IFSA Mérida Universities Program

Our IFSA Mérida Universities Program offers semester programs at the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY) and Universidad Modelo in stunning Mérida, Mexico, allowing you to study alongside local students and experience two types of Mexican higher education institutions.

IFSA ELECTIVE CLASSES
Choose from several classes designed exclusively for IFSA participants. All IFSA classes are taught in Spanish. Classes may vary by term based on faculty availability and student interest.

Advanced Spanish I or Advanced Spanish II
Language of Instruction: Spanish
While in Mérida, you can opt to continue your Spanish language study. A mandatory pre-arrival language assessment will determine your appropriate language level. Based on your score, IFSA may require you to take a Spanish language class to support your academic success in Spanish-taught direct-enroll classes. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Exploring Yucatán: Community and Culture
Language of Instruction: Spanish
Through intentionally designed cocurricular activities and meaningful reflection, this class takes you beyond tourism into rich intercultural dialogue and active engagement with your host community. While navigating daily life in the Yucatán, you will be challenged to embrace an anthropological perspective as you explore cultural identity and examine diversity in the context of Mexican political, economic, and sociocultural structures. Ultimately, you will develop personal strategies for engaging with differences of any kind following your study abroad experience, making it an ideal class for those seeking transferable skills and competencies for success in the global marketplace. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Contemporary Issues in Public Health in the Yucatán
Language of Instruction: Spanish
An increased diversity within our communities has presented healthcare providers with many new challenges when responding effectively to patients’ well-being. This class provides an overview of healthcare in the Yucatán and examines the public and private healthcare systems in Mexico and the use of both mainstream and traditional approaches in urban and rural settings. Through numerous field visits, students will consider local prevailing health issues such as cervical cancer, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, and deepen their intercultural agility as they seek to understand how patients’ expectations and understandings of their health differ from their own cultural context. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Directed Research
Language of Instruction: Spanish
This class offers a unique opportunity for students to delve deeply into host context research projects. Students will be guided through projects that are both feasible in the study abroad context and relevant to their broader intellectual interests. The class is structured through regular individual meetings with a faculty mentor to discuss the formation and execution of a research plan and, depending on the specific project, the possibility to conduct field- or internet-based research. At the end of the semester, students present a formal research paper. Research opportunities are conducted in Spanish. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Beyond Borders: Local Solutions Driving Global Sustainable Development
(Coming Spring 2026)
This course delves into the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and the pressing global challenges impacting our world today. Through an interdisciplinary approach, students will explore critical topics such as poverty, hunger, inclusive practices, environmental protection, and sustainable living within the context of their study abroad host country. By analyzing local contexts and investigating mitigation efforts, students will gain a nuanced understanding of how these global challenges manifest and how diverse perspectives can be integrated to address them ethically and effectively.

Throughout the course, students will engage in critical evaluations and reflections to develop their personal agency in addressing global problems. They will explore and compare international, national, and local responses to these issues, fostering an informed and ethical approach to sustainable development. The course emphasizes active engagement and ethical considerations, preparing students to contribute meaningfully to the wellbeing of communities worldwide.

DIRECT-ENROLL CLASSES
Select additional integrated classes at the UADY and/or Modelo, maximizing your immersion into local student life. Your IFSA Enrollment Counselor can help you find the classes you need, but you may explore classes through the links below.

CHART Your Course
Find the classes you need fast with CHART. Our easy-to-use tool shows you classes recently taken by IFSA students.

Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY)

• Architecture (architecture, studio art, visual arts)
• Psychology
• Social Sciences and Humanities (anthropology, archaeology, social communication, history, literature, tourism)

1. Look for a link to licenciaturas (majors) on the homepage of that department
2. After clicking on licenciaturas, look for a link to “plan de estudio,” “asignaturas,” “mapa curricular” or “temarios.” These are the lists of classes offered in that particular major. In some licenciaturas, you can click on the class title to see a class description or syllabus. This is not available for all departments.

Universidad Modelo
On the general Universidad Modelo website you can find classes related to:

• Architecture
• Business
• Design
• Engineering
• Health Sciences
• Political Sciences and International Relations
• Humanities

We know finding the classes you need is important in your decision to study abroad. If you are looking for a particular class, please contact your IFSA Enrollment Counselor for assistance.

Lab & Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and course materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

Language Requirement
To enroll in Spanish-taught classes, 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.

Class Restrictions
UADY limits the number of visiting international students who can enroll in each class. For this reason, it’s important that you identify multiple classes that align with your academic interests and needs and discussed these options with your home campus study abroad and academic advisors prior to your arrival on-site.

The only UADY school where IFSA students are not allowed to take classes is the Medicine School.

While students can technically enroll in biology, veterinary medicine, and zoology, the UADY science campus is located two hours outside of Mérida, so it may not be practical to consider taking classes there.

Directed Research
Engage in individualized field research with faculty experts on a contemporary issue of interest. Regular meetings with faculty will assist in the formation and execution of research plans, and they will guide you on how to thoughtfully and critically integrate academic research with experiential learning. You will sharpen your written and oral communication skills through the development of articulate and comprehensive research that is respectful to the sensitivities of the local culture.

If you chose to research live human subjects, live animals or another topic that is deemed by IFSA to be required to be reviewed by the Institutional Research Board (IRB) at your home institution, then you will have to file your project with your home institution’s IRB board and submit your result to IFSA. Your IFSA Enrollment Counselor will review your application materials to help determine if you must file with IRB.

Research opportunities are conducted in Spanish. For more detailed information and examples of previous student placements, contact your IFSA Enrollment Counselor.

Volunteering
Volunteering while studying abroad in Mérida is an enriching experience, both personally and academically. Students report that even volunteering a few hours per week enhanced their study abroad experience by providing them with access to the local culture and a deeper understanding of problems that face Mérida’s inhabitants on a daily basis. Several volunteering opportunities exist in Mérida. Placements are made after you arrive onsite and are contingent upon a personal interview, your language level and available time commitment. IFSA has prepared a list of places where you, as a visiting student, can volunteer to do social service. While this is purely optional, a commitment on your part is needed in order to arrange a placement. Upon completion of your period of volunteerism, you will be issued a certificate indicating the number of hours you dedicated and the type of work you completed. Volunteering does not earn academic credit and will not appear on your Butler University transcript. Examples of places where students can be placed:

• Colegio Americano: School located in downtown Merida with different educational levels from preschool to high school. IFSA students usually support teachers with conversational sessions with students.
• Fundación Brazos Abiertos Internacional (BAI): BAI’s mission is to empower the people of the Yucatán to respond to HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and teenage pregnancies to live healthy lives.
• Aprendamos Juntos: This organization works for the dignity, rights, and respect of people with intellectual disabilities and their full inclusion in society.

Some options for volunteering on a per-day basis are:

• Reffetorio Mérida: Cultural project designed to offer a gastronomic experience, renowned for transforming surplus ingredients into nutritious and beautiful meals, for people in situations of social vulnerability and to provide the local community with a space where beauty and service are used as tools to create social change.

New country, new way of learning!

Here’s what to expect at Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán and Universidad Modelo:

• The following subjects may have large classes: tourism, communication, and psychology.
• More emphasis on independent learning. More self-directed learning outside of class. Coursework outside of the classroom can vary per host institution. You will receive finalized syllabi once on-site.
• The universities follow strict policies and deadlines.
• Strong focus on critical analysis with supporting resources documented.
• Full access to the universities’ robust academic support system and resources. IFSA local staff are also available for individual help.
• Students cannot audit courses.
• More information can be found in the IFSA Student Portal under Resources – Helpful Documents and Links and Academics.

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.
• Eligibility requirements can vary among host institutions. Please ask your IFSA Enrollment Counselor for specific information.

Recommendation Letter
Not required. A directed research site may request a reference letter before placement is finalized.

Language Requirement
Four (4) semesters of college-level Spanish or an Intermediate II level proficiency is required.

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.