Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina
- Open to juniors and seniors with at least 4 semesters of Spanish
- Be matched to an Argentine student by participating in the PAL program
- Take courses focusing on Argentina and Latin America
Students will directly enroll in courses at Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA). Before each semester UCA offers an optional Spanish language course before the orientation week. Students wanting to deepen their knowledge of Latin America can enroll in courses focused on the region. The majority of the course offerings are in Spanish, but there are approximately six courses taught in English per semester.
Buenos Aires is the capital of Argentina and is located on the Río de la Plata. It is a 500-year old cosmopolitan city renowned for its cuisine, architecture, and rich cultural and historical heritage. Each neighborhood has its own characteristics and style; for example, San Telmo is famous for tango, La Boca for its colorful houses, and Recoleta for its ornate cemetery, museums, and parks. Buenos Aires has a temperate climate with mild winters and hot summers. It’s important to keep in mind that Argentina’s seasons are opposite of the U.S. because they are in the southern hemisphere. Read the Buenos Aires information that UCA provides to international students.
UCA is a private university located in the Puerto Madero neighborhood, on the banks of the river. The neighborhood is lively with an assortment of theaters, restaurants, and museums. The university is one of the most modern urban campus in Argentina and has several schools and faculties, among them Journalism and International Relations. Approximately 13,000 students attend the Buenos Aires UCA campus and there are 200-300 international students enrolled each semester.
Before the beginning of each semester, UCA offers a three week Spanish language course (60 hours) for an additional fee. The course is usually offered at the beginning of July for the Fall semester and the beginning of February for the Spring semester.
During orientation, students will take a Spanish placement test, which will determine if the student will be required to take a Spanish language course during the semester.
Students can take courses in business administration, economics, history, international relations, journalism, and political science taught in Spanish. Students interested in courses focused on Latin America can take courses in the Programa de Estudios Latinoamericanos (PEL), which offers the majority of courses in Spanish, but approximately six courses in English. All students will take one Spanish language course during the semester and be enrolled in 12 to 15 credits.
Students can view course lists and short descriptions in the Catálogo de Cursos, which can be downloaded from a link on UCA's academic information page. There is a special section at the end of the guide that has all of the courses offered through PEL and the Spanish language courses.
Please keep in mind that Argentina is on the Southern Hemisphere academic calendar which means that KU's Fall semester is their Spring semester and vice versa. The KU Fall semester is their Semester II and KU Spring semester is their Semester I.
UCA does not have campus housing and students are responsible for finding their own housing. The UCA International Office will provide a list of accommodation options for apartment and residence halls and can suggest a company that matches students with a homestay family. Most students choose to live in Recoleta or Palermo and take public transportation to the university. Some students find it best to arrive in Argentina a few days early so they can begin looking for housing.
At the beginning of each semester, there is an orientation and registration week where students will learn about the university, the university system, life in Buenos Aires, and enroll in classes. The orientation will be at the end of February for the Spring semester and the end of July for the Fall semester.
Activities are also planned so that international students can meet each other as well as Argentine students. Students will also have the opportunity to sign up for the PAL program, which matches international students to an Argentine student who helps orient them to the university, Buenos Aires, and Argentine culture. Interested students can also participate in a variety of service learning projects through UCA.
Students can view the UCA academic calendar on their website.
Students must be juniors (have completed at least four semesters of college) and have completed at least four semesters or the equivalent of Spanish prior to studying abroad (SPAN 216). Minimum GPA 2.75. Exceptions considered after submission of a petition.
