About Mérida Universities Program

Looking for specific classes? Explore CHART, our exclusive class database — if the Mérida Universities Program is pre-approved at your institution, you’ll find classes recently taken by other IFSA students.

Our Mérida Universities Program provides semester and full-year 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.  

The following IFSA courses are specially designed for our students and worth 3 U.S. semester credits each.

• Advanced Spanish and culture: Students will be placed into sections of this mandatory course following a placement test administered onsite.
• Exploring Yucatán: Community and Culture: This required course is designed to assist students in getting the most out of their study abroad experience through thoughtful and meaningful reflections, analysis and discussion of contemporary Mexico through key concepts such as community and interculturality.
• Directed Research: This option offers the chance undertake field research on a contemporary issue of your interest. Students interested in doing any research in Mérida must take this course and meet the following criteria: advanced Spanish proficiency, a research topic related to an available UADY faculty, and completion of the academic research project form (available from your program advisor).

As an IFSA student you complete your courseload with integrated classes at the UADY and/or Modelo, maximizing your immersion into local student life. Your program advisor can help you find the courses you need, but you may explore courses through the links below:

Note that if you have native or near—native Spanish reading and writing skills and would like to be considered for exemption from the Advanced level Spanish course, please speak with your Program Advisor

Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY):

• College of Social Sciences and Humanities (anthropology, archaeology, social communication, history, Latin American literature and tourism)
• Architecture (architecture, studio art, visual arts)
• Accounting and Business (accounting, marketing, international business, information technology administration)
• Economics (economics, international business)
• Law
• Medicine (nutrition, public health, rehabilitation)
• Nursing (nursing, social work)
• Psychology

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 course title to see a course description or syllabus. This is not available for all departments.
3. Click here for course syllabi from the College of Social Sciences and Humanities department.
4. For course descriptions in the psychology department, click here and then select the "Plan de Estudios" PDF.
5. Click here for business classes. 

Universidad Modelo:

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

• Business
• Law (also the faculty in which political science courses are offered)
• Ciencias de la Salud (the faculty where public health courses are offered)
• Design
• Engineering
• Humanities
• Architecture

We know finding courses you need is important in your decision to study abroad. If you are looking for a particular course, please contact your program advisor for more information.

Public Health Concentration

IFSA students participating on the Mérida Universities Program can take part in a specialized academic concentration focused on Public Health. This opportunity offers students in-depth exploration of the subject by completing coursework on Public Health and life sciences at the university, and working with local health professionals in rural and urban settings to examine traditional and non-traditional approaches to health care.

Sample Enrollment (12-18 U.S. semester credit hours):

• IFSA Contemporary Issues in Public Health in the Yucatan (3 U.S. semester credit hours): As part of the course, students will participate in all Hoy En Tu Comunidad (UADY student organization with public health focus) field projects or do a service project at UADY’S Unidad de Inserción Social. Students will also visit a Mayan community to meet a midwife, a bonesetter, and an herbal doctor, among other related activities.
• 1-2 Health-related courses at the UADY (3 U.S. semester credit hours) which may include:
  • Sports medicine
  • Clinical psychology
  • Tropical diseases
  • Nutrition
  • Medical anthropology
  • Nursing
• IFSA Mandatory Advanced Spanish course (3 U.S. semester credit hours)
• IFSA's Exploring Community and Culture program (3 U.S. semester credit hours)
• 1-2 additional courses at the UADY (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Students who complete the concentration will receive a special mention from the UADY’s Facultad de Medicina.