IFSA Summer Internships in Buenos Aires

Enhance your learning and develop marketable skills with an eight-week Summer Internship in Buenos Aires.

International Internship Seminar
Language of Instruction: English
All internships include participation in the International Internship Seminar, which covers 15 hours of online asynchronous Canvas modules to provide structured opportunities to reflect on the practical experience of the internship, learn more about your host country’s business culture, and further develop the professional skills needed for a successful transition from undergraduate coursework into a career or graduate school. Plus, you will engage with an online global cohort of IFSA internship participants, gaining exposure to business cultures around the world. Most internship are conducted in Spanish, with a limited number of English placements available. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

OPTIONAL CLASSES
You may enroll in one additional class. Not all classes may be offered in a given term. Click on each link below for a detailed class syllabus.

Advanced Spanish I
Language of Instruction: Spanish.  Offered during the first four weeks of the program. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Advanced Spanish II
Language of Instruction: Spanish. Offered during the final four weeks of the program. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Argentina and Human Rights
Language of Instruction: Spanish
The class comprises theoretical and practical contents of human rights and modernity. The main objective is to cover the historization of human rights, through an analysis of modernity and capitalism. It focuses on the history of human rights in Argentina from the independence revolutionary era to the return of the democratic government in the 1980s. Finally, the class reviews the experience of human rights in Argentina through two specific ways: The 1976 military coup, the detention camps, and the transition to democracy; Through the visit to communal memory spaces related to the systemic and institutional violation of human rights during the 1976-1983 military governments. Offered during the final four weeks of the program. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Essential Spanish
Language of Instruction: English and Spanish
If you’ve never studied Spanish before, you can take this optional, introductory class in Spanish language and Argentine culture. By introducing key words and phrases and venturing out into the city to practice them, you’ll gain essential skills to communicate effectively and navigate in a new culture. (1 U.S. semester credit hour)

Globalization and Economic Challenges in Latin America
Language of Instruction: English
This class examines globalization’s historic impact as economies and financial systems become more interconnected – from economic changes in Latin America in the 1960s through future economic scenarios for Argentina in the 21st century. 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. Offered during the first four weeks of the program. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Intervention Strategies in Mental Health
Language of Instruction: English
This class explores some of the most relevant 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. We shall attempt to the clarify the following terms: strategy, intervention, and mental health. We will explore multiple mental health intervention strategies and their applications to diverse situations and populations. Identifying effective preventive and therapeutic strategies is crucial to establishing public policies which contribute to mental health at individual, family, community, and social levels. Offered during the final four weeks of the program. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Unheard Voices: Contemporary Literature
Language of Instruction: Spanish
This class explores the fundamental texts and authors of Chilean and Argentine literature of the 20th century. We will not only cover the canon of Latin American literature, but also rethink the canon to develop a counter-literature. To this end, we will trace the cultural tensions the texts express and to put them in relation to the correlative political conflicts. We will also consider certain themes from the 19th century to understand the way in which Argentine and Chilean authors take up, readapt and reformulate these themes, according to new questions in the 20th century.  Offered during the first four weeks of the program. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Language Requirement
To enroll in Spanish-taught classes or most internships, you must have a specific language level. Please visit our Language Requirements page for more details. If you have questions about whether you qualify, contact your IFSA Enrollment Counselor.

INTERNSHIPS
IFSA internships include real-world work experience, along with developing intercultural skills and experiences that are key to personal, academic, and professional success. Expect to devote a total of 120 hours working with your host organization, with supervision from your seminar instructor, coordinated by on-site IFSA team members. In addition, interns complete the International Internship Seminar for 3 U.S. semester credit hours. Internships are not remunerated.

Students have interned at galleries and museums, business incubators, development agencies, religiously affiliated non-profits, marketing firms, and human rights advocacy groups in Buenos Aires.

Your goals are carefully considered, tailoring the placement process to ensure the best possible fit. Keep in mind that final placements depend on your skills, prior experience, and availability. Although every effort is made to match your placement with your preferred field or area of business, it can’t be guaranteed. Most internship are conducted in Spanish, with a limited number of English placements available.

Application. After you submit your application, resume, and IFSA Internship Interest Form, an IFSA Enrollment Counselor and an on-site IFSA Team member will work with you to identify your professional strengths, review your goals, and refine your internship interests to establish a match. From there, you’ll have an interview with your potential internship host. You will be provided with tips and resources to prepare for your interview.

Sample Placements. The following are examples of internships IFSA students have recently completed. Placement options vary from term to term.

Organization: This NGO’s objective is to raise awareness about the importance of the Right to Play in every child’s life. To this end, it proposes recreational and educational activities to enrich the social and cultural environment.
Subject Areas: Human and Child Development, Human Services, Social Policy, Social Work
Potential Projects: As an intern, you may assist with translation of specific bibliography, social media management, or investigate financial aid, grants, fundraising opportunities, and potential donors.

Organization: This NGO works to defend women’s rights and gender equality through art.
Subject Areas: Arts Administration/Management, Human Rights, Social Justice, Women and Gender Studies
Potential Projects: An intern would be involved in the improvement and systematization of the organization’s archive and documents, the creation of dissemination material, the production of artistic and cultural events, and the co-management of financial support.

Organization: This international NGO promotes citizen participation, transparency, and access to public information to strengthen democratic institutions through collective action. It is also engaged in research and actions in areas such as elections, justice, legislative work, and corruption.
Subject Areas: International Studies/Affairs/Relations, Law/Legal Studies, Political Science, Public Policy/Policy Studies
Potential Projects: You may work in areas such as oversight of public expenditures; monitoring the functioning of the executive, parliament, and judiciary; assisting in the presentation of bills; assisting with reports on campaigns and the electoral processes; and translation and production of dissemination material.

Organization: This organization encourages language practice with people from all over the world, with a focus on the cultural exchange and the values of Argentine cultures. It aims to enrich vocabulary and communication through play and conversation.
Subject Areas: Communications, Cultural Studies, Marketing, Media/Multimedia Studies
Potential Projects: You will participate in various projects such as the coordination of conversation club events, the management of social networks, the creation of content for radio, podcast, Twitch, and TikTok, the writing of articles on interculturality, and the search for national and international funding sources.

Organization: This Buenos Aires city government office promotes Buenos Aires as a destination for study abroad and provides services to and activities for foreign students in the city.
Subject Areas: Advertising, Communications, Marketing
Potential Projects: You would be involved in the implementation of marketing projects.

Organization: This NGO promotes initiatives for women, young people, and families in the vulnerable, suburban neighborhoods of Buenos. It focuses on housing, education, and labor integration.
Subject Areas: Human and Child Development, Human Rights, Social Justice, Women and Gender Studies
Potential Projects: You may be assisting with data systematization, report elaboration, production of dissemination material in English, and organization of training events.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
• You must have completed at least one (1) full-time semester of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.

Recommendation Letter
Not required. An internship site may request a reference letter before placement is finalized.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects classes taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.