Universidad Privada Boliviana
- Take classes in Spanish in Bolivia, located in the heart of South America
- All students must have completed at least 4 semesters of Spanish before participating on this program
- Immerse yourself in Bolivian culture by living with a host family
- Complement your coursework by volunteering with local communities
UPB was created by the Bolivian business community to generate entrepreneurs and fulfill the need of private firms for skilled management and technical professionals with the following Vision: To be the best university in Bolivia and a reference for quality in education in Latin America.
UPB's Mission is: To generate, adapt and apply knowledge through research, transmit it in the classroom and share its application to the community. Their core values are committed to academic excellence, quality administration; ethical behavior at all levels, fostering competitiveness, promoting free enterprise values and sustainable development.
The entire university grew from a simple idea: a commitment to excellence. UPB's success is the result of many years of careful planning and market research to become the most important world business university, as well as the leader in private universities of the country.
These programs are grouped in two schools: The School of Engineering and Architecture with nine areas of study, and the School of Business with eight areas of study.
Universidad Privada Boliviana is the most prestigious private university in the country. In its 22 years UPB has achieved high rates of growth and development, particularly in the undergraduate program. UPB opened their Cochabamba campus in 1992 with 5 undergraduate programs and 77 students and expanded their undergraduate activities to the administrative capital city of La Paz in 2002. Now, UPB has 17 academic programs and serves 1,330 students on the Cochabamba campus and 920 students on the La Paz campus.
Since the establishment of the Cochabamba campus, UPB has offered the first MBA program in Business Administration and has since expanded to graduate centers in La Paz, Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, Sucre, Tarija, Oruro and Cobija. UPB now offers 21 Diploma programs, 9 Master’s programs, and 3 Doctoral programs. They are particularly proud of their MBA program that has recently been ranked No. 1 in Bolivia and No. 25 in Latin America.
UPB has two Campuses; the first campus is located in the city of La Paz, one of the highest cities in the world with an altitude of 3.649 meters (about 12,000 feet) above sea level and a population of 790,353 inhabitants. La Paz is in the North East part of the Country, surrounded by multi-colored mountains with moon like formations. The climate is dry with no humidity and has a mild summer and a unique sunny winter with clear blue skies and a temperature that can vary from 35.6 to 75.2 degrees. Nearby attractions include: Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world, Tiahuanaco, an ancient archeological city that has been around since 1500 B.C., and the tropics with a warm and humid climate all year around.
The second campus is located in the city of Cochabamba. Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andean Mountain Range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and it is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an approximate population of 1,938,401. The name derives from a compound of the Quechua words “qucha,” meaning lake, and “pampa " meaning open plain. Residents of the city and surrounding areas are commonly referred to as “Cochalas.” Cochabamba is known as the "City of Eternal Spring" and "The Garden City" due to its year round spring-like temperatures. It is also known as "La Llajta,” or "town" in Quechua.
Programs
- Finance
- International Commerce-Business Administration
- Economics
- Graphic Design
- Marketing and Logistics
- Law
- Communication
- Engineering (Civil Engineering, Production Engineering, Electronic and Telecommunication Engineering, Computational System Engineering, Industrial and Systems Engineering, Oil and Natural Gas Engineering)
- Architecture
- General Education (Spanish, Latin American Literature, History, Art, Inter and Cross Cultural Communications)
Popular General Education Courses
- Comunicacíon Intercultural
- Comunicación Cultural y Globalización
- Ética Profesional
- Historica Crítica de Bolivia I
- Historica Crítica de Bolivia II
- Desarrollo Sostenible
- Dibujo I
- Dibujo II
- Comunicacion Corporativa
- Comunicacio´n Avanzado
- Comunicacio´n
- Comercio Exterior
- Fotografi´a I
- Fotografi´a II
- Historia de las Idea Politicas
- Historia del Arte I
- Historia del Arte II
- Historia Mundial Contemporánea
- Introducción a la Política Internacional
- Literatura Contempora´nea
- Negociacio´n y Manejo de Conflictos
- Planificacio´n y Estrategias en Comunicacio´n
- Psicologi´a
- Sociologi´a
- Teori´a de la Comunicacio´n I
- Teoría de Signos
Courses for Graduate (Masters) Level
MBA International Program Full Time
Language Notes
- A minimum of 4 semesters of university-level Spanish or the equivalent must be completed prior to program.
- Intermediate and Advanced Spanish language courses are offered in addition to regular classes during the semester (included in ISEP Benefits) Contact hours per course/week: 20
- Pre-Session: A 4 week-pre-session (intensive Spanish language course) is offered in the summer/winter only. Contact hours per course/week: 20 (not included in ISEP Benefits)
Please note that this site observes the Southern Hemisphere academic calendar. If you want to study for a full-year in the southern hemisphere, consider starting your program at the beginning of their academic year in February or March. Some institutions offer annual rather than semester courses. For southern hemisphere programs, ISEP benefits do apply during the recess between semesters (June-July), whereas they do NOT apply between the end of one academic year and the beginning of a new academic year (December to February-March).
Students are housed in host families off campus with all meals provided by the family.
Orientation
Orientation program covers academic advice, health, housing emergencies safety and general information. Students also have the opportunity to go on a city tour and on a campus tour. Students arriving on the Official Arrival Date will be met at the airport if given notice at least two weeks before the Official Arrival Date.
Student Activities
ISEP students will have the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities such as: theater, choir, academic clubs (film, photography, dance), diverse sports activities (such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, racquetball, and soccer), cultural exchange activities, social activities, and travel. I-Pal program is also available.
Community Engagement (Internships, Service-Learning, Volunteering, etc.)
Volunteering and Service Learning opportunities are available for ISEP students through our Social Responsibility program. One of the program´s goals is to engage with local communities to build their institutions, train its government officials, and promote social integration. Since both of UPB's campuses are located at the edge of major urban areas, they have been able to develop a number of programs with the surrounding rural communities, giving students the opportunity to actively participate in social learning and volunteering work.
Internships are also offered to ISEP students with visits or stays in businesses or organizations which give the opportunity to students to interact with entrepreneurs or directors, and to have professional internships according to the goals or needs of these institutions.
SAGE is dedicated to creating international engagement opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and providing resources to support you through the process of studying abroad. Study abroad is achievable for students of all identities including our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and students with religious/non-religious viewpoints. Before selecting a program, consider how your identities may impact your experience abroad in unique ways and talk with your Program Coordinator about any program-specific concerns. Students with documented disabilities should discuss any accommodation needs with their Program Coordinator early in the planning process.
Check our Identity Abroad page and resources listed below for information specific to you and other students who may be on your program.
Contact Kaitlyn Johnson at k.johnson@ku.edu for more information.
Further information on programs can be found on the ISEP Website.