Student
Guide
Everything you need to know about studying at the EIA
Caribbean
Panama
Venezuela
to the EIA
Medellin
Colombia Pacific Aquarium
You are about to embark on an epic journey to a remarkable country. With the creation of the “Colombia Challenge Your Knowledge” initiative (a campaign established to promote the quality of higher education in Colombia) there has never been a better time to come and study here. www.challengeyourknowledge.edu.co
Ecuador Brazil
Peru
Medellin Biblioteca España Metro cable
Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens Parque Explora - Aquarium Planetario Parque de Los Deseos Plaza Botero
Terminal de Transporte Plaza Botero Hotel Nutibara Museo de Antioquia
Stadium Atanasio Girardot
Medellin
Parque Arví
El Poblado Pies Descalzos Park Parque Lleras
Zuñiga´s campus
Envigado Pueblito Paisa
Medellin River
EIA´s Las Palmas Campus
Parque Tayrona
Desierto de la Tatacoa
In this extraordinary country you will never run out of things to see; Andean mountains, Amazon rainforest, Caribbean and Pacific beaches, archeological sites, colonial and emerging modern cities; like the city of Medellin, where the EIA is located.
El Valle del Cocora
As if its incredible geographic diversity is not enough, Colombia plays host to 40 festivals and carnivals throughout the year meaning you won’t have to search hard to find an atmosphere or cultural event that tickles your fancy.
Medellin
Edificio Coltejer
Pueblito Paisa
Pies Descalzos Park
Welcome
EIA´s campus
Las Palmas
Airport
Whether you’re coming to our institution soon or still undecided we hope this guide provides you with all the essential information necessary to feel as comfortable as possible about coming here. Guatape
In this handbook you will find the following information:
Be part of the EIA
Your life in Medellin
Application Process
EIA Today EIA International Study Information EIA: Language and Cultural School EIA: Campuses EIA: Academic Resources EIA: Research EIA: Social Activities Medellin: An ideal student destination Medellin: Cultural and social life Flights to Medellin Health Accommodation Budget Breakdown
How to apply Visa and cĂŠdula de extranjerĂa
The EIA
today
In March 2010, the Colombian Ministry of Education and the CNA (National Accreditation Board) awarded the EIA with Institutional High Quality Accreditation.
Be part of the EIA You have the chance to join an institution that cares deeply about its students. In the EIA, we do everything possible to lead you towards a prosperous future that is filled with opportunity. Whether it’s through being an active member in one of our classes, laboratories or research/entrepreneurial projects we want you to feel that you are gaining a valuable experience. It is important to us that you are welcomed into a community where you feel you are reaching your full potential. Within our institution the following is given special attention and we hope to inspire you to get involved in as many ways as possible:
Creativity, productivity and business technology Environmental transformation and care Technology in health care
The EIA's vision is to be one of the best engineering universities in Colombia, recognized nationally and internationally for the quality of engineers and professionals it produces and additionally recognized for its applied research results and their subsequent effect and contribution to society.
EIA International Meet the EIA International team:
Within the EIA International department our main concern is always the well-being of our foreign students. We are committed to helping you; throughout the moment of your application right up until the end of your stay in Colombia.
Your arrival:
Before and during your time with us we will help and provide you with the following:
The necessary paper work for your Colombian student visa Collaboration with our housing contacts to find permanent accommodation before your arrival to Medellin A free 24hour airport arrival collection service Accompaniment to the Colombian immigration offices to help you sort out your cedula de extranjeria (the compulsory Colombian identity document that can only be obtained once in Colombia) Tour across both our campuses as well as one-on-one introductions to all of the members of staff that you will come into contact with over the course of your stay Tour of Medellin in order for you to get used to your surroundings and see how much Medellin has to offer.
Academic support
Internship opportunities
The EIA international department also works to assist foreign students with all their academic matters. Although you are responsible for choosing the modules you wish to study before arrival, it is our job to arrange your timetable. Additionally we understand that the modules you primarily choose might not always be what you expected, we are therefore always at your complete disposal to help you swap and find modules you think will be more suitable.
Within the EIA international department you can also find the Internship department (SPE). The SPE operates to help find EIA students a multitude of internship opportunities. Very often foreign students fall in love with Medellin and Colombia and become adamant about extending their stay. Should you arrive to the EIA and start thinking about staying in Colombia after your academic semester the SPE can help you find an internship in Colombia. Within the SPE three different six month internship disciplines are presented: 1. Working in industry: The student completes a placement working within a business. 2. Entrepreneurial development: The student has a business idea or invention that they develop within a company. 3. Working in research: The student works in the laboratories of a company or university working and developing an assigned research project.
Study Information At the EIA, we feel that it is important that students have the freedom to gain knowledge in the wide-ranging fields our different disciplines offer. Therefore during your academic stay, you have the complete liberty to pick and choose modules from all the programs offered. It’s completely up to you what modules and programs you want to mix up. For example if you wish to study an Environmental Engineering module such as “Clean Production” and also a Management Engineering module such as “International Economics” that is totally possible and even encouraged! A list of all the modules available in our programs can be found on our website.
Civil Engineering Computer Systems Engineering Environmental Engineering Financial Engineering Geological Engineering Industrial Engineering Management Engineering Mechatronics Engineering Mechanical Engineering In collaboration with CES University
Biology Biomedical Engineering
The EIA takes pride in further education and offers the following Postgraduate Certificates and Masters of Science (MSc)
Postgraduate Certificates Applied Statistics Corporate Finance Environmental Businesses Energy Projects Management of Global Markets Management of Production and Services Project Management Urban Management and Processes
MSc: Biomedical Engineering (in collaboration with CES University) Biological Sciences (in collaboration with CES University) Industrial Engineering International Strategic Marketing (Double degree with the University of Glasgow) Taught in English
SPECIALIZATIONS AND MSCS SNIES: 101592, 101584, 101593, 10544, 52239, 13741, 19165, 4929, 102248, 90610, 91078, 101944
UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS SNIES: 1989, 2566, 1988, 102067, 102066, 2564, 101599, 20024, 101988, 4689, 20448
The following undergraduate programs are offered at the EIA:
Language and
Culture School
The EIA also has its own Language and Culture school offering comprehensive training and quality service in the language and culture domain. Spanish for foreigners courses Students taking modules in the EIA also have access to the Spanish for foreigners courses in the school. Classes are small ranging from a minimum of two students to a maximum of eight with qualified native teachers. Option 1 2 month program 2 hours of class every day during 8 weeks (76 hours) Program cost: COP $1.570.000
Option 2 2.5 month program 4 hours of class every day during 12 weeks (190 hours) Program cost: COP $3.807.250
Option 4 5.5 month program 4 hours of class every day during 22 weeks (418 hours) Program cost: COP $8.203.250
Option 5 38 hours 2 hours of class every day 2 or 3 times a week Program cost: COP $810.000
Option 6 One-on-one private classes Duration and timetable flexible to the students desires.
Option 3 5 month program 2 hours of class every day during 20 weeks (190 hours) Program cost: COP $3.807.250
Benefits of studying Spanish at the Language and Culture school include: Cultural and gastronomical tours Visits to companies around Medellin Cultural or research oriented immersion Conversation partner link up (The school finds students a Spanish speaking partner for language exchanging activities) Access to the free cultural classes offered in the school The school also offers courses in beginners to advanced English; BULATS, TOEFL and GMAT exam preparation as well as art and drawing, origami and history of ancient civilizations.
EIA Campuses
Zu単iga
The EIA facilities are spread out over two campuses; Las Palmas and Zu単iga.
Located in the south area of the city, the Zu単iga campus is home to the EIA Language and Culture school, it is also where the specialization and MSc classes as well as a few undergraduate classes are taught.
Las Palmas
Located in the valleys of Medellin, Las Palmas prides itself in being a breathtaking natural campus. At only 25 minutes from the Medellin city center yet in the blissful surroundings of the valleys, Las Palmas is a perfect place for studying, it is here where a great majority of the undergraduate programs are taught. Las Palmas in numbers: 1 library 2 auditoriums 10 study areas 23 classrooms, 6 computer clusters 1 center of innovation 1 music room 13 laboratories
2 football pitches 1 prosthetic grass pitch 1 tennis court 1 volleyball court
1 basketball court 2 cafeterias 1 gym + 2 male and female changing rooms
It is a great location as it has excellent transport facilities (walkable distance from Envigado and Ayura metro station + multiple bus routes). This area is very close to Poblado too, which is where a lot of foreign students choose to live. Zu単iga in numbers: 2 computer clusters 2 Auditoriums 7 laboratories 21 classrooms
1 library 1 cafeteria
A shuttle bus runs conveniently throughout the day between both campuses.
EIA Academic Resources Alberto Quevedo Díaz Library The Alberto Quevedo Díaz EIA library, dually located between the Palmas and Zúñiga campuses, offers a portfolio of services to enhance students’ learning and knowledge processes. The numerous books, journals, magazines, visual and audio materials serve to help students in their specialized subject areas. The library also provides a growing number of materials outside the engineering spectrum for those with a passion for culture. The library has a great deal of eBooks including a concentrated selection on areas of engineering, computer sciences and other related fields. The EIA is part of the G8 universities of Medellin agreement meaning students have access to over two million resources available from the libraries of: Corporación Universitaria Lasallista, Universidad EAFIT, Universidad de Medellin, Universidad CES, Universidad Nacional Sede Medellin, Universidad de Antioquia, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana.
Laboratories The EIA has a total of 23 laboratories: 12 in the Las Palmas campus, 7 in the Zuñiga campus and 4 in the CES Sabaneta campus (university twinned with EIA for the Biology and Biomedical Engineering programs).
ICT The EIA offers students free Wi-Fi accessible from any point in the Palmas and Zúñiga campuses as well as access to over 300 computer systems in laboratories and computer clusters. Informatics courses on tools and devices to improve productivity and academic development are also provided free of charge. Whilst studying at the EIA you will have access to the following software: Arcgis Autodesk Inventor Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk Civil 3D E-Views Labview Arcgis Autodesk Inventor
Autodesk AutoCAD Autodesk Civil 3D E-Views Labview Matlab Proteus PCHWD SolidEdge
Statgraphics Microsoft Visual Studio NX Arena @Risk
The following laboratories are available for student work and research: Applied optics Automation and control Bioinstrumentation Biological control and natural products Biology Biomaterials Biomechanics and motion analysis Biotechnology in health Characterization of materials Chemistry Clinical engineering Electrical and electronic systems N˚1 Electrical and electronic systems N˚2 Environmental Geographic Information Systems Hydraulics Materials Metalmechanics Metrology Physics Rehabilitation engineering Soils, Pavement and Earth Sciences Structural mechanics Thermal sciences
EIA Research
The EIA strongly believes that innovation, research and laboratory investigation can contribute fundamentally to the development of society.
Our undergraduate and postgraduate programs interact directly with the different innovation, research groups and projects being worked on within our campuses. Ideas, techniques, proposals and contribution from students have always been considered as an essential tool in the innovation and research groups’ progression and endeavors. There are many opportunities in the research and innovation department for foreign students and we hope their work and ethic enthuses you to get involved to work alongside and collaborate with professors, other students and the EIA research groups.
The EIA research projects are organized according to the following institutional strategic fields and transversal areas:
STRATEGIC FIELDS
TRANSVERSAL AREAS
(water, minerals, biodiveristy)
Organization and Indsutry
Materials
ICT, Automation and Instrumentation
Natural Resources
Management, Finances and Marketing
Infraestructure and Land Planning
Modeling
Energy
Sustainable Development
Technology in Health
FIELDS
RESEARCH GROUP NAME
Alternative Materials and Automatic Processes
MAPA
Biology
Biology
Biomedical Engineering
GIBEC
Environmental Management
IGEA
Hydrological Research and Science Education
ESPIRAL
Management, Productivity and Competitiveness
GPC
Mobility, Land Planning and GIS
MIT-SIG
Software Engineering and Computational Modeling
GISMOC
Structures and Construction
Structures and Construction
Theoretical and Applied Physics
EIA FTA
EIA Social activities At the EIA we make sure that your time with us is not just defined by what you study but also by the people you meet, social activities you take part in and places you see. We understand that coming to study in a foreign country can be quite daunting that is why your schedule will be designed to allow you enough time to take part in recreational activities so you can integrate and make friends easily.
Artistic and cultural development Art and culture are great mechanisms for releasing creativity and positive energy. In the EIA we have a variety of activities that cater for all the different tastes in the artistic and cultural development spectrum. Our university has courses, societies and facilities for the following:
Drawing and Painting Photography (Basic and Advanced) Origami Music Creative Writing Drama and Theater Dance
Events in the university include: Art and Literature week Concerts and Plays throughout the year The EIA wellbeing day – A day dedicated to fun, games and food to promote university integration
EIA Sport
Health and wellbeing
Keeping fit is an excellent tool for keeping a healthy mind. There are numerous recreational and sporting options within the EIA to help you achieve your desired level of fitness.
Whatever kind of person you are, we are aware that occasionally there may be times of stress in terms of dealing with university work or homesickness. That is why we have an on campus school counselor who is always available for one-on-one meetings with students.
This could mean being a member and competing in one of our university teams, using our university gym and receiving support from one of our trained fitness coaches, getting involved and trying a new sport for the first time or hiring out the sports facilities to play with friends. The EIA has the following assigned coaches for male and female student teams: Archery, Basketball, Football, Rugby, Table Tennis, Tennis, Ultimate Frisbee and Volleyball with regional competitive leagues and national tournament participation.
EIA PRIVATE TRANSPORT Route 1, Exposiciones Metro Station - EIA Monday to Friday Departure time, destination EIA
Destination EIA
5:00 a. m.
Clínica Las Américas - Av. La 80 - Av. La 33 Bus stops in front of the Exposiciones metro station Glorieta Sandiego - Vía Las Palmas - EIA
7:00 9:00 11:00 1:00 3:00 4:45
a. m. a. m. a. m. p. m. p. m. p. m.
Departure time, destination Medellin 8:00 10:00 12:00 2:00 4:00 5:45
a. m. a. m. m. p. m. p. m. p. m.
Exposiciones Metro Station - EIA
Destination Medellin EIA - Vía Las Palmas - Exposiciones Metro Station
Saturday
The following facilities are available for students all week long and can also be booked to be used at the weekend: Grass and synthetic pitches Basketball Tennis and volleyball courts The university gym in the Las Palmas Campus is open Monday-Friday 6:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Departure time, destination EIA
Destination EIA
7:00 a. m. 9:00 a. m.
Exposiciones Metro Station - EIA
Departure time, destination Medellin
Destination Medellin
10:00 a. m. 12:15 p. m.
EIA - Vía Las Palmas - Exposiciones Metro Station
Route 2, Aguacatala Metro Station - EIA Monday to Friday Departure time, destination EIA 5:15 7:00 9:00 11:00 1:00 3:00
a. m. a. m. a. m. a. m p. m. p. m.
Departure time,time, Departure destination Medellin destination Medellin 8:00 a. m. 10:00 a. m.
*12:00 m.
2:00 p. m
Destination EIA Aguacatala Metro Station (opposite the Alianaza Frances) Glorieta La Aguacatala costado Sur – Av. Las Vegas hacia el sur hasta la Quebrada La Ayurá - Villa Grande – Av. El Poblado hacia el norte – Paradero Colegio La Salle – Euro – Loma La Frontera - Transversal Inferior – San Lucas – Mall Complex Los Balsos – Transversal Superior – El Tesoro – Clínica El Rosario – Los Balsos – Vía Las Palmas - EIA
Destination Medellin EIA- Vía Las Palmas - Los González - La 34 Glorieta La Aguacatala - Estación Exposiciones *Goes to the Zuñiga campus
Transport to and from campuses The EIA helps students get to and from their homes and academic destinations with a variety of transport options to all the EIA campuses. EIA PUBLIC TRANSPORT Route 3, Envigado Metro Station – EIA Departure time, destination EIA
Destination EIA
From 5:00 a. m. every 30 minutes thereafter
Envigado Metro Station Parque de Envigado - Loma del Escobero Glorieta Las Palmas - EIA
LUNES A VIERNES
Destination Envigado EIA - Glorieta de Las Palmas Loma del Escobero - Envigado Metro Station
Your life in
Medellin
Both the EIA’s campuses are located in Colombia’s second largest city; Medellin. Located in the heart of a valley and surrounded by breathtaking mountains Medellin is today recognized as one of the safest cities in Colombia and Latin America. In 2012 Medellin was recognized for its transportation, cultural and social improvements and won the Urban Land Institute “Most Innovative City of 2012" award.
Medellin: An ideal student destination Medellin contains more accredited universities than any other city in Colombia making it an ideal student destination that offers an abundance of academic and cultural resources: Museums Museum of Antioquia Medellin Museum of Modern Art The Academic Museum of the University of Antioquia The Castillo Museum EPM Interactive Museum Museum of Geosciences San Pedro Cemetery Museum Pedro Nel Gómez Museum House Entomologic Museum and Piedras Blancas Butterfly Vivarium
The Spanish library of Medellin
Museum of Antioquia and Plaza Botero
Libraries La Ladera library La Quintana library San Javier library The Spanish library of Medellin EPM library Theaters The José Gutiérrez Gómez Medellín Metropolitan Theater Lido Theater The Águila Descalza Theater The Pablo Tobón Uribe Theater The Teatrico
MSan Pedro Cemetery Museum
Medellin offers a high caliber of public transport options; Metro, Metrocable, a diverse bus system called the MetroPlus and even bike-share programs. Metro Cable
Medellin: Cultural and social life As the second biggest city in Colombia, the cultural and social possibilities in Medellin are endless. Social
Whatever way you like to socialize, Medellin has a variety of places where you can let your hair down. To mention just a few: bars and cafes in Parque Lleras,traditional restaurants in Barrio Jardines, super clubs in Barrio Colombia, the four giant malls of Oviedo, Plaza Mayor, Santa Fé and El Tesoro and their cinemas as well as live salsa and vallenato in downtown.
Parks and Plazas Whether you’re meeting someone, taking a picnic with friends or just in need of a bit of down time, Medellin has 15 ideal parks and plazas for whatever needs.
Parque Explora Acuario Parque Explora Parque Arví Parque de los Deseos Parque Norte
Festival of the flowers
Parque de los Pies Descalzos Cerro Nutibara y Pueblito Paisa Jardín Botánico de Medellín,
Festivals
Every August Medellin plays host to one of the biggest festivals in Colombia; La feria de las flores (festival of the flowers). Over the 130 different events and festivities that go on during the week, highlights include; the Silleteros Parade; a parade where men, women and children proudly carry on their backs a depiction in flowers of their life histories, land, and culture, the Classic Car Parade and the spectacular closing Cabalgata Ceremony; a horse procession across the city involving over 6,000 horses. Other festivals throughout the year in Medellin include:
Festival of the Bull Holy week ColombiaMODA The Medellin International Poetry Festival The Festival of Christmas Lights
Joaquín Antonio Uribe Parque Zoológico Santa Fe Plaza Botero Aeroparque Juan Pablo II
The Festival of Christmas Lights
Parque Berrío Parque Bolívar Parque Lineal La Presidenta Parque Lleras
Nightlife
Flights to Medellin
Medellin: Cultural and social life
Flights to Colombia can vary significantly in price. When you are looking at booking your flights we recommend that you visit the following flight comparison sites:
Sport With the goal of being the host city for the 2018 junior Olympic games, Medellin has a variety of outstanding equipped sports facilities including the Estadio Sport Complex and Belen Sports unit presenting you with the opportunity to take part in a magnitude of different sports for free as well join various amateur clubs.
Estadio Sport Complex
Belen Sports Unit
A vast number of spectating opportunities are also available. Four of Medellin’s soccer teams play in Colombia’s first division league. Excursions With two coach stations (Terminal del Norte and Terminal del Sur) and airports (José María Córdova Airport and Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport), should you wish to explore Medellin’s provinces, the rest of Colombia and even other parts of Latin America you can do so economically and with ease.
http://www.despegar.com/ http://www.expedia.com/ http://www.lostiquetesmasbaratos.com/ http://www.statravel.com/ http://www.skyscanner.net/ Note: Once you’ve checked all these sites it’s also worth going onto the direct website of the cheapest airline operator given as they may quote you an even cheaper price. Avianca, LAN, Spirit and United are airlines that offer flights to Medellin and we definitely suggest you check them out. www.avianca.com/ www.lan.com www.spirit.com www.united.com
Information about both coach stations and possible journey options can be found at: www.terminalesmedellin.com For the cheapest flights around Colombia it is best to check out the airline Viva Colombia on: www.vivacolombia.co José María Córdova Airport Enrique Olaya Herrera Airport
Accommodation
Health Before coming out to Colombia most doctors and health travel websites recommend as precaution that you get shots for: Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Yellow Fever and Malaria. Medellin has an excellent quality of Hospitals and clinics it is however essential that foreign students get travel and health insurance that cover the time they will spend in Colombia. Clinics Clínica de las Américas Clínica Cardiovascular Clínica Medellín Clínica del Rosario Clínica Las Vegas Hospitals Hospital General de Medellín Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe Hospital Universitario San Vicente de Paúl
Although the EIA does not have its own student accommodation the EIA International Department is committed to helping you find accommodation giving them exclusive access to our accommodation database. You can choose from a number of different housing options; family stay, student house or one person studio across the different areas of the city. Budget breakdown Although this can only be used as a rough guide, here is what you can expect to be spending each month whilst studying at the EIA. Accommodation: $400,000-600,000 COP ($220-330 USD) Transport: $100,000 COP ($55 USD) Food: $500,000 COP ($275 USD) Other (toiletries, stationary, cell-phone, going out. etc.) $200,000-400,000 COP ($110-220 USD)
Visa and cédula de extranjería Visa For your academic semester or year in the EIA you will need a student visa.
Application Process
The EIA will send you your notarized certificate of enrollment but you will have to contact and visit the respective Colombian embassy in your country to obtain your student visa. Cédula de extranjería As mentioned this is the compulsory Colombian identity document that can only be obtained once in Colombia. You can apply for it and receive it in the “Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad” offices in Medellin which we will accompany you to.
How to apply To apply to the EIA an inscription form (available from our website: (www.eia.edu.co) needs to be filled and sent to the international depart, (asirelinter@eia.edu.co) a scanned version of the following documents must also be included:
You will need the following documents: Payment deposit slip, and 2 photocopies (more details to be given upon your arrival) Application form. This we can send to you via email
Copy of Passport Course transcripts including currently enrolled subjects Cover letter Presentation letter from current university Spanish language certification through the Diploma of Spanish as a Foreign Language (DELE) or letter of recommendation from professor
2x photocopies of your passport 2x photocopies of your Visa 2x photocopies of your entry stamp 3x passport photos with a blue background 3X4 2x copies of blood test results to show your blood type You can choose to get this done before you leave for Colombia or get it done in any clinic in Medellin for $30.000 COP
Note: The applicant is required to have passed their first year of study at the time of application, be an active student and not be under any disciplinary charges.
Copy of your notarized certificate of enrollment in the EIA
Director of Internationalization MÊlanie Blanchard relinter@eia.edu.co Tel: (+574) 354 90 90 - Ext. 241 Assistant of Internationalization Alexis Carrière asirelinter@eia.edu.co Tel: (+574) 354 90 90 - Ext. 348 Academic Assistant of Internationalization Luke James ljames@eia.edu.co Tel: (+574) 354 90 90 - Ext. 348
Management and Engineering in Colombia
Study
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