Predeparture Information: Buenos Aires
Congratulations on your decision to study in Buenos Aires! Your host institution is the Council on International Educational Exchange. The local host of CIEE’s program in Buenos Aires is the Argentine branch of the Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales (FLASCO) which was founded in 1957 by UNESCO. Business students will take most courses at the Pontificia Universidad Catolica Argentina (UCA), and others at FLASCO or the Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA).
UBA is Argentina’s preeminent national university with 150,000 students.
UCA, ranked among the top private universities in the country, is a smaller school with 3,400 students, small class sizes, and fine library and computer labs. The campus is in the acclaimed urban renewal project area Puerto Madero within walking distance of the historical and financial districts and on the main bus and subway lines.
This website is a supplement to the online orientation and information from both UW’s international office and CIEE. Refer to the websites of both offices for further information.
CIEE Contact Information
CIEE is based in Maine. If you have questions prior to departure that cannot be answered by CIEE’s website, call their Maine office. You will receive predeparture materials from CIEE that list contact information in Buenos Aires.
CIEE website
CIEE
300 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101
Phone: (800)40 STUDY or (207)553-7600
Email: info@ciee.org
Applying to the Host University
Because you have been accepted by UW-Madison for the exchange program, you are accepted at CIEE. However, you must still submit registration forms and supporting materials to CIEE.
The general application instructions are found below and details online. There is a lot for you to submit, so start right away! First get a login and set up your My CIEE account which will give you good information and will be regularly updated by CIEE and then fill in the on-line application form. Some forms must be printed and filled out to be submitted as hard copy. UW-Madison Business students do not pay the $30 application fee.
Submit:
- Personal data form
- Academic information form: CIEE requests your preliminary course selection. Consult the CIEE-Latin America catalog for course offerings. To determine what classes count as at UW, check the online course equivalency database. To view a hard copy of the catalog with the UW courses written in it, consult the Buenos Aires binder in 3121 Grainger.
- Home school nomination form (Judy has a partially filled in copy she will sign for you)
- Personal statement, in Spanish (follow guidelines on CIEE application)
- Official copy of your transcript (obtain online from ordertranscript.wisc.edu )
- Two evaluations (use guidelines and forms on-line)
- Six passport-sized photos We suggest you get about 6 extra for various forms and IDs.
- Electronic scan of your passport data pages
- UW-Madison Business students do not pay the $30 application fee
No other materials are required. UW-Madison Business students do not pay the $30 application fee. If you wish to apply for a CIEE scholarship check the handbook for instructions.
The deadlines are April 1st (summer and fall) and November 1st (spring), although you are encouraged to submit the forms as early as possible.
Once CIEE receives a student’s application, the student is sent an “application received” email that outlines the acceptance process. About 7-10 business days after we receive the application, it is reviewed and accepted students are sent an “official acceptance email” which gives them access to the EDC. The EDC contains the program handbook, required forms and visa information, as well as the Program Dates and Updates document. Students are not sent materials via postal mail as they are available online. Fall participants can expect to receive the email in late April and spring participants can expect to receive the email in late October.
Students are sent official letters from CIEE that are a required part of their visa application. These letters act as the official documentation of enrollment in the CIEE program, financial guarantee and proof of insurance coverage, etc.
You are responsible for submitting forms and supporting materials to CIEE on time! Be sure to retain a copy for your files.
Calendar
In Buenos Aires the summer break is December-January, but the CIEE materials refer to our spring and fall semesters. Spring is mid February to late July, and fall is from mid July to late December. Exact dates are on the Buenos Aires web site.
Be sure to book your return ticket after the last possible exam date or with a small change fee. Many students recommend STA Travel.
Visa/Residence Permit
A valid passport is required for international travel. It must be valid for a full year from your expected entry date in Argentina, and have a completely free page for the visa. You are required to obtain a student visa for your stay in Argentina, but you may enter as a tourist. CIEE will help you obtain the visa after you arrive in Buenos Aires. This regulation is brand new, but there is some information available on the New York site. There is a lengthy list of things to have ready in Argentina.
CIEE will make the nominations for you and provide a letter of academic confirmation.
Be sure to check the visa information from CIEE and bring all required documentation with you. In any case, you are responsible for applying for the student visa!
Payments
As this is not an exchange program, the Bursar’s office will send you a tuition bill of $0. This means that if you receive financial aid and scholarship money it is usually distributed to you at the start of the semester as a check for the "surplus" in your account to use to pay CIEE. You will be billed directly by CIEE. The $30 application fee listed in the CIEE handbook does not apply to UW-Madison students, nor does the “School of Record” fee. CIEE will bill you in two parts: the first is a confirmation fee, usually $300, and the second is the balance due.
UW-Madison’s International Programs will collect your payment for CISI insurance. Fall participants receive an invoice in their acceptance packets; payment is due April 15th. Spring participants receive an invoice during the fall semester; payment is due November 15th.
Academics
CIEE lists some courses in the catalog and on the Buenos Aires web page. Unfortunately, the UBA and UCA course lists and syllabi each semester will not be available unitil two weeks before the semester. At that time you will be able to login to their intranet to enroll. Equated courses will eventually be listed in the Buenos Aires binder in UW’s International Programs office. Check UW’s online course equivalency database to determine what courses will count as at UW. If a course has not been equated, obtain the syllabus from CIEE, translate it into English, and send it to International Programs.
You will indicate the courses you hope to take on the course selection line of the academic section of the application. When requesting your UW advisor's approval for CIEE, please bring your course form with preliminary choices, and an extra copy with their UW equivalents and the degree requirements fulfilled. Once you arrive in Buenos Aires, CIEE will help you with your final selection of courses. There is a one month drop period and it has been suggested students sign up for 6, attend them and then drop 2 or 3. This is also helpful if you need to check travel time between UBA and UCA.
Following a placement exam during Orientation, students will be placed in one four-credit Spanish language course which meets throughout the semester. Students take an additional 3-5 courses, depending on the credits, one of which is generally a culture course through FLASCO. As business students you will be expected to take a minimum of two business courses (6 credits).
Like many foreign universities, academics in Buenos Aires are quite different than at UW. Your entire grade may rest on a final project or final four-hour-long essay exam, with very little required reading or homework. As a result, you may feel as though classes are easy. Do not be deceived. Professors expect students to be much more independent in their learning than you are probably used to. They might expect you to find your own extra readings. You are expected to keep up with the reading; lectures are given with the assumption that you have read the proper materials. Discipline yourself to study on a regular basis so you are not left with a huge amount of work at the end of the semester. Past participants who have followed that plan have done very poorly in their classes—some have even failed!
UW’s International Programs has established a grade and credit equivalency scale between CIEE Buenos Aires and UW.
Housing
CIEE will arrange homestays with Argentinean families where students live in a Spanish speaking home and have breakfast with their host families; one additional meal is included. You may also stay in a student Residencia with a non-U.S. roommate. Breakfast and one additional meal are included.
Insurance
CIEE fees include health insurance. You will need proof of insurance for your Spanish visa. Bring your CIEE insurance paper and CISI insurance card and glossy policy to your visa appointment. CISI is an emergency policy which includes repatriation if necessary.
Safety
Buenos Aires is a huge city. Please use common sense and travel in a group to places you have not previously been and to any night spots. Do avoid confrontations. Pay attention to all notices from the host institution and follow the local news. You must register with the U.S. consulate when you arrive. For information and the registration form go to the website. For information from the U.S. State Department, refer to the Consular Information Sheet and (if applicable) Travel Warnings at http://travel.state.gov/.
Banking
It is a good idea to purchase $100 worth of Argentine pesos from a U.S. bank or at the airport prior to your departure so you have cash immediately upon arrival. You may want to take travelers’ checks for trips. Past study abroad participants in general recommend using credit cards and an ATM card from home. Be sure to notify your bank and card services that you will be using them overseas.
What to Pack
If you have a laptop, preferably with a wireless capability, you should bring it. The Internet is available at CIEE, in the FLASCO library and study lounges. You will receive a FLASCO email account. See our pre-departure resources for tips and a packing list. Weather is warmer than Madison, but winter and summer are at opposite times of the year. It is in the 70s in January and 40-50 in July.
Local Transportation
There is a fine bus and Metro public transportation system for traveling between campuses and around the city.
Life in Buenos Aires
CIEE holds a mandatory orientation to help you learn to navigate Buenos Aires. The student guides – jovenes guias, will also help you through the semester. The portenos, as city residents call themselves, are very hospitable. You should enjoy the cafes, nightlife and famous tango of this capital city of Argentina. The UCA has a student Cultural Center with a great variety of activities and there are sports clubs. Past student reports are available on the CIEE Buenos Aires website and on our student report page.
Additional Information
For general information about preparing to study abroad, visit the Pre-departure Resources website.