IFSA Study in Buenos Aires

IFSA’s Study in Buenos Aires program provides a compelling curriculum that’s taught in English and focuses on business, economics, psychology, neuroscience, and Spanish. Crafted for U.S. degree requirements and contemporary hot topics, you can select four to five IFSA classes for a total of 12-15 U.S. semester credit hours.

All courses are worth 3 U.S. semester credits and open to all students without prerequisites. Classes may vary by semester based on faculty availability and student interest.

Brain, Drugs, and Addiction

This class examines substance use and its impact on how the brain functions from the perspective of neuropsychology. The concept of drugs, normal brain functioning, and the impact of their consumption at the neuroanatomical and neurophysiological levels will be analyzed. Students will address social, psychological, cultural, and biological aspects that are linked to the deterioration of the nervous system, as well as the differences between occasional use, problematic use, and addiction. Finally, a comparison will be made in the substance use and its impact approach between Argentina and the U.S.

Globalization and Economic Challenges in Latin America

Starting from economic changes in Latin America in the 1960s through future economic scenarios for Argentina in the 21st century, this class examines globalization’s historic impact as economies and financial systems become more interconnected. Supporting topics ranging from climate change, commercial conflicts, and strategic trade alliances with China, the U.S., and other regions, a series of field visits allow students to gain firsthand experience with the economic challenges and opportunities globalization presents in and around Buenos Aires.

Industrial-Organizational Psychology 

Taking an interdisciplinary approach, students apply the principles of psychology to the needs of businesses. They identify problems and provide solutions to increase employee engagement and productivity. This class offers the city of Buenos Aires as a learning laboratory, therefore, while its concepts are applicable to a variety of cultural environments, each unit additionally examines the topics from a uniquely Argentine perspective. Through case studies and field visits, students achieve a comparative analysis of business life in the U.S. and Argentina.

Intermediate Macroeconomic Theory

This class explores macroeconomic models to understand the economy as a system. Students focus on comparing theories to assess their potential and limitations. They also analyze the real-world policy issues and the role of governments. To achieve these objectives, students examine short- and long-term analysis of price level, national income, employment, balance of payments, interest rates, inflation, investment, consumption, and productivity; growth models and business cycles; fiscal and monetary policies; the influence of public policies on economic variables; differences among economies around the world; and open economies.

International Finance

This class focuses the theory of international finance and its real-world applications. Students begin by exploring fundamental concepts such as national income accounting and the Balance of Payments. Students analyze theories of both flexible and fixed exchange rate systems, and to debate the merits of each system, along with their implications for macroeconomic performance in terms of output, money supply, price levels, etc. The class concludes with an international lens on macroeconomic policy and the unique types of financial policies and crises in developing countries.

International Internship Seminar

Students are placed in individual internships but collectively take part in the seminar to prepare for the experience, understand expectations, set personal objectives, identify and strengthen specific skills, critically reflect on their progress, share experiences, and learn from each other throughout their term. Students develop a deeper understanding of themselves, their professional areas, and Argentine work culture. In this seminar, which is focused on application of theory to practice, students gain real-world work experience while developing intercultural agility—skills and experiences that are critically important to personal, academic, and professional success.

International Political Economy

This class explores theoretical issues and illustrative case studies related to international political economy. Students examine ways domestic and international politics affect relations between states by examining the role of government in the production, distribution, and consumption of resources. Students also learn to apply core concepts and theories in international political economy to case materials.

International Trade

This class gives students the conceptual basis and the necessary tools for understanding modern international trade at the intermediate level. Topics include gains from trade in a classical world; the modern theory of international trade; factor price equalization; empirical tests and extensions of the pure theory model; economic growth and international trade; the nature and effects of protection; motives and welfare effects of factor movements. Each topic will be followed with examples and case studies mainly under the context of Argentina’s international trade with the U.S., China, and the rest of the world.

Intervention Strategies in Mental Health

This class covers strategies of intervention in mental health. Some psychologists in Argentina have defined “mental health” as a comprehensive and inclusive state of actions capable of producing welfare rooted in the insertion of the individual in their functional milieu. Together students learn about mental health, intervention, and effective strategies, while exploring the applications across diverse situations and populations. Identifying effective preventive and therapeutic strategies is crucial to establishing public policies which contribute to mental well-being at individual, family, community, and social levels.

Multicultural Psychology

The purpose of this class is to place psychology in a global perspective from a cross-cultural approach—to analyze mental processes that may be universal while evaluating how cultural differences impact behavior. To do so, students will critically examine theories of multiculturalism and diversity. Students will explore the ways in which psychology is socially constructed and pay special attention to factors that influence human development, such as oppression, language, prejudice, among others. The course is experiential, so that students learn through observation of their own and others’ behavior.

Social Cognition and Neuroscience

Integrating insights from cognitive psychology, social cognition, and cognitive neuroscience, this class explores how we understand other people’s behavior. Students will examine the organization of the brain and its functions from a descriptive dimension, as well as from a global and systemic perspective to understand how we construct social cognitions and their effect on behavior and social interaction. Intending to make the theoretical contents easily understandable, the topics will be approached from practical examples, both from the local culture (e.g., fútbol, mate) and from global social examples (e.g., the Holocaust, bullying).

The Psychology of Crime and Justice

This class introduces the broad range of theoretical and methodological approaches to forensic psychology and criminal justice. Is a criminal mind born as such, or is the criminal a product of their environment? What role do governments and societies play in facing crime? Students will gain a foundation in relevant areas of psychology and psychoanalysis and then examine how that science interacts with real-world judicial systems. Additional topics will include punishment, treatment, and rehabilitation; assessment and intervention; and how dimensions of privilege can impact perceptions of crime and justice in conscious and subconscious ways.

IFSA LANGUAGE CLASSES

Developing skills in a foreign language can profoundly impact your life personally and professionally. Though language study (other than Essential Spanish) is not required, students frequently report their Spanish language class as one of their favorites and the one they applied most outside the classroom.

Essential Spanish

If you’ve never taken Spanish and you decide not to take an elective language class, you’ll take this introductory seminar taught intensively during the first weeks of the program. By introducing key words and phrases and venturing out into the city to practice them, this class also provides insights into local customs and daily life. Right from the start, you’ll gain essential skills to communicate effectively and navigate in a new culture. (1 U.S. semester credit hour)

Spanish Language

No prior language study is required. A mandatory pre-arrival language assessment will determine your appropriate language level. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

• Beginning Spanish I
• Beginning Spanish II
• Intermediate Spanish I
• Intermediate Spanish II