Brazilian Study Abroad with Summit Global Education, Winter 2026-27
Traveling study abroad programs, with a focus on innovation, business and culture

Hosted by: ESPM (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing)
Multi-City Study Abroad | Winter 2026-27
São Paulo · Paraty · Rio de Janeiro
Travel with professors and classmates through some of Brazil’s most dynamic cities, connecting academic study with real-world insights from companies, innovators, and cultural institutions. This is more than seeing the sights—it’s an immersive academic journey where every city becomes a living case study in business, innovation, and collaboration.

  • Dates: December 27th 2026 - January 15th or 22nd, 2027 (see options below)
  • Locations: São Paulo, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro
  • Credits: Earn up to 6 U.S. semester credits through our partner university, ESPM (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing)
  • Courses Offered:  Introduction to Brazil: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets, International Business: Innovation and Small-Tech in Global Markets. Portuguese Language & Culture. View all Courses
  • Open to All Majors: Designed for students interested in computer science, business, communications, economics, entrepreneurship, engineering, and related fields.
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ESPM lecture auditorium Rio

Winter Study Abroad Programs in Brazil

Summit Study Abroad in Brazil immerses students in Latin America’s largest economy, where innovation emerges from the challenges and opportunities of an emerging market.
  • Theme: Discover how entrepreneurs and innovators in Brazil tackle issues of scale, inequality, and infrastructure to create new business models and technologies.
  • Professional Visits: Students explore Rio's and São Paulo’s startup scenes, meet founders in co-working spaces, and connect with companies navigating both global markets and local realities.
  • Academic Core: The central course is BRA 324 · Introduction to Brazil: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets, which situates Brazil’s growth within regional and global dynamics.
  • Language & Culture: Students also study Portuguese language and Brazilian culture, giving them the tools to engage more deeply with people and organizations during visits.
  • Why Brazil: Brazil offers a firsthand look at how innovation thrives in complex environments, where resourcefulness and creativity drive solutions. Students leave with insight into the forces shaping one of the world’s most dynamic emerging markets.

Why Brazil?

Brazil immerses students in Latin America’s largest economy, where innovation and business strategies are forged in complex conditions. Entrepreneurs and established companies alike adapt to challenges of scale, inequality, and infrastructure—turning constraints into opportunities for new models and technologies.

Every city provides a fresh angle: São Paulo’s financial and tech ecosystem, Rio’s creative industries and global connections, and Paraty’s cultural depth and regional traditions. Together, they reveal how innovation, business, and culture intersect in one of the world’s most dynamic emerging markets.

How the Program Works:

Phase 1: Core Academics (São Paulo)
Begin with intensive coursework in your required course at ESPM in São Paulo. Mornings are spent in lectures and interactive sessions; afternoons may include professional visits, guest speakers, or guided cultural activities. This phase builds a shared foundation before the group begins traveling.
  • Daily classes and seminars
  • Guest lectures by local professionals
  • Visits to startups, accelerators, NGOs, and multinationals
  • Team projects & case study workshops
  • Local cultural immersion

Phase 2: Faculty-Led Academic Travel (Paraty & Rio de Janeiro)
Travel together to Paraty and Rio, balancing structured academics with professional visits and cultural immersion. Daily debriefs connect what you’ve seen with academic concepts, allowing you to compare experiences across different regional contexts.
  • Academic travel with professors
  • Ongoing coursework: journals, presentations, group research
  • Study sessions in conference rooms and hotels
📝 Academic instruction continues throughout—students are earning credit every step of the way.

PROGRAM DATES (options)

Program Length Options
  • A2 · Four-Week Full Program (December 28th, 2026 - Jan 22nd, 2027)
    Our standard six-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.
  • A1 · Three-Week Intensive Program (December 28th - Jan 15th, 2027)
    For students with limited time, the three-week option provides a single combined course that integrates the Intro to Brazil foundation with the Portuguese Language. Instead of choosing, you get a curated mix of both. Exams are streamlined into one final assessment, making it a lighter but still rigorous option that earns 3 credits.

COURSE OPTIONS:

Each student selects one morning course and, if desired, one afternoon elective.
All courses are taught in English and combine classroom instruction, academic travel, professional visits, and guided reflection.

Required course (choose one):
  • BUS 318. International Business: Innovation and Small-Tech in Global Markets. Study how firms expand across borders. Work through market entry, regulation, currency exposure, and adaptation to local customers.
  • BRA 324 · Introduction to the Brazil: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets: Examine Brazil’s economic, cultural, and political landscape with a focus on its dynamic role in global innovation. Topics include the growth of startup ecosystems, regional economic drivers, regulatory frameworks, and the challenges and opportunities of doing business in a diverse, emerging market. Includes professional visits and cultural immersion in multiple cities.
  • SOC 324 · Introduction to the Brazil: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets - with a focus on social issues.
  • POL 324 · Introduction to the Brazil: Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets - with a focus on policy issues
  • BRA 326 · Introduction to Brazil: Innovation, Language, and Culture (includes intensive Portuguese language and cultural immersion). (Session A1 only)
Optional elective course:  Each student may selects one of the following 3-credit courses:
  • POR 311 · Intensive Portuguese Language & Brazilian Culture:  Develop practical Portuguese skills for professional, academic, and daily life in Brazil. Course includes cultural modules on Brazilian history, music, cuisine, and regional identity, alongside applied language practice in real-world settings such as markets, workplaces, and cultural sites. Designed for beginners; no prior Portuguese required.

WHY SUMMIT?

One Program, Three Locations, Endless Perspective
  • Multi‑City Format: Travel from São Paulo → Rio de Janeiro → Paraty, exploring how innovation, entrepreneurship, and leadership take shape in Brazil’s unique cultural, social, and economic landscapes.
  • Hands‑On Immersion: Inside access to startups, design labs, and incubators—plus cultural deep‑dives that make the classroom come alive.  Go behind the scenes at Brazilian startups, social enterprises, multinationals, and grassroots organizations — gaining firsthand insights into how businesses and changemakers navigate the challenges of emerging markets.
  • Transferable Credit: Up to 6 semester credits through the ESPM (Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing) and easily transferred to U.S. universities.
  • Open to All Majors: Designed for engineers, business students, designers—even liberal‑arts majors hungry for global fluency.
  • Short-Term, High-Impact: Transform your winter break into a powerful academic and professional growth experience that broadens your thinking and sharpens your global perspective.

💼 Real-World Learning
  • Meet founders, executives, and industry experts
  • Explore startup ecosystems and innovation hubs
  • Analyze real business models in diverse cultural contexts
  • Engage in reflective debriefs guided by faculty

🌐 Why Summit is Different
✔ Professors travel with students
✔ Diverse, multicultural student cohorts
✔ Long-term partnerships with top universities
✔ Curriculum co-designed with faculty
✔ Academic credit from accredited institutions
✔ Global networking, real impact

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

Duration
Cities & Hubs
Credits
Ideal For
5-7 weeks (Summer)
• 3 weeks (Winter)
Sao Paulo, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro
Up to 6
• CS Computer Science 
•  Engineering majors 
•  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)

3. Interdisciplinary Coursework
  • Courses blend seminars, visits, and micro-projects, culminating in a portfolio you can use in job interviews.

Professional Visits

Throughout the program, students engage directly with professionals across a wide spectrum of industries and organizations that are shaping Brazil’s innovation 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:
  • Startup founders explaining how they’ve adapted products for Brazil’s diverse regional markets and regulatory environments.
  • Innovation lab teams demonstrating prototypes and walking through their design and testing process.
  • Investors and venture capital professionals discussing how they identify, evaluate, and support early-stage companies in emerging markets.
  • 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.

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
  • Global Fluency: Develop the cultural awareness and adaptability that international employers value. Learn how business is conducted across borders and how to navigate diverse professional settings with confidence.
  • Brazilian Innovation Ecosystem Awareness:  Compare startup hubs across Brazilian cities, and understand their place in Latin America’s tech landscape.
  • Expanded Professional Network: Connect with founders, innovators, and industry leaders in multiple cities. Build relationships that can lead to internships, research opportunities, and future collaborations.
  • Career-Ready Experience: Apply classroom learning to real-world contexts through company visits, case studies, and cross-cultural projects. In our recent survey, 90% of alumni reported the program directly strengthened their internship or job interview success.
  • Portfolio of Global Insights: Leave with tangible examples, case studies, and reflections from your trek—ready to share in applications, interviews, or academic work.
  • Personal Growth & Independence: Learn to navigate new cities, work in multicultural teams, and adapt to changing situations—skills that translate far beyond your career.

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.

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.
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