Maryland-in-Buenos Aires Academic Overview
Overview
Academic Structure
Course Descriptions
Important Academic Policies
Overview
Maryland-in-Buenos Aires offers high-quality academic course offerings through the University of Belgrano (UB) and University of Maryland resident credit coursework. Maryland-in-Buenos Aires students have the option of taking courses in both Spanish and English. Every student will be enrolled in a 3-credit required course taught by the Maryland-in-Buenos Aires Resident Direct, Dr. Veronica Muñoz. This Course, SPAN269V - Identities and Stereotypes in Latin America, will be taught in English. Additionally, each student will be required to take a 3-credit Spanish language course.Maryland-in-Buenos Aires courses and academic programs are intellectually stimulating and challenging. Students can take 2-3 content courses (6-9 credits).
Academic Structure
Maryland-in-Buenos Aires students can enroll in 12 to 18 credits. The curriculum is comprised of the following:Course | Credits | Course type | Language of Instruction |
Pre-semester Intensive Spanish Language Course (optional) | 5 | Optional during month of February | Spanish |
Identities & Stereotypes in Latin America | 3 | Taught by UMD Resident Director (required for all students) | English |
Spanish Language Course (Intro-Advanced) | 3 | Universidad de Belgrano | Spanish |
2-3 Electives in Latin American Studies (see full course list) | 6-9 | Taught at the Universidad de Belgrano | English or Spanish |
Total Credits with Intensive Pre-Semester | 15 - 18 | ||
Total Credits without Intensive Pre-Semester | 12 - 15 |
Course Descriptions
Maryland-in-Buenos Aires
Course Evaluations
Elective classes at The University of Belgrano are offered for UMD resident or transfer credit. Students will choose from a variety of elective courses offered in English or Spanish within several academic disciplines. UB courses are taken throughout the 15-week semester and meet twice a week for ninety minutes for a total of 60 contact hours. PALAS offers courses in English for students whose level of Spanish is at the beginner or intermediate level. English content courses fall in a number of disciplines including economics, history, gender studies, sociology, and literature, all of which focus specifically on Argentina and Latin America. The PEAL program offers courses in Spanish for high intermediate and advanced speakers in similar subject areas. PALAS & PEAL courses are designed for undergraduate students who are interested in Latin American Studies. Students will be in classes with international students from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America.
Courses offered at UB through the PALAS and PEAL program that are not approved for UMD Resident credit will be transfer credit. Transfer credit courses must be evaluated for UMD equivalency by sharing the syllabi and/or course description with an academic advisor.
Intensive Spanish Language Pre-Semester
Students have the option of taking a 3-credit intensive Spanish language course in February for 4-weeks prior to the start of the semester for an additional fee. This pre-semester language program is highly recommended for students who:
After being admitted, all students (regardless of prior Spanish language or not) will take a mandatory Spanish language placement test to determine what level of Spanish they will take while in Buenos Aires. Students with credit at UMD for Spanish must place into a language level higher than the level for which they already have credit for at UMD. There can be no credit awarded for repeat language level credit. Placement tests will be completed online early December. The Resident Director will send a link with a deadline and instructions for completing the Spanish Language placement test.
Course Evaluations
Elective classes at The University of Belgrano are offered for UMD resident or transfer credit. Students will choose from a variety of elective courses offered in English or Spanish within several academic disciplines. UB courses are taken throughout the 15-week semester and meet twice a week for ninety minutes for a total of 60 contact hours. PALAS offers courses in English for students whose level of Spanish is at the beginner or intermediate level. English content courses fall in a number of disciplines including economics, history, gender studies, sociology, and literature, all of which focus specifically on Argentina and Latin America. The PEAL program offers courses in Spanish for high intermediate and advanced speakers in similar subject areas. PALAS & PEAL courses are designed for undergraduate students who are interested in Latin American Studies. Students will be in classes with international students from Europe, Asia, Latin America, and North America.
Courses offered at UB through the PALAS and PEAL program that are not approved for UMD Resident credit will be transfer credit. Transfer credit courses must be evaluated for UMD equivalency by sharing the syllabi and/or course description with an academic advisor.
Spanish Language
All Maryland -in-Buenos Aires participants will be required to take a Spanish Language course. The University of Belgrano offers Spanish at all language levels.Intensive Spanish Language Pre-Semester
Students have the option of taking a 3-credit intensive Spanish language course in February for 4-weeks prior to the start of the semester for an additional fee. This pre-semester language program is highly recommended for students who:
- Have less than intermediate Spanish language experience. This includes:
- no prior Spanish language experience
- No university level Spanish (AP or High school Spanish only)
- Less than SPAN 207
- Wish to enhance their current Spanish language skills to achieve a higher level for placement in the Spring term.
- Want to learn and familiarize themselves with the distinct Argentinian Spanish dialect prior
- Are serious about enhancing their Spanish language proficiency by having an extended period of time to speak with native Spanish speakers
- Do not have plans for February? Explore Buenos Aires and settle in the city to fully enjoy the experience before the semester starts! Keep in mind that it is Summer in Argentina while it is Winter in the US!
After being admitted, all students (regardless of prior Spanish language or not) will take a mandatory Spanish language placement test to determine what level of Spanish they will take while in Buenos Aires. Students with credit at UMD for Spanish must place into a language level higher than the level for which they already have credit for at UMD. There can be no credit awarded for repeat language level credit. Placement tests will be completed online early December. The Resident Director will send a link with a deadline and instructions for completing the Spanish Language placement test.
Academic Policies
For general University of Maryland Education Abroad policies on eligibility and academics, please see the Earning Credit Abroad page on the EA website.
All students are also expected to adhere to the academic policies of the institution where they are registered (University of Belgrano). Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings. Final exams are held at the end of the semester and are mandatory for all students. UB has its own exam schedule.
UMD students are also held to the UMD code of academic integrity while participating on this program.
Credit & Grading
The Maryland in Buenos Aires program is a hybrid credit program. This means that all students take a combination of resident credit (RC) and transfer credit (TC) while they are abroad. To see which courses are RC and which are TC, please refer to the Maryland in Buenos Aires course list linked above in the “Course Descriptions” section of this document.
Resident Credit: Applies to courses that will show up on the UMD registration and for which you will receive a letter grade that is factored into your cumulative UMD GPA. Resident credit courses cannot be taken for transfer credit.
Transfer Credit: Courses that are not counted as resident credit are evaluated and approved as transfer credit. Equivalents for transfer credits and applicability to degree will be determined by your academic advisor. While the grades for transfer credit courses are not factored into your cumulative GPA, the following conditions apply to all transfer credits:
(1) You may NOT take courses on a Pass/Fail basis.
(2) You must receive the equivalent of a C- or better in a given subject in order for the course credit to transfer to UMD.
Students with credit at UMD for Spanish must place into a language level higher than the level for which they already have credit for at UMD. There can be no credit awarded for repeat language level credit.
The University of Belgrano utilizes a credit system based on contact hours. All courses are 3 credits. The grading system is based on a scale of 4 out of ten. Please refer to the UB website for their grading system conversion chart. The minimum passing grade is a 4 out of 10. Students taking a course for transfer credit must receive a 4 or better in the class in order for credit to transfer.
At the end of the semester, UB will provide transcripts to Education Abroad for evaluation. EA will post any resident credit grades and evaluate transfer course for credit. If a student believes there has been an error with one or more grades, contact the program Coordinator in Education Abroad who will be able to request a grade report.
Students with credit at UMD for Spanish must place into a language level higher than the level for which they already have credit for at UMD. There can be no credit awarded for repeat language level credit.
The University of Belgrano utilizes a credit system based on contact hours. All courses are 3 credits. The grading system is based on a scale of 4 out of ten. Please refer to the UB website for their grading system conversion chart. The minimum passing grade is a 4 out of 10. Students taking a course for transfer credit must receive a 4 or better in the class in order for credit to transfer.
At the end of the semester, UB will provide transcripts to Education Abroad for evaluation. EA will post any resident credit grades and evaluate transfer course for credit. If a student believes there has been an error with one or more grades, contact the program Coordinator in Education Abroad who will be able to request a grade report.
Maryland-in-Buenos Aires Grading Scale
US Grade | Argentine Grade |
A+ | 10 |
A | 9 |
A- | 8 |
B+ | 7 |
B | 6 |
B- | 5 |
C | 4 |
F | 3 |