Brazilian Study Abroad with Summit Global Education, Summer 2027
Faculty-led study abroad programs focused on business, culture and society

Hosted by: ESPM (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing)
Multi-City Study Abroad | May 17 - June 16th, 2027 
São Paulo · Paraty · Rio de Janeiro

Study in Brazil through a structured, credit-bearing academic program that combines classroom learning with engagement across three distinct urban and regional contexts. Summit Global Education’s Brazil program is designed for students who want to understand how business, culture, and society interact within one of the world’s most complex and influential emerging economies.

Rather than approaching Brazil through a single lens, students examine the country from multiple vantage points. Each location contributes a different perspective, allowing students to analyze how institutions, markets, and social dynamics shift across regions, and how those differences shape professional practice and public life.

• Credits: Earn up to 6 U.S. semester credits through our partner university, ESPM (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing)
• ​Open to All Majors: Designed for students interested in business, international relations, communications, economics, liberal arts, and related fields.

ESPM lecture auditorium Rio

Summer Study Abroad Programs in Brazil

Summit’s Brazil program introduces students to Latin America’s largest economy through academically grounded coursework and applied analysis. Brazil offers a valuable case for understanding how organizations operate amid inequality, scale, regulatory complexity, and rapid innovation.

• Academic Focus: Students examine Brazil’s political economy, global positioning, and business environment, with attention to how domestic institutions and global forces interact.
• Professional Visits: Coursework is complemented by visits to companies, public institutions, and organizations in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, providing concrete cases for analysis.
• Academic Core: All students complete a shared Intro to Brazil module that provides essential political, economic, and social context for interpreting professional visits and local environments.
• Language & Culture: Students also enroll in an introductory Portuguese language and Brazilian culture course, designed to support everyday communication and cultural understanding.

Why Brazil?

Brazil offers a distinctive lens for studying global business and international relations. It is a major economy with deep regional variation, strong global ties, and complex internal dynamics. Students encounter how firms, institutions, and communities navigate constraints related to infrastructure, inequality, governance, and scale.
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Each city adds a different layer of understanding. Rio de Janeiro highlights Brazil’s global image, cultural industries, and public institutions. Paraty offers historical and regional perspective. São Paulo provides exposure to finance, industry, and entrepreneurship. Together, these contexts support comparative analysis within a single national setting.

How the Program Works:

Phase 1: Core Academics and Applied Learning (São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro)
The program’s core academic instruction takes place in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, where Summit is hosted on campus at ESPM. Students attend regular classes led by faculty, with most professional and institutional visits concentrated in these two cities. Coursework introduces key frameworks in Brazilian politics, business, international relations, and cultural context, and prepares students to analyze what they encounter beyond the classroom.
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• Daily classes and seminars on campus at ESPM
• Introductory Portuguese language and Brazilian culture instruction
• Intro to Brazil module sessions
• Professional visits to companies, institutions, and organizations
• Faculty-led discussion, group work, and preparation for site visits

Phase 2: Faculty-Led Academic Travel and Cultural Context (Paraty)
The program includes a travel segment to Paraty, where students engage with Brazil’s historical, cultural, and regional context. While Paraty is more culturally focused, academic instruction continues throughout this phase. Faculty teaching Portuguese language and Brazilian culture travel with students, and the Intro to Brazil module remains active.
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• Faculty-led academic travel with program staff
• Ongoing Portuguese language and culture instruction
• Intro to Brazil module activities
• Structured journaling and reflection
• Group project work and comparative analysis

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Academic expectations remain consistent across all locations. Students are expected to participate actively, maintain field journals, and contribute to group projects that draw connections between Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, and São Paulo. Credit is earned throughout the program, including during the travel phase.

PROGRAM DATES (options)

Program Length Options

• A2 · Four-Week Full Program (May 18th, 2027 - June 16th, 2027)
  Our standard full four-week program includes the required Intro to Brazil course plus an elective in Portuguese Language. Students earn up to 6 credits and experience the full arc of coursework, exams, and applied learning across all cities.

COURSE OPTIONS:

Students enroll in a structured daily schedule with one morning language course, a shared Brazil module, and one afternoon academic course.

All courses are taught in English unless otherwise noted.

Morning Course:
Portuguese Language and Brazilian Culture
An introductory Portuguese language course focused on practical Brazilian Portuguese and cultural context. Students develop basic language skills for daily and professional interaction, alongside modules on Brazilian history, social norms, and regional identity. No prior Portuguese required.

Shared Module
Intro to Brazil
A faculty-led module providing political, economic, and social context for understanding Brazil. The module runs throughout the program and integrates professional visits, field observation, and comparative analysis.

Afternoon Academic Course
Introduction to Brazil: culture, politics, business and society.  An introductory course to help students understand Brazil as a complex and internally diverse society shaped by historical legacies, institutional design, economic structures, and social inequalities. Rather than approaching Brazil through a single disciplinary lens, the course integrates perspectives from political science, economics, sociology, and business to develop a contextual understanding of how ideas, organizations, and institutions operate in practice

Courses

WHY SUMMIT?

One Program, Three Perspectives
​Study Brazil across Rio de Janeiro, Paraty, and São Paulo, examining how institutions, organizations, and social structures vary across regions.

• Faculty-Led and Academically Structured: Professors teach, travel, and guide discussion throughout the program, ensuring continuity and academic rigor.
• Transferable Academic Credit: Earn up to 6 U.S. semester credits through ESPM, designed for straightforward transfer to U.S. universities.
• ​Open to All Majors: Appropriate for students in business, international studies, communications, social sciences, and liberal arts.​

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PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

Duration	Cities & Hubs	Credits	Ideal For
4-5 weeks (Summer) • 3 weeks (Winter)	Sao Paulo, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro	Up to 6	•  Business and Global Studies  • Liberal Arts

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1. Learn by Exploring

• Each city becomes your classroom. Through guided visits and hands-on assignments, you’ll analyze how global companies and local ventures adapt to diverse cultural, political, and market conditions.

2. Professional & Cultural Visits

• See innovation in action, from maker spaces to multinational boardrooms (see details below)

Explore Courses

Professional Visits

Throughout the program, students engage directly with professionals across a wide spectrum of industries and organizations that are shaping Brazil’s economy. These visits are not optional extras — they are woven into the academic framework of each course, providing context, case studies, and firsthand insight.

Possible visits may include:

• Business leaders explaining how they’ve adapted products for Brazil’s diverse regional markets and regulatory environments.
• Innovative teams demonstrating prototypes and walking through their design and testing process.
• Executives from multinational firms outlining how they adapt global strategies to succeed in Brazil.
• Cultural and creative entrepreneurs showing how they blend tradition, community, and modern technology in their work.

Illustrative examples from past programs and potential future itineraries:

• A São Paulo fintech accelerator building tools for financial inclusion and small-business growth.
• A Rio-based creative agency designing campaigns that bridge local culture and global brands.
• A Paraty sustainable tourism venture integrating environmental stewardship with local economic development.
• A Brazilian health-tech startup scaling telemedicine services to underserved regions.
• An impact-focused venture fund supporting climate resilience and renewable energy projects in rural areas.

Each visit is directly tied to course themes. Beforehand, professors provide background and guiding questions so you arrive prepared to engage. During the visit, you’ll interact with professionals, observe decision-making in action, and see how culture, resources, and policy shape strategy. Afterward, daily debriefs connect these observations to academic frameworks, helping you compare approaches across cities, industries, and business models.

By the end of the program, you’ll have a portfolio of concrete, comparative examples to draw on in academic projects, job interviews, and your own professional path — turning abstract concepts into lived, practical knowledge of how innovation and entrepreneurship function in Brazil’s emerging-market context.

Professional Visits

Housing, Costs and Travel Logistics

Included in Program Fee

• Housing: Comfortable shared student apartments or centrally located hotels in each city. All accommodations are safe, clean, and located within walking distance or a short transit ride from key sites and program activities.
• In-Country Transportation: All group travel between program cities is arranged and covered by Summit. Depending on the route, this may include private charter buses, scheduled coaches, or short domestic flights. Faculty and local coordinators travel with you to ensure smooth transitions.
• On-the-Ground Support & Safety: Full-time program staff and local support in every location, backed by a detailed safety plan and communication protocol. Students receive local orientation sessions and have 24/7 access to program leaders in case of emergencies.

Not Included

• International flights to and from Brazil
• Meals (students are encouraged to explore Brazil’s diverse dining options, with guidance provided for budget-friendly choices)
• Personal expenses (e.g., souvenirs, optional activities, independent travel before/after the program)

What This Means for You
From the moment you arrive in São Paulo until the program concludes in the final city, your housing, in-program transportation, and academic logistics are handled by Summit. You can focus on learning, exploring, and making the most of each city without having to worry about how you’ll get to the next stop or where you’ll stay.

OUTCOMES

Program Outcomes
Students complete the program with a deeper understanding of Brazil’s role in global business and international affairs, strengthened analytical skills, and practical experience applying academic frameworks to real contexts. Alumni consistently report greater confidence in discussing global issues, conducting comparative analysis, and articulating insights drawn from lived academic experience

ABOUT SUMMIT GLOBAL EDUCATION

Since 2011 we’ve run mobile, interdisciplinary programs in 20+ cities across Europe and Latin America. Our mission: help students navigate complexity, collaborate across cultures, and build solutions that scale beyond borders.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SUMMIT

NEXT STEPS

• Download the Program Guide for dates, tuition, and scholarship info.
• Chat with an Advisor to confirm credit transfer back to your home university.
• Apply Online—rolling admissions; spots fill fast.