The additional advantage of the Latam Term is that the courses embedded in the partner university pass a streamlined crediting process at the HSG ensured and assisted by GIMLA, guaranteeing that students pursue their academic lives with a minimum of bureaucracy. A complete list of compulsory -, core-elective - and free-choice elective courses and their respective credit transfers will be constantly updated.

The bidding system at FGV is simplified for Latam Term students. The Latam Term course list is submitted to the students prior to the start of the semester. Latam Term students make their selection and enroll by a separate preferential list in mandatory courses. Some elective courses may be subject to seat availability.

We recommend that students take around 20-24 ECTS during the Latam Term because a minimum of 16 ECTS needs to be successfully passed in order to validate the whole Term and obtain the certificate.

As an example, your curriculum for the Latam Term may take this shape:

Introductory mandatory course (4 ECTS) + Elective study trip (between 3 - 6 ECTS) + Capstone project (8 ECTS) + 2 Elective courses (up to 8 ECTS) = 20 to 24 ECTS on average

A non-exhaustive selection of courses offered by subject area is available und constantly updated.

Capstone projects are increasingly becoming a key bridge between theory and practice in tertiary education. This culminating academic experience offers multi-faceted assignments that require the broad activation of acquired skills and knowledge to analyze real problems and propose implementable solutions.  

Designed as a robust consultancy project, the topics of the HSG Latam Term capstone are carefully selected and co-developed with key stakeholders in the region to provide challenging learning experiences to the Latam Term students. HSG and FGV students work interculturally towards a common goal. Capstones aim at developing knowledge and products that have the potential to influence current practices: From Insight to Impact.  

Study trips are organized as additional elective courses that take place during the Spring break period in order to provide unique thematic immersion experiences. The precise destinations and topics change each year based on the commitment of institutional partners and feedback from exchange students. Conceptualized as compact courses and with the involvement of key stakeholders, Latam Term students receive the opportunity to visit places and get firsthand insights on topics that otherwise would not easily be accessible.

Several study trips have been planned (for an overview of current and past LCs click here): social entrepreneurship in the Brazilian Amazon, innovation ecosystem and the smart city in Santiago de Chile, sustainable tourism strategies in Costa Rica, and slum upgrading projects in Colombia.

If you want to go even further during or after the Latam Term, GIMLA can support you in writing your Bachelor Thesis on a topic of relevance to the Latin American society, economy, politics or, of course, the business environment. Hands-on Bachelor theses written in loco offer the unique possibility to link your first major academic work to on-the-ground challenges and research demands. It is a perfect context to learn directly from stakeholders, do fieldwork, gather feedback and write your results up.

Suggestions for topics are constantly updated on GIMLA’s website connected to the Institute’s own research projects or those carried out by HSG professors. In addition, thesis assignments are co-developed with relevant local and international partners. Past collaborations included the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Red Cross Brazil, Cities Alliance (CA), United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), and the São Paulo Town Hall.