ARGENTINA - Universidad Catolica de Cordoba

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.  To study at UCC, you must have completed at least four semesters of university-level coursework. If you apply with fewer that four semesters completed, you will be required to send an updated transcript showing four semesters complete before arriving at UCC. 
• 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 minimum of 5 semesters of university-level Spanish or the equivalent must be completed prior to the program.
• The student must submit ISEP language proficiency report in the application, even if native speaker.

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).

Córdoba, the second largest city in Argentina, is located in the center of the country. It is surrounded by breathtaking towns, mountains, rivers, and lakes only a few kilometers away. The city’s mild climate, low cost of living and relaxed style of life draws tourists all year round and are further attractions for international students. Its central geographic location attracts tourism, industry, and commerce. The city offers cultural activities, sports facilities, music, and theaters. Nearby lakes and mountains allow for many kinds of summer and winter recreation. Córdoba is home to the highest concentration of university students from all over Argentina and neighboring countries. Universidad Católica de Córdoba’s oldest campus is in the heart of the historical district in Córdoba city and only a five-minute walk from the commercial district. 

To learn more about Córdoba and all the city has to offer, click here. 

To learn more about the visa process for this country, please visit the ISEP Country Handbook for Argentina. 

 Argentina’s oldest private university. Strong fields include architecture, agronomy, business administration, political science and international relations, social sciences, education, philosophy and humanities, engineering and medicine.

The UCC is particularly strong in agronomy, computer engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, international relations and business administration, and medicine. All UCC regular courses are included in ISEP benefits; an additional Spanish language learning course is available for an additional fee. Other languages such as English, Portuguese, Italian and French are also available for an additional fee for beginners and intermediate level students.

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. 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).

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.

Please review country handbook for more information on the education system, grades, class hours, and classroom etiquette.

PROGRAMS

Programs include Architecture, Agronomy (Veterinary & Food Technology), Economics and Administration (accounting & business), Political Science and International Relations, Chemical Sciences, Social Sciences, Engineering (civil, computer, electrical-electronic, industrial & mechanical), Medicine, and Philosophy and Humanities (Psychology, educational sciences).

An Intensive Spanish language course is offered in addition to regular classes during the academic year or semester for Intermediate and Advanced levels. This course is NOT included in ISEP benefits. Contact hours: 60. 

HINTS FOR RESEARCHING COURSES

1. View the 2018 Course Catalogue. Read the first section “Referencias y Recomendaciones Académicas” to understand how to read the course catalogue. 

OR

Go to the Carreras page to find a list of the majors offered at UCC.

2. In the left-hand column, hover over the word “Carreras” and click on each major to see its general description, syllabus, professors, courses, among other useful information.
3. On the next page, scroll down to the bottom and click on “Plan de Estudios” to see courses offered by semester. You can click on the pink “Abstract” button next to the course name and a brief course description will appear in a pop-up window. 
4. If you are studying February-July, only the classes listed in the ODD-NUMBERED semesters will be available to you. If you are studying July-December, only the classes listed in the EVEN-NUMBERED semesters will be available to you. The annual courses are year-long courses instructed during the Southern Hemisphere academic full year (February – December)

Note: The courses may not be available each semester. S1 courses run March – June and S2 courses run July – December. AN courses run the full year (March – December). 

 Universidad Católica de Córdoba (UCC) is the oldest private university in Argentina. The activities of the University are carried out at the main building in Córdoba’s downtown; at the 200-acre campus where seven schools and sport fields are located; at the School of Medicine and Reina Fabiola Clinic in General Paz area, and at the four farms (13,590 acres; 5,000 head of cattle) for research and experimentation on farming and animal husbandry, located in the province of Córdoba. Total enrollment: 6,000 including 200 foreign students.

ISEP students immerse themselves Argentine culture and daily life by taking university classes with local students and living in a shared house in the community. The university has an active student body, and ISEP students can participate in sports teams, cultural activities and student groups. Volunteer projects are an important aspect of student life at UCC, and a variety of opportunities are open to ISEP students. 

ORIENTATION

The orientation program is an obligatory course for all incoming students concerning academic issues, housing, health, emergencies, safety and general information. This program consists of four 3-hour-a-day sessions during which participants will meet one another and be given an explanation of university procedures for enrollment, grading system, and class schedules. A tour of campus will help students get acquainted with UCC facilities and information on tourist sites in downtown, and information on academic, cultural, athletics, commercial, and tourist activities will be provided. A welcome cocktail is offered every semester.

ARRIVAL DETAILS 

Students arriving on the Official Arrival Date will be picked up by a member of their host family at the Córdoba Airport Ingeniero Ambrosio Taravella.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

Students can participate in additional activities for FREE, such as tango lessons, Argentinean folklore, salsa and belly dancing, creative writing, painting, photography, and sports among others. Students will be advised of these workshops and more information will be provided during the orientation period. Additionally, UCC offers a non-credit program, TANDEM, which pairs students with locals to improve language skills, while at the same time, helping locals improve their English.

 All students are housed with host families and receive breakfast, lunch, and dinner from the host family. Universidad Católica de Córdoba does not have dormitories for exchange students. Instead, the Área de Intercambio Académico (AIA) gives advice regarding housing options through its housing database and students choose a host family based on their preferences.

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 Universidad Catolica de Cordoba includes orientation, on-site director, university fees, housing, and the equivalent of 19/meals per week. The Direct 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, which tend to be less expensive to promote more exchange opportunities for all schools.

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 March 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.