ARGENTINA - ISEP Universidad del Salvador

To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Good academic and judicial standing during time of application AND time of participation in program
• Undergraduates must have completed at least two semesters of study at Lake Forest College AND have junior status or higher before participation. 
• At least 18 years of age by the program’s departure date. 
• Be able to stay at the host program for the duration of the semester, including through the exam and travel periods
• Minimum GPA of 2.75.  
• Language Requirement: A High Intermediate level of Spanish (B2) equivalent to a minimum of 5 semesters of university-level Spanish, preferably including a Literature class.
• The student must submit ISEP language proficiency report in the application, even if native speaker.

Pre-session: A 4-week pre-session, intensive Spanish language course is offered before both semesters for an additional fee for Intermediate and High Intermediate level students, to help them prepare for the semester work.

Students applying to ISEP must apply for an Exchange option (in any country) as a first choice but may apply to a Direct option as a back-up. Direct options may have an additional cost (see a financial section for more information).

Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, is a sophisticated metropolis, with one of the largest concentrations of Spanish-speaking people in the world. Situated on the Rio de la Plata, 100 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, it is a major port and the center of all activity in Argentina.

Learn More about Universidad del Salvador, click here! Read the ISEP Country Handbook to learn more about visa requirements, educational system, and culture.

Located in downtown Buenos Aires, the Universidad del Salvador is a private institution of Jesuit heritage. It was the first university in Argentina to engage in international student mobility. Today, USAL has over 200 cooperation and exchange agreements worldwide and receives about 500 international exchange students per year. More than 30,000 study at USAL, in undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Lecturing is the principal method of instruction in Latin American Universities, with one final exam or paper counting as the only grade in the class. Still, some professors will also give midterm exams or papers.  Professors tend to be more formal than in the United States, and class sizes are often larger.

In most Latin American countries, the grading philosophy is that the student starts at 0 (has no knowledge of the subject) and needs to work hard to obtain a good grade. The student’s grade rises as he proves his gain of knowledge throughout the semester. As such, Latin American universities tend to be severe in their grading and a grade of sobresaliente (10 - the highest grade possible in Argentina) is rarely awarded. In most classes, the majority of students will receive either aprobadoor muy bueno (from 4 to 6)

The university features excellent offers a wide variety of programs. Strong fields include Medicine and Health-related disciplines, Law, Social Communication, International Relations and Political Science, Literature, History, and Business. Research opportunities are available in Environmental Studies, Social Sciences, Psychology, and Sociology, among others. Students should contact the ISEP Coordinator for more information. 

ISEP students must maintain full-time status, which is a minimum of five subjects per semester for visiting international students. This is approximately equivalent to 4 Lake Forest credits; students should check before registering.

To assist in determing the appropirate number of credits, transcripts from ISEP insitutions in Argentina usually unclude the weeklyu contact hours, total contact hours (per semester), or credits.

To earn 4 Lake Forest credits, students must take 168 total contact hours. 

To Earn 3 Lake Forest credits, students must take 126 total contact hours. 

The number of credits listed here is estimated, and GEO will work with you, your advisor, and the registrar to ensure you are earning enough credits to keep you on track for graduation.

Language Courses: Non-intensive Spanish language courses are offered in addition to regular classes during the academic year or semester for High Intermediate and Advanced levels. 

HINTS FOR RESEARCHING COURSES

USAL offers a variety of courses in Spanish and English. Subjects taught in Spanish include business, communications, social sciences, design, education and languages. Subjects taught in English include international relations, political science and communications. USAL also offers courses on culture and Spanish language courses. 

1. Go to the Course Offering page for a list of the different types of courses students can enroll in and for useful information, such as a list of suggested courses.
2. For a list of the academic programs offered at USAL, click on Descripcion de cursos en USAL. Under each Facultad, click on the carreras (majors) to see its general description, syllabus, professors, courses, among other useful information.
3. On the next page, click on the “Plan de Estudios” tab to see courses offered. 
4. USAL also offers some courses for international students. Click on Cursos especiales para alumnos internacionales and Cursos de español durante el cuatrimestre page for more information.
5. If you are studying March-July, only the classes listed in the “Primer Cuatrimestre” will be available to you. If you are studying July-November, only the classes listed in the “Segundo Cuatrimestre” will be available to you. The annual courses are year-long courses instructed during the Southern Hemisphere academic full year (March – November)

USAL offers a pre-session Curso Intensivo de Español (CIE) prior to the start of each semester.  The cost is approximately $2,900. This course runs for four weeks, and students will meet 25 hours per week for classes (100 hours total). Students will learn about Spanish grammar and conversation, as well as Argentine culture, art and literature. This program is offered at both the low-intermediate (A2/B1) and high-intermediate (B2) levels. The course grants 6 U.S. credits, or 1.5 Lake Forest credits. 

The fee includes tuition, class materials, cultural activites and field trips and airport pick-up on official arrival day. It also includes accommodation in a homestay with breakfast and dinner provided daily. 

For more information, please visit http://dcii.usal.edu.ar/dcii/curso-intensivo-espanol or contact Flavio Virgara at fvirgara@usal.edu.ar. 

Please note that program operation is subject to minimum enrollment. This program is not included in ISEP benefits, and students should inquire directly with the university about enrollment. 

Note: The courses may not be available each semester. Some courses are full-year only (March-November) and these are known as annual. The student will be asked to fill out a form with tentative courses prior to arrival. Official registration will be complete during the orientation period at USAL. 

Please review the ISEP country handbook for more information on the education system.

ISEP students immerse themselves Argentine culture and daily life by taking university classes with local students and living with a Porteño host family in the community. The university has an active student body, and ISEP students can participate in sports teams, cultural activities and student groups. While studying at USAL, students will have countless opportunities to explore the city’s rich cultural and artistic scene, and experience the cafes, fútbol, theatre and tango that make Buenos Aires an ideal study abroad destination and a gateway to the rest of Argentina.  Total enrollment: 20,000 (including 500 exchange students per year).

ORIENTATION

Students receive a 1-2 day orientation course that covers academic advice, immigration requirements, housing, health, emergencies, safety and general information. Interviews with the academic advisor follow the orientation session.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

All international students have access to USAL’s facilities and activities. International students also benefit from specially designed activities such as walking tours and the host student program.

ISEP students will be housed in a homestay. While Universidad del Salvador will do our best to match the student’s preference, housing placement will ultimately be decided based on availability. Bed linens, blankets and towels are provided. There are NO LAUNDRY FACILITIES at the homestay. Students can use laundry facilities within walking distance. INTERNET ACCESS: internet is available in homestays and university buildings. On-campus computer labs are open during university hours (please note that the university is closed during weekends).  Students living with a host family will receive breakfast and dinner from the family every day and they will receive a monthly stipend to cover the rest of the meals. 

For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a semester with the ISEP Exchange to Argentina includes orientation, ISEP coordinator, college fees, housing, and the equivalent of 19/meals per week. These meals include both those served by the host family as well as a stipend to purchase other food on your own. For students that participate in ISEP Direct, the program fee includes all of the above plus insurance.

ISEP costs for Exchange are usually the most cost-effective, as it is intended to promote mobility of students around the world. Direct options are available for those students that prefer to attend a school with limited availability for Exchange, though costs may be different as they are set by the host school.  However, the program fee may be different than that of Exchange.

Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2019/Spring 2020 programs:

Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as of February 2019. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change.

You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution.

Deposits to other programs, if required, are paid by the student to the host program, and will appear as a credit on your study abroad term bill from the College.

Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices.  

Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.