A Look Inside Study Away at NYU Buenos Aires

As a double major, I actually found it easy to plan my classes in Buenos Aires. Half of my classes counted toward my Politics major and the other half toward my Spanish major. Since I’m especially interested in Latin American studies and international politics, my classes were tailored toward the diplomatic relationship between the US and the Latin America region. I also selected classes about the cultural history of Argentina.

Truly any student can study away no matter where or what they are studying. Study away is available to all NYU students, regardless of their location or major. My friends at Buenos Aires include Ben, a Business major at NYU Stern, and Jenna, an NYU Gallatin student, studying advocacy and labor justice. As long as you plan in advance, any student can study away and stay on track for their degree requirements.

At NYU Buenos Aires, each student is required to take a Spanish language course to help adapt as they study away in their local context. Courses range from Spanish for Beginners I to more advanced classes in Latin American literature and culture.

“Taking a Spanish class, especially one that was three hours long, offered the perfect opportunity to practice my speaking and comprehension skills and ultimately immerse myself to a greater extent outside the classroom,” says Ben Wierzbicki (Stern ’22).

As a heritage speaker of Spanish, I took the course Cultural History of Latin America: Ciudad, Paisaje, y Arquitectura. The class focused on cities, landscapes, and architectures through their aesthetic representation. The discussions, lectures, readings, and essays were all conducted in Spanish. It was the perfect opportunity to refine my academic Spanish.

This class, among all other classes at NYU Buenos Aires, is tailored to its local context. Rather than general history or literature classes, your study away classes focus on Argentine history, literature, and culture. Emphasizing the local context definitely enhances your study away experience. For example, in my cultural history class, I learned about the Argentine writer Victoria Ocampo and took a field trip to her family villa the next week.

At NYU Buenos Aires, all of my classes occurred in a stunning four-story, Tudor-style building. The building was once home to the Angolan Embassy! I felt like I was taking class where history took place. Not to mention, all of my classes were about a one-minute walk from each other.

The NYU Buenos Aires academic center is located in the pedestrian-friendly Parisian-style neighborhood of Recoleta. Austin Li, an International Relations major, describes Recoleta as a “beautiful neighborhood with French style architecture and convenient as well. You can find everything you need, from restaurants and empanada shops to bookstores, supermarkets, cafes and more!”

I would often visit a variety of different coffee shops before class. Afterwards, I would visit an array of empanada shops. Not only did this give me energy before and after class, but it was also a great, easy way to engage with the local culture.

The student life team at NYU Buenos Aires aims to make your study away experience as enjoyable and engaging as possible. Paint nights, neighborhood tours, ice cream outings—a wide range of activities is offered inside and outside the city. Still, you should also make time to explore on your own!

One of the best parts of study away is moving to a new city and being able to explore. Finding your new favorite coffee shop and sampling the empanadas (through many taste tests!) with your friends is a necessity. Buenos Aires has a host of things to do. Picnic in one of the many parks of the city. Shop in the neighborhood of Palermo. Enjoy a sunny day in the botanical gardens.

To be sure, the ability to travel from place to place is one of the most exciting parts about study away. Traveling within Argentina can be affordable and is fairly easy. During a three day weekend, I was able to hop on a ferry and visit Montevideo, Uruguay and for another I was able to hike the trails of Patagonia in Ushuaia – the southernmost city in the world and the closest city to Antarctica.

Next, for spring break I visited my family in Chile, but many students took advantage of the week to explore many must-see spots in Patagonia. For lodging, splitting an Airbnb rental with friends or booking a hostel are usually the most affordable options. And for activities, research what’s free, what has a student or young person rate, and what you might need to make reservations for.

With the ability to study seamlessly around the world, NYU offers a truly global education. And as NYU’s singular site in Latin America, NYU Buenos Aires has so much to offer!

From art and culture to food and classes you can’t take anywhere else, I know you’ll have just as great of a time in Buenos Aires as I did.