Se­mes­ters abroad in Latin Amer­i­ca

In order to apply for a semester abroad, the following requirements must be met:

• You are currently enrolled.
• You have completed at least two semesters of your Bachelor's degree programme or are currently studying for in a Master's degree programme
• You have sufficient language skills (usually at least B1/B2 language level) to study in the national language.
• Your subject is offered at the partner university and is open to exchange students.

Please note: Medical students should contact their faculty directly. In exceptional cases, applications from law students can be accepted following a personal consultation with our team.

You must submit proof of language proficiency for the language in which you would like to study, meaning that, for most of our Latin American partner universities, you will need proof of Spanish or Portuguese language proficiency.

We accept the DAAD language certificate as proof of language proficiency for Spanish and Portuguese for most of our partner universities. Please check in the information below which language certificate is needed for your host university of choice. For Spanish, you can have this issued at the HU Language Centre for a fee of 20 euros. For Portuguese, please contact the Language Centres of FU or TU Berlin or private language schools. Of course, you can also submit other standardised language certificates for Spanish (e.g. DELE or TELC) and Portuguese (e.g. CIPLE, DEPLE, DIPLE, DAPLE, DUPLE or CELPE). The following applies to English: You can demonstrate your knowledge with a DAAD language certificate (level B2) or a TOEFL/IELTS certificate.

High school and Abitur certificates from Germany are not sufficient as proof of language proficiency. If you have completed your entire school education or an undergraduate university degree abroad in the relevant language, the diploma is sufficient as proof of language skills. Native speakers with citizenship of the host country or dual citizenship must also submit proof of language proficiency.

Proof of language proficiency should be submitted by the application deadline or at the latest when you apply to the partner university (around two months after our application deadline) – please discuss this with our team in advance.

The academic year in Latin America is usually divided into two semesters.

First semester (we refer to this as the summer semester):

January to June (Colombia, Mexico)

February to June (Brazil)

March to July (Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay)

Second semester (we refer to this as the winter semester):

Mid-July to late November or early December (Argentina, Chile and Colombia)

August to December (Brazil, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay)

We are delighted that you're interested in a semester abroad. The application process for all regions begins with the timely submission of your application via Humboldt-Universität’s application portal by the specified application deadline.

You have the option of applying to three partner universities in Latin America at the same time – if you do, please indicate your order of priority .

After your application has been received, we will review it carefully. In some cases, a selection interview may be part of the process, for example if we receive a large number of applications for individual universities.

If your application is also successful at this stage, we nominate you to the partner university. You also subsequently submit an application to the partner university. Only after your documents have been checked successfully by the partner university do you receive the final admission for your semester abroad. If you are successfully admitted, you will receive all relevant information for your upcoming semester abroad from the partner university.

The recognition of credits earned abroad is carried out in consultation with your faculty or institute. Please consult with them before submitting your documents for the final application deadline for an exchange place. The HU grade converter also offers initial guidance regarding the conversion of foreign university grades into the German grading system. The calculated results are non-binding. If you have any questions or comments, please contact the HU Examination Service.

Founded in 1991, the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella (UTdT) is located in the Belgrano district, in the northern part of Buenos Aires. The exchange programme is open to bachelor’s students and offers the opportunity to take courses in Spanish or English. Since the bachelor's degree in Argentina lasts four to five years, courses from the higher years of study can usually also be credited towards the master's degree at Humboldt-Universität. It is therefore occasionally possible for master's students to be admitted to the exchange programme.

Study level

Bachelor, (Master)

Fields

History, social sciences, political science, international relations, economics, philosophy, law

Language requirements

Spanish B2 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others) or English B2 (DAAD language certificate, TOEFL, IELTS)

If you would like to take courses in Spanish and English, you must submit two language certificates.

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

The Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA) is the largest public university in Argentina. It was founded in 1821 and is divided into thirteen faculties that are spread across the entire city. As most faculties only offer courses in Spanish, advanced Spanish skills are mandatory for a semester abroad at UBA. Since the bachelor's degree in Argentina lasts four to five years, courses from the higher years of study can usually also be credited towards the master's degree at Humboldt-Universität. It is therefore occasionally possible for master's students to be admitted to the exchange programme. The UBA course catalogue can be found on the faculty websites.

Study level

Bachelor, (Master)

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Spanish B2 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Fact-Sheet

The Universidade de São Paulo (USP) was founded in 1934 and is not only one of the best educational institutions in Latin America, but is also the largest university in the country. Since 2015, there has been a strategic partnership between Humboldt-Universität and USP, which is increasingly facilitating academic exchange. USP has eight locations spread across the state of São Paulo. Most of the faculties are located in the capital.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Portuguese B1 (DAAD language certificate, CIPLE, DEPLE, DIPLE, DAPLE, DUPLE, CELPE and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

The University of Chile (UdC), founded in 1842, is located in Santiago de Chile and is considered the oldest and most important university in the country. The UdC offers a wide range of study options, including programmes in the humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, business and arts. In total, there are more than 100 programmes available, offered by the university's 16 faculties and three interdisciplinary institutes.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Spanish B1 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

The Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (UC Chile) is a prestigious private university known for its esteemed reputation in Chile and Latin America. Despite its Catholic orientation, the university is open to students regardless of religious affiliation. UC Chile has several campuses in Santiago, the largest of which is in the San Joaquin district, and another in Villarrica in southern Chile.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects, with restrictions in Music, Art and Biology

Language requirements

Spanish B2 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (PUJ) in Bogotá is a Jesuit university in Colombia, founded in 1623. As part of the global network of Jesuit universities, it follows their educational tradition, emphasising holistic learning, social justice and commitment to the common good. Its main locations are in Bogotá and Calí. The Bogotá campus offers a wide range of courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, economics and law. PUJ Bogotá publishes a list of English-language courses every semester, enabling students with lower Spanish language levels to be admitted to the exchange programme.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects (instructions for searching for courses)

Language requirements

Spanish B1 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

Since 1970, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana has had an additional campus in Calí (PUJ Calí). It is located south of the city centre in the Pance district. The university is particularly renowned for its programmes in law, political science and international relations.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Spanish B1 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

The Universidad Nacional de Colombia (UNAL), founded in 1867, is the first public university in Colombia with its headquarters in Bogotá. Its large, park-like main campus is located in the Teusaquillo district in the northwest of Bogotá. It also has subsidiary locations in Amazonia, Caribe, Manizales, Medellín, Orinoquia and Palmira. The range of programmes on offer is spread across the various locations and largely consists of courses in Spanish. Please refer to the websites of the individual locations for the course catalogue.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Spanish B2 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer

El Colegio de México (COLMEX), founded in 1940, is a smaller research-oriented partner university in Mexico City. COLMEX's seven academic centres offer degrees in history, sociology, economics, political science, linguistics, literature, Asian and African studies, environmental studies, gender studies and international relations. COLMEX is particularly suitable for research-oriented semesters abroad, for example preparing final theses.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

Humanities, social sciences and economics

Language requirements

Spanish C1 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

The Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) is one of the oldest universities in the Americas and a leading educational institution in Latin America. The main campus of UNAM, also known as Ciudad Universitaria, is located in the south of Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ciudad Universitaria offers a wealth of gardens, libraries, museums and cultural centres.

You can find out which courses you can take and whether special entry requirements apply directly on the faculties' websites.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Spanish B2 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Bachelor course offer | Master course offer | Fact-Sheet

The Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), founded in 1917, is a private educational institution in the heart of the capital Lima. 20,000 students study on the extensive campus with numerous parks in the San Miguel district. PUCP's extensive range of courses covers the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences and also includes several economics degree programmes. At PUCP, some faculties also offer English-language course options.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Spanish B2 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet

The Universidad Católica del Uruguay (UCU) is a private university in Montevideo, Uruguay. UCU primarily offers programmes for bachelor’s students. Since the bachelor's degree in Uruguay is longer than in Germany, master's students can also take courses from the advanced years of study and have them credited at Humboldt-Universität. Areas of study relevant to HU students include economics, social sciences, computer science, psychology, Romance studies (especially those related to teaching), art history, musicology, sports science and rehabilitation sciences. By taking part in an intensive language course at UCU before the start of the semester, you have the opportunity to apply, even if you have not yet fully achieved the B1 language level.

Study level

Bachelor, Master

Fields

All subjects

Language requirements

Spanish B1 (DAAD language certificate, DELE, TELC and others)

Website | Course offer | Fact-Sheet