arriving. Health Insurance Must exchange students have an international health insurance? Yes. Recommendation: We suggest that students bring a complete healthcare and dental insurance from their home country with a wider and international coverage. Accommodation does not offer on or off campus accommodation. However the University will make reasonable efforts to guide exchange students find accommodation. Cost of Living Living expenses in Bogota range between US $800 US $1.300 per month, according to each student living standards. Average exchange rate 1 USD $ = 2,000 COP aprox. COP Housing Family house room $ 300,000 - $ 600,000 Near the University room $ 400,000 - $ 800,000 Apartment (20-70 square meter) $ 700,000 - $ 1,500,000 Transporation Public bus ticket $ 1,450 - $ 1,500 (one way) Transmilenio ticket $ 1,700 Taxi $ 3,400 - $ 30,000 Food (within campus) Coca Cola $ 2,000 Sandwich $ 7,500 Lunch $ 10,000 Food (outside campus at a Coca Cola $ 3,000 restaurant) Personal Pizza $ 12,000 Hamburger $ 15,000 Dinner for two people $ 30,000 - $ 100,000 Entertainment Cinema ticket (1 person) $ 6,000 - $ 18,000 Going out to party 2 people $ 30,000 - $ 70,000 Draft Beer Pitcher $ 15,000 - $ 30,000 Concert ticket 1 person $ 0 - $ 120,000
6 Visa Information Pursuant to Colombian law, all exchange students require a special entry permission or visa. Depending on the length of the period of study and the nationality, all students will have to do one of the following processes: Student Entry Permit (PIP2), stamp on the passport at the airport given to: Students, whose nationality does not require a tourist visa, coming for less than 180 days when they hand in the admission letter to the migration officer at the airport. This permit is valid for 90 days, and they have to renew it at Migración Colombia for another period. Student Visa: Students coming for more than 180 days have to get their student visa before arriving to Bogotá. Students coming for less than 180 days and whose nationality requires a tourist visa to enter Colombia. To check who needs a tourist visa for Colombia, visit: http://www.cancilleria.gov.co/sites/default/files/tramites_servicios/visas/cuadro-visas-paises.pdf We strongly recommend students to be further informed about visa procedures, at their local Colombian Consulate as some procedures might change depending on the country. Regarding the required documentation in order to obtain a student visa or entry permission, Uniandes Study Abroad Office will provide students with: (i) the acceptance letter and (ii) the Colombian Ministry of Education resolution by: Period 1 - First semester 2015: 15 November, 2014 Period 2 - International Summer School 2015: 1 May, 2015** Period 3 - Second semester 2015: 12 June, 2015** Once students arrive at Bogota, they have to formalize their permanence in Colombia by going to the Migration Office (Migración Colombia; http://www.migracioncolombia.gov.co/ ) and obtaining their residence permit (cédula de extranjería). This procedure has to be done within the next 15 days of their arrival to Colombia and costs approximately USD $90. Additional information can be found at: http://migracioncolombia.gov.co/index.php/tramites/cedula-de-extranjeria Please note that students will not be able to start classes without having a visa or the proper entry permission.
7 Contact Information School of Management (UASM) Mailing Carrera 1 # 18A 10 Mailing Calle 21 # 1-20 Address: Decanatura de Estudiantes Centro de Estudios en el Exterior Address: Edificio SD, Ninth Floor Facultad de Administración Fax: +57-1-332 45 48 Fax: +57-1-332 45 51 Phone: +57-1-339 45 48 Phone: +57-1-332 45 55 Web Page: http://uniandes.edu.co/ Web Page: http://administracion.uniandes.edu.co/ Centro de Estudios en el Exterior Incoming Students and Accommodation UASM Academic Programs Academic Issues for Incoming Students Name: Yadira Mogollón Name: Catalina Rodríguez Position: Head of Student Mobility Position: Academic Programs Coordinator Mailing: Centro de Estudios en el Exterior Mailing: Facultad de Administración (UASM) Address: Bloque Z (Office 207) Carrera 1 # 18A 10 Address: Edificio SD, Ninth Floor (SD 971) Calle 21 # 1-20 Phone: +57-1-332 45 48 Phone: +57-1-339 49 49 Ext 3996 Fax: +57-1-332 45 58 Fax: +57-1-332 45 51 Email: oee@uniandes.edu.co Email: catal-ro@uniandes.edu.co Useful Links: http://www.uniandes.edu.co/ http://administracion.uniandes.edu.co/ http://decanaturadeestudiantes.uniandes.edu.co/index.php/es/study-abroad-center https://administracion.uniandes.edu.co/escuela-internacional-de-verano-2014 http://www.colombia.travel/en/ http://www.lurebogota.com/en/