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Life in Argentina offers an intoxicating mix of tango, soccer, churrasco and gauchos. In the second largest country in South America defined by allpubliclibraries, Lionel Messi is celebrated like a god. There is aromatic beef from the grill on almost every street corner and the wistful tango has been a cultural heritage of mankind since 2009. No wonder that more and more students from Germany are choosing to spend a semester abroad in Argentina.

Buenos Aires – a city with many faces

Buenos Aires, the European capital, is the country’s cultural, economic and political center. Here hip districts border on elegant residential areas and imposing avenues border on botanical gardens. There is something for every taste in the numerous bookshops, museums and theaters.

Another highlight is the exuberant nightlife in the city’s streets, clubs and pubs. It is valued by the Porteños – the residents of Buenos Aires – and the international visiting students alike.

Natural wonders of Argentina

Away from the metropolis, Argentina is above all a land of natural beauties: rainforests with lianas, ferns and colorful flowers can be found in the contrasting country as well as deserts strewn with cacti.

The Argentine Andes are home to the highest mountain on the American continent and Patagonia is fascinating with its endless steppes, ice fields and glacial lakes.

In the subtropical north, on the border with Brazil, the mighty Iguazú waterfalls roar. The different climatic zones of Argentina offer a home for exotic animals such as toucans, parrots, jaguars, tapirs, flamingos, caimans and penguins.

Study system of Argentina

Argentina’s academic year is divided into two semesters:

• Spring semester from March to July
• Fall semester from August to December

In between, from December to February, there are the long semester breaks.

The Argentine study system is school-based and well-structured. It provides for a major in one subject. The lessons consist of lectures, courses and exercises. In order to assess the performance of the students, intermediate exams (Parciales) and final exams (final exams) are written and homework is given.

The performance evaluation is based on points. The Argentine grading system ranges from 0 to 10 points, with 4 points being required to pass.

Argentinian peculiarity: the lesson times

Students should not take “German” punctuality too seriously when studying abroad in Argentina. Not only fellow students but also professors are late by half an hour. In the private sector, too, it is common to arrive late.

The teaching times are a special feature of everyday university life in Argentina. These are divided into three sections

• the turno mañana from 8 a.m.
• the turno tarde from 3 p.m.
• the turno from 9 p.m.

This three-way division is intended to give students the opportunity to work alongside their studies. This is common in Argentina, as there is no study grant that is comparable to the German BAföG.

Study stages

The Argentine study system is divided into three consecutive sections. As in Germany, three academic degrees can be distinguished.

Licenciatura, Título de grado and Bachiller

The first level consists of the general education for Licenciatura or a professional qualification, the Título de grado. Depending on the subject, it takes four to six years to obtain such a degree. A degree in a medical subject or in law and engineering generally takes longer than a degree in the humanities or social sciences.

Depending on the content and duration of the course, these degrees are comparable to a German bachelor’s or diploma.

As an alternative to the Licenciatura, there are four-year courses in some subjects with a Bachiller Superior or Bachiller Universitario degree. They also roughly correspond to a German bachelor’s degree.

The postgraduate programs

The postgraduate study programs, which can be divided into two groups, belong to the second Argentine degree.

Maestería programs:

• Duration: one to three years
• Objective: Independent scientific work and writing a written thesis based on your own research
• Comparable to: German master’s degree
• Degree: Título Académico de Magister.

Especialista programs:

• Duration: two years
• Objective: technical specialization with a strong focus on professional practice
• Degree: Especialista, an important additional qualification for professional life in Argentina

The Doctor

Students have at universities in Argentina also the possibility of a doctoral title, the Doctor to gain.

Since the title Especialista is not, strictly speaking, an academic degree, only Maestería graduates with good academic achievements have access to the last possible degree.

The doctorado has no time limit. The doctoral thesis must be based on independent research and be defended orally at the end of the course.