Menu
Wish List
READ REVIEWS
Location
Multiple Locations +4
  • Argentina
    • Buenos Aires
  • Brazil
    • Porto Alegre
    • Rio de Janeiro
    • São Paulo
  • Uruguay
    • Montevideo
  • Paraguay
    • Asunción
Term
Fall, Spring
Subject Areas
Cultural Studies Geography Hispanic Studies History Latin American Studies Social Sciences Sociology
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships
Health & Safety
Learn More

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Host Family
Language
Spanish

Pricing

Starting Price
17337
What's Included
Some Activities Domestic Airfare Airport Transfers Classes Transportation Travel Insurance
What's Not Included
Accommodation Some Activities Airfare Meals SIM cards Visa
Nov 27, 2019
Dec 18, 2019
Wish List
3 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Examine the social and economic development strategies of South America’s Southern Cone countries – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

In this comparative study abroad program, students can rapidly improve their Spanish while exploring the current economic and social realities of the countries comprising the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR). Students visit three of the four MERCOSUR member states during group excursions.

You can choose to complete an internship during the last four weeks of this program. For this internship, you will be placed with a local organization where you will gain real work experience related to the program’s theme and develop professional skills you can use in your career.

This program is no longer offered. View more programs from SIT Study Abroad.

Video and Photos

Iguazu Falls in Paraguay during excursion
Students riding bicycles
Students in Uruguay
Students in class in Buenos Aires

View All Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

Learn More

LGBTQIA+ Support

Learn More

Neurodivergent Support

Learn More

Accessibility Support

Learn More

Program Highlights

  • Spend six weeks in Buenos Aires.
  • Rapidly improve your Spanish.
  • Discuss similarities and differences among these four countries and important transnational and regional processes.
  • Learn about Afro-descendent and indigenous movements; women’s and LGBTQI struggles.
  • Customize the program to meet your goals by choosing between an internship or independent research.

Program Reviews

4.80 Rating
based on 10 reviews
Leave a Review
  • 5 rating 90%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 10%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.6
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.7
  • Housing 4.6
  • Safety 4.5
Good for Adventure travelers, Foodies, Building your resume
Showing 9 - 10 of 10 reviews
Default avatar
Jesse
29
Male
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

This program changed my life

Jan 29, 2019

This Spanish intensive program based in Buenos Aires changed my perspective and attitude towards experiential learning. Small program size creates an intense and intimate learning experience. Through homestays, learning service, Spanish immersion, independent research projects and extensive international travel on program (we visited Asuncion, Montevideo and Sao Paulo), I was challenged to learn and grow in ways that a traditional college experience could never have provided. Program coordinator Nuria is extremely knowledgeable, approachable, fun to be around and always put students first throughout our time together. This program is centered around authentic learning and immersion. Do not take this program if you just want to take a break from the standard 4 year campus experience in the US. Come prepared to learn and you will leave a different person than when you started.

What would you improve about this program?
I wish it were longer. Classes in Buenos Aires flew by! An extra couple weeks of class would make a huge difference in absorbing all the information.
26 people found this review helpful.
Helpful
Default avatar
Jamie
31
Female
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Good Challenge for those looking for a Different Study Abroad Experience

Jan 28, 2015

SIT Regional Integration very clearly has worked hard over the years to develop a program which is challenging, and which integrates the students into various aspects of society. While unfortunately the program is subject to change on a semester by semester basis, the opportunity to visit important social movements, communities, and international institutions is invaluable. This is absolutely not the program for you if you are not looking for a challenging semester. While it was certainly less work than a typical semester, it was not a vacation. Speaking of which, opportunities to travel outside of the program are somewhat limited, though definitely possible. It is not a program where you can just jet off for a week. That being said, the program does have a few rules about homestay and travel, so be prepared to work around those.

This program definitely helped me develop as a student and a global citizen, but you get there through work.

What would you improve about this program?
I would say that while I understand the difficulties and liabilities associated with letting students travel on their own, I think SIT should be more amenable to letting students travel. This is not necessarily a reflection of this program in particular, but rather part of SIT as a whole.
14 people found this review helpful.
Helpful

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Quentin D. Bernhard

Program
Transnationalism & Comparative Development in South America
Quentin D. Bernhard

Why did you choose this program?

I chose the program because of its academic focus on transnationalism and development related to my interest in the intersection of history, politics, and economics. I knew that I wanted to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country in which I would take classes in Spanish and have a homestay living experience. Argentina fascinated me, and the opportunity to travel with the program and have powerful experiences in diverse Latin American cultures both intrigued me and seemed certain to transform me, an idea that appealed to me, especially given that I had never left the United States before I went to Argentina.

What did your program provider (or university) assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

The School for International Training (SIT), the program provider, provided me with information about program guidelines, health and safety recommendations, and a general itinerary before I left the United States. SIT also gave me information about a pre-departure assignment, applying for a Brazilian visa, and meeting the other program participants at a specific airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

While I did have to pay for my beginning- and end-of-program flights and my pre-departure health care services, my semester bill for the program included extensive group travel both around Buenos Aires and the areas that we visited on excursions in neighboring Southern Cone countries. The program bill also included a local homestay and hotels during orientation and excursions. Breakfast and dinner were served in my homestay, and I received a stipend from the program for lunch and public transportation costs from commuting to class.

The staff helped me obtain a Paraguayan visa while in Buenos Aires. I had to arrange my own transportation back to the airport for post-program departure.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

I would tell future participants to be flexible, patient, and open-minded. Different cultural norms will take time to get used to, and the use of Spanish both in the homestay and the classroom may seem daunting or challenging. Embrace the challenges and speak the language as much as possible. Your fluency and mood will improve tremendously.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

Students eat breakfast in their homestays before heading to class, which often involves colectivos (buses) or el Subte (the subway). They attend two or three classes with other program students over the course of the day and have at least an hour to get lunch on their own or with their classmates. Students then head home to eat dinner with their host families and work on any assignments they have.

Many days are more experiential or field-based, and they involve students interacting directly with members of organizations or communities, often after a class or two on any given day (students have schedules that include program visits and excursions). Excursions include travel, classes, and more visits, sometimes to visit tourist attractions.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it? How did your views on the issue change?

I was somewhat concerned about the extent to which language would impair my learning, and I was also worried about navigating unfamiliar foods and customs. My positive interactions with my host family and my ability to understand class lectures quickly reassured me and made me feel that the challenges I faced were manageable. My language and cultural proficiency certainly improved over the course of the semester, major study abroad goals of mine, which led me to take increased pride in my personal development.

About SIT Study Abroad

SIT has been providing immersive, field-based study abroad programs for undergraduates for more than 50 years. SIT offers more than 70 programs in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, as well as comparative programs in multiple locations. In addition to its rich history, SIT Study Abroad has a number of unique qualities...
  • Go Overseas Award

Other Programs You Might Like