Program Details
Location
Buenos Aires
Term
Winter Break
May Session
Summer Session
Housing
Apartment
Homestay
Languages Taught In
Spanish
Program Eligibility
Student Type
Non UofM Students
Student Year
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
GPA
2.5
Language Prerequisite
1 semester of college-level Spanish for May and May+Summer, 2 semesters of college-level Spanish required for Winter Break or Summer
Photos
About
Buenos Aires is often referred to as "the Paris of South America" for it's vibrant atmosphere and culture. The diverse city was influenced by numerous European cultures, including Spanish, Italian, and French, and boasts colorful architecture, grand boulevards, and breathtaking parks as a result of these blended cultures. During your studies, you can visit La Boca and the brightly colored houses that stand there, or spend time learning the tango in the San Telmo streets. Practice your Spanish speaking skills with locals, cheer on the cherised Argentinian fútbol team, and indulge in delicious empanadas during your time in Buenos Aires.
The program is offered jointly by the Fundación José Ortega y Gasset and the Learning Abroad Center. Located in central Buenos Aires, the Fundación is conveniently located near shops, restaurants, public transportation, and sites of cultural and historic interest, making it easy for you to take in everything this dynamic city has to offer. Experienced and dedicated faculty bring a wealth of expertise and local perspectives into the classroom. The program provides several guided excursions meant to enhance your knowledge of Buenos Aires and surrounding communities.
Program Model
Housing & Meals
Note: Shared housing availability will depend on student enrollment and preferences. Students can indicate preference for shared housing (homestay and apartment-hotel) in the Housing Preference Form.
Homestay
You can choose to live with a local host family, which offers you a unique opportunity to connect with the culture, practice your Spanish, and observe daily life in Argentina.
Most families have hosted students in the past and are committed to helping ease your transition into city life. Host family homes are scattered throughout the city, and typical commute times range from 30–60 minutes, including some combination of public transportation (bus, subway) and walking.
As in the US, families in Argentina are diverse and vary greatly in terms of the composition and ages of family members. In your application, you can express some basic preferences about the type of host family you would like. About half of families are able to accommodate two or more students, so you may be placed with another student from the program.
In the homestay option, breakfast and dinner will be provided by your family each day as part of the program. You will be responsible for providing your own lunch. There are several inexpensive places to eat near the classroom building.
Apartment-Hotel
Live in shared apartment-hotel style housing. Apartments are fully furnished, include cooking facilities, and are conveniently located within a short walking distance of the classroom building. Breakfast is included at the apartments each day. You will be responsible for providing lunches and dinners throughout the program. There is a staffed front desk.
In the apartment-hotel option, breakfast is included each day. You are responsible for providing lunch and dinner.
Excursions
Several planned excursions are included in the cost of the program. These tours and day trips show the city and country's historical and cultural highlights. Excursions are subject to change each term. Previous destinations have included:
Buenos Aires city tour
3-hour guided tour of Buenos Aires
Tigre
Half-day tour to Tigre, a town just 17 miles north of Buenos Aires on the Tigre River delta. Take a boat ride, visit the artisan market, and have free time to explore the city.
Lujan
Full-day excursion to this city of pilgrimage within the province of Buenos Aires. Visit the Bascilica of Lujan, home to the Virgin of Lujan, the patroness of Argentina, as well as the central square. Visit the estancia that was home to famous Argentine writer Esteban Echeverría when he was fleeing the dictatorship of Juan Manuael de Rosas.
Areco
Full-day excursion to this traditional Argentine town just a few hours outside of Buenos Aires. Tour an estancia (ranch), enjoy asado (Argentine barbeque), and watch traditional dancing as well as gauchos on horseback performing traditional competitions and games. Visit San Antonia de Areco and tour the site of the Día de la Tradición festivities, which take place each November.
Accessibility
If you have a disability and plan to study abroad, visit our Accessibility Abroad page to learn about considerations, answer questions, and request accommodations before you go abroad.
Flight
The Learning Abroad Center works with Village Travel, a local travel agency, to arrange a coordinated flight for program participants. The flight is optional, and is arranged for those who want to fly with other program participants. Group flight information is typically available by the program application deadline, if not before.
Ground transportation from the Ministro Pistarini International Airport (airport code: EZE) into Buenos Aires is provided by our partner organization and the cost is included in the program fee. The transportation schedule aligns with the group flight arrival time. Our partner organization comes to the airport once to collect everyone.
Therefore, you can either book a ticket on the coordinated group flight, or book a flight independently that arrives prior to the group flight's arrival. If you arrive late and miss the group, you may be responsible for arranging and paying for your own transportation into the city.
For immigration purposes, you should purchase a round-trip ticket, since you must be able to show your entry and exit dates from Argentina.
Learning Outcomes
- Strengthen Spanish language skills
- Deepen cross-cultural understanding through interaction with local communities, host families, and in classes
- Gain a new perspective on Argentina and Latin America through academic disciplines
- Increase independence and self-reliance through learning to navigate a new environment
Onsite Faculty & Staff
Enjoy individual attention from native Argentine faculty chosen by the Fundación José Ortega y Gasset. All faculty are specialists in their academic fields and in the field of teaching foreign students. Many are also instructors at local universities.
Inés Viñuales, General Director
Inés Viñuales is the General Director of Fundación Ortega y Gasset Argentina and has had this position for more than 20 years. She has a degree in Political Science and a degree as a Professor in the same Science from Universidad Católica Argentina. She has also a Postgraduate degree in Economic and Social Journalism in Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain). The topic of her research is the relationship between Argentine and Spain during the 20th Century focusing on exile and immigration. She has lived in Brazil, Spain and Chile where she has worked and studied for many years.
She was also co-founder of the office of United Nations High Commission for Refugees Foundation in Argentina, institution that provides aide for refugees around the world. She was distinguished by the King of Spain with the Gran Cruz de Isabel la Catolica in 2014, for her activity in order to promote the knowledge and relationship between different cultures.
Carola Bracco, Program Director
Carola Bracco has vast experience in the field of international education. She has worked at FOGA since 2006; there she started as a Student Services Coordinator and now continues as Program Director. She is an English Interpreter and an English Literary translator. She was always interested in how cultures interact and, due to this, has travel to several countries and lived in the US and New Zealand. Now in the course "Understanding Argentina" she delivers engaging course content tailored to enhance student comprehension of the Argentinean reality and culture while students are on-site.
Estefanía Montecchio, Academic Director
Estefanía is the Academic Director of International Programs in FOGA. Her professional goal is to grow and help others grow through academic links and learning from cultural exchange.
Estefanía Montecchio has a degree in Literature and Linguistics (Universidad Católica Argentina/UCA), and a PhD in French Literature (scholarship UCA-CONICET). She is a Professor by the USAL (Universidad del Salvador) and has specialized in 20th-century French Literature, particularly in the work of Boris Vian. She has won scholarships and research prizes at the university for her articles published in international research magazines. She has experience in different learning establishments, teaching Language, Literature and Spanish as a foreign language. She has lived for a time in Vancouver (Canada). This allowed her to enrich her multicultural experience.
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez, Student Services Coordinator
Miguel Ángel Gutiérrez is a community social psychologist from Universidad Alberto Hurtado in Santiago, Chile. He is the editor and founder of Revista Oropel, as well as a filmmaker and writer. His work has been published in magazines in Mexico, Ecuador, Argentina, Chile, and France. As an author, he published Litoral, the novel that won the Roberto Bolaño Prize in 2020. He has lived in Buenos Aires since 2021 and has worked at FOGA as a Student Services Coordinator since January 2025.
Program Structure
Program Level
1000–3000 level courses
Courseload
Credit load varies by term.
Coursework
View the full course list for this program.
May & Summer Program
Enroll in one Spanish-taught course during each 3-week session for a total of 3–5 credits per session. If you are completing the 6-week program and taking Spanish-taught electives you may choose to add ARGN 3011—Buenos Aires: City of the Arts, a 6-week course, for a total of 9 credits.
Note: English-taught courses are not available during May/Summer.
| Semesters of Spanish completed | 3-week Session: Take the Following | 6-week Session: Take the Following |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Semester | ARGN 1022: Alternate Second-Semester Spanish | ARGN 1022: Alternate Second-Semester Spanish ARGN 1003: Intermediate Spanish I |
| 2 Semesters | ARGN 1003: Intermediate Spanish III | ARGN 1003: Intermediate Spanish I ARGN 1004: Intermediate Spanish II |
| 3 Semesters | ARGN 1004: Intermediate Spanish IV | ARGN 1004: Intermediate Spanish II and one of the following: ARGN 3015: Spanish Composition & Communication ARGN 3104W: Introductions to the Study of Hispanic Literatures |
| 4 Semesters | Take One of the Following: ARGN 3001: Colloquial Spanish (May) ARGN 3009: Argentina: Stereotypes & Identity (May) ARGN 3104W: Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Literatures (Summer) ARGN 3015: Spanish Composition & Communication (May) | Take Two of the Following: ARGN 3001: Colloquial Spanish (May) ARGN 3009: Argentina: Stereotypes & Identity (May) ARGN 3104W: Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Literatures (Summer) ARGN 3015: Spanish Composition & Communication (May) |
Winter Break Program
Complete either ARGN 1003, ARGN 1004, ARGN 3015 or ARGN 3009 during this 3-week term for a total of 4–5 credits.
| Semesters of Spanish completed | Take the Following |
|---|---|
| 2 Semesters | ARGN 1003: Intermediate Spanish I |
| 3 Semesters | ARGN 1004: Intermediate Spanish II |
| 4 Semesters | ARGN 3015: Spanish Composition & Communication or ARGN 3009: Argentina: Stereotypes & Identity |
Global Identity
Global Identity: Connecting Your International Experience with Your Future is an optional 1-credit online course that helps you process your international experience and apply what you've learned upon your return. Global Identity gives you the opportunity to work individually with a trained cultural mentor, helping you articulate your newly acquired skills and differentiating you from your peers.
To access more information about the course, visit the Global Identity Course Information page.
Full Course List
Intermediate Spanish I
Course ID
ARGN 1003
Terms
-
Fall
-
Winter Break
-
May
-
Summer
5
Credits
Third-semester, college-level Spanish. Further improve conversation and comprehension proficiency. Develop reading and writing skills through literary analysis and grammar review. This class is designed to develop and strengthen further the language skills acquired in Spanish II.
Note: The syllabi listed below are tentative and subject to change.
Language Taught In
- Spanish
Prerequisite
Completion of SPAN 1002, or equivalent, with a C- or better
UofM Equivalent
SPAN 1003
Intermediate Spanish II
Course ID
ARGN 1004
Terms
-
Fall
-
Winter Break
-
May
-
Summer
5
Credits
Fourth-semester, college-level Spanish. Further improve conversation and comprehension proficiency. Develop reading and writing skills through literary analysis and grammar review. This class is designed to develop and strengthen further the language skills acquired in Spanish III.
Note: The syllabi listed below are tentative and subject to change.
Language Taught In
- Spanish
UofM Equivalent
SPAN 1004
Alternate Second-Semester Spanish
Course ID
ARGN 1022
Terms
-
May
5
Credits
Brief review of material from first-semester, college-level Spanish followed by second-semester, college-level Spanish. Develop basic listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Some cultural readings are included. This class is designed to develop and strengthen further the language skills acquired in Spanish I.
Prerequisite: Completion of SPAN 1001, or equivalent, with a C- or better
Syllabus for Alternate Second-Semester Spanish Spanish ver. (PDF)
Syllabus for Alternate Second-Semester Spanish English ver. (PDF)
Language Taught In
- Spanish
UofM Equivalent
SPAN 1022
Colloquial Spanish
Course ID
ARGN 3001
Terms
-
Fall
-
May
-
Summer
3
Credits
This upper-level elective course gives you an understanding of everyday Spanish as spoken by native speakers. It is designed to help you recognize distinct varieties of spoken Spanish.
Prerequisite: Completion of SPAN 1004, or equivalent, with a C- or better
Language Taught In
- Spanish
UofM Equivalent
May count as a Spanish elective for Spanish Studies Majors and Minors as an elective without a Critical Analysis prerequisite.
Argentina: Stereotypes & Identity (Spanish)
Course ID
ARGN 3009
Terms
-
Winter Break
-
May
-
Summer
3
Credits
This course provides an intercultural perspective of Argentina: how others see or perceive Argentines and how Argentines perceive themselves through literature, humor, art, music, and history. Throughout this course, you will go beyond the notion of "stereotype" to attempt to gain a better understanding of Argentine identity.
Language Taught In
- Spanish
Fulfills Liberal Education Requirement
-
Arts/Humanities
UofM Equivalent
Spanish Department Equivalent: SPAN 3510
Buenos Aires: City of the Arts
Course ID
ARGN 3011
Terms
-
Fall
-
May
-
Summer
3
Credits
This course focuses on the art and architecture of Argentina. Learn about the different artistic movements in the country and visit museums, private art collections, and public monuments. The city becomes your classroom. At the same time, get a broader perspective of world art that serves as a background for a better understanding of the art and architectural scene in Argentina throughout the past 300 years.
This course is only offered for the 6-week May + Summer program. It must be combined with a 3-week May and 3-week summer course, it can be taken individually. Students cannot take this course if participating in the May only or summer only program. It can be taken in the fall and spring semester.
Prerequisite: Completion of SPAN 1004, or equivalent, with a C- or better
Language Taught In
- Spanish
Fulfills Liberal Education Requirement
-
Arts/Humanities
UofM Equivalent
Spanish Department Equivalent: SPAN 3510
Spanish Composition & Communication
Course ID
ARGN 3015W
Terms
-
Fall
-
Winter Break
-
May
4
Credits
Fifth-semester, college-level Spanish. This course seeks to integrate your ability to write, speak, read, and understand modern Spanish at a level that is expected of majors and minors. You will generate a series of creative and original compositions and read a variety of texts from both Spain and Latin America. The class employs diverse learning techniques including grammar review, audio tape exercises, paired work, small group work, class discussions, oral presentations, peer editing, and process writing to provide you with the appropriate opportunities to enhance your language skills as you learn academic content through the active use of the Spanish language. This class is designed to develop and strengthen further the language skills acquired in Spanish IV.
Syllabus for Spanish Composition & Communication Spanish version (PDF)
Syllabus for Spanish Composition & Communication English version (PDF)
Language Taught In
- Spanish
Prerequisite
Completion of SPAN 1004, or equivalent, with a C- or better
UofM Equivalent
SPAN 3015W
Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Literatures
Course ID
ARGN 3104W
Terms
-
Fall
-
Summer
3
Credits
The aim of this course is to offer an introduction to Hispanic prose, poetry, and drama. In this intensive writing course, you will read samples of the best and most renowned literary texts written in Spanish, and at the same time develop strategies to improve your formal (academic) writing by articulating your opinions and interpreting the text read in class.
Prerequisite: Completion of SPAN 1004, or equivalent, with a C- or better
Syllabus for Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Literatures Spanish ver. (PDF)
Syllabus for Introduction to the Study of Hispanic Literatures English ver. (PDF)
Language Taught In
- Spanish
Fulfills Liberal Education Requirement
-
Literature
-
Writing Intensive
UofM Equivalent
Spanish Department Equivalent: SPAN 3104W
Global Identity
Course ID
FOST 3332/FOST 3331H
Terms
-
Online (all terms)
1
Credit
Global Identity: Connecting Your International Experience with Your Future is an optional 1-credit online course that helps you process your international experience and apply what you've learned upon your return. Global Identity gives you the opportunity to work individually with a trained cultural mentor, helping you articulate your newly acquired skills for future professional opportunities, and differentiating you from your peers.
This course is offered at no additional cost on programs 6 weeks or longer. There are several sections offered including: Honors, College of Liberal Arts, and Leadership Minor focused versions of the course. Additional details on how to request registration, deadlines, and a grade basis can be found on the Global Identity Course Information page.
Syllabus for Global Identity (FOST 3332)
Syllabus for Global Identity Honors (FOST 3331H)
Language Taught In
- English
Fulfills Liberal Education Requirement
-
Global Perspectives
Program Dates
Submit the online application and complete the assigned application checklist according to the appropriate deadline:
The following terms are offered, exact dates are forthcoming:
- Summer 2027
- May 2027
This program runs annually during the terms listed on the Snapshot page. Program dates are typically posted within a month of when each application cycle opens.
Orientation Dates & Locations
The Learning Abroad Center provides pre-departure orientation in preparation for your time abroad. It is your responsibility to know the information shared at these orientations.
Orientation consists of several sessions, all of which are created to support your preparation to go abroad:
- Online Health & Safety Orientation: This asynchronous module can be accessed in your LAC checklist and is mandatory.
- LAC Program Orientation: Program-specific and important UofM registration information will be covered (academic registration, finances, arrival, housing etc.). Details will be sent to you via email.
The Learning Abroad Center also offers 2 optional orientations:
Winter Break 2027
Application Open Date: May 1, 2026
Application Deadline: October 15, 2026
| Schedule | Date |
|---|---|
| Depart US | December 26 |
| Arrive in Buenos Aires | December 27 |
| Classes begin | December 28 |
| Depart Buenos Aires | January 16 |
Summer 2027
May 2027
Fees
Fees or tuition from home institutions may be added to or differ from the University of Minnesota Learning Abroad Center fees listed on this page.
Billing & Payments
Visit Billing for information about the billing process for application fees, deposits, and program fees.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Visit Financial Information for information on using financial aid and scholarships for study abroad.
Cancellation Policy
Before you apply to or confirm your participation on this program, review the Learning Abroad Center's Cancellation Policy to inform yourself of the timeline and financial obligations for canceling.
Winter Break 2027
Study Abroad in Argentina
Summer 2026
Study Abroad in Argentina
May Session 2026
Study Abroad in Argentina
May+Summer 2026
Study Abroad in Argentina
Apply
You will be charged a $50 application fee for each application you submit.
Complete
After you submit your application, you will receive an email notification confirming that your application was received. Submitted applications are assigned an application checklist, which will include the following items:
- Course Enrollment Form
- Transcript
- Home Institution Nomination
Detailed descriptions and instructions for submitting each checklist item are included on the application checklist.
If you do not meet the GPA requirement for this program you will be required to submit an additional essay. It will be added to your checklist after you start your application, and you will be notified when it has been added.
Application Review Process
After your application checklist is complete, your application is reviewed by our program team. You will be notified of an acceptance decision by email. If accepted, you will be assigned a confirmation checklist, which you will complete to confirm your participation in the program. If you decide not to continue with the application process, log into the online application system and submit a Cancel Request.
After You Apply
Before your program begins, review these resources.
Health & Safety
Learn more about staying healthy and safe abroad, including mental health and wellness, international travel insurance, and safety precautions.
Power of Attorney
Consider designating someone as your power of attorney to act as your legal representative while you’re abroad.
Student Identity
Consult our resources on student identities as you prepare for your abroad experience.
Travel Resources
Ready to go abroad? Our travel resources will help you pack and learn what to expect.
Program Contact
For further information or questions about this program, send an email to
Maria Schrupp at [email protected],
or call at
612.624.1537.
Contact Program Alum
Below is a list of additional students who participated in past program sessions. They are ready and willing to answer your questions about this program. Feel free to contact them during your decision-making process or anytime during your pre-departure preparation to get a student perspective.