The GSP semester

Academic Focus

Academically, the semester at FLACSO university centers (among others) around international relations, Latin American culture and identity, education, economy, gender, development studies, social movements, and environmental questions. Regionally, classes focus on Latin America (from a global perspective).

Course offer

There are four obligatory classes that students attend while studying at FLACSO. They include:

• Research Methodology and Project Design
• Global Public Sphere and Civil Society
• Global Economy and Society (this class is divided into three modules, out of which students have to choose two: Understanding Corporate Capture, Natural Resources and Development, and Global Media and Citizenship)
• Culture and Identity in Latin America

At FLACSO you will be attending a compulsory methods course that is focused on developing a research design and broadening the students’ repertoire of research methods.

If students are fluent speakers of Spanish they can also choose Spanish-speaking courses from other programmes being offered at FLACSO to replace any of the GSP classes. There are no documents required to show your level of Spanish proficiency, but you should be advanced enough to fully participate in the class.

Course format

All GSP classes are offered by the Department of Ethics, Rights, and Global Public Goods. The class format is either lectures or seminars, and group sizes usually range from 30 to 40 students per class.

The GSP classes are also open to English-speaking students from other programmes at FLACSO university.

Examinations

The main examinations usually take place at the end of each course and include either a final paper or an essay. There may, however, also be additional examination activities during the course.

Academic culture

Lecturers at FLACSO university can always be reached via email or can be approached during the day at the FLACSO building.

The main language of instruction at FLACSO university is Spanish, GSP is the only English-speaking programme. In total, FLACSO university currently offers twelve Master programmes and one doctoral programme in Social Sciences.

Students are also able to take additional language classes if they want to.

Living and studying

Students look for accommodation themselves, but the FLACSO staff provides them with all the necessary information and guidance. Some common housing options include the temporary rental of apartments via real estate agents, or renting a room in family houses or shared apartments recommended by previous GSP students.

There is no public transportation from the airport to the university, but there are several affordable private options, such as transfers or taxis. Once students are in the city it is easy to reach all necessary spots on foot or by public transportation (e.g. from the accommodations to the library). All university facilities (canteen, library) are just around the block from where classes are being taught.

Visa & immigration

The visa process requires three main steps. In the first place, the FLACSO coordinators will ask you to send a copy of your passport via email and to fill out a form with your basic personal information. After that, the FLACSO coordinators will send you a series of documents (a 'precarga electrónica,' an admission letter, and a 'RENURE registration number'). Once you have received these documents, you will be ready to schedule an appointment at the Argentinian Frankfurt Consulate. From that point on, you will follow the process with the consulate. However, the coordinators will always be there to provide support if needed. If you are not an American or European citizen, you may require other specific documents and steps. The FLACSO coordination team will send all this information to your email account, and you will have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have during the introduction meeting at the beginning of the first semester.

Students' voices

To give you a better idea of the experience at FLACSO, you can read what our current and former students think about the time they spent there:

“At FLACSO, I really appreciated the strong political and activist notions present in our classes. If you want to explore socio-political issues in South America with critical perspectives, FLACSO’s for you! I was also really grateful for the possibility to take one class in Spanish (and meet other Argentinian students!) and the offer to have Spanish language classes. Apart from uni, Buenos Aires is the ideal city for everyone who loves culture, alternative spaces and good music. I really fell in love with the city and came back the next year for my internship.”

Hannah, Batch 2022