Location: Buenos Aires, Rio Cuarto, Mendoza and nine other smaller towns along an E-W transect of the country that takes you from the Pampas Plains to the Andes Mountains in the boundary with Chile.

Core Courses:

• SPAN 2001 - Intermediate Spanish - 3 credits
• Satisfies on of the Foreign Language requirements at UGA
• Taught by UGA Instructors
  

Affiliated Host Institutions:
Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto, SEGEMAR (Servicio Geologico Minero de Argentina).

Instruction: Students take classes with UGA faculty and members of the affiliated host country institutions. No knowledge of Spanish required. The instruction form consists of lectures and field work. Two thirds of the classes are carried out in the field across the Pampas Plains, Pampean Ranges, Precordillera, Cordillera Frontal and Cordillera Principal geologic units in Central-Western Argentina.

Unifiying Theme: The Program focuses on the human impact on the physical environment caused by the prospection, development and use of Earth's Resources within the context of natural change through geologic time. Participation in the program will help students realize that Earth is and has always been a very dynamic system and that even though geologic processes are not affected by political boundaries, how people adapt,  react and relate to their physical environment is determined to a large extent by their cultural, social-economic and political environment. The areas in which students will be able to make comparisons are multiple: mass wasting and earthquake prone areas and building codes, development in floodplains, waste disposal, mining and land reclamation, mitigation and adjustment measures related to mass wasting, water management, oil exploration and exploitation, to name a few.

Estimated Cost:
Approximately $ 3,900. Cost may change if there are significant differences in the dollar exchange rate or price changes due to inflation in Argentina. Program fee includes housing at hotels, hostels or cabins, most of the meals, domestic airfare and ground transportation, health insurance, excursions and cultural events. International airfare and tuition are not included. Non-resident students pay tuition at resident's cost. Non-USGA (University System of Georgia) students pay an additional $ 250 fee. Enrollment in a minimum of 6 credit hours is required.

Scholarships and Finalcial Aid:
If you qualify for the HOPE scholarship, HOPE funds can be used to pay tuition and a book allowance for the Study Abroad Program. Other scholarships may be available. Please find more information about shcolarships and financial aid at the
Office of International Education Financial Aid site.

Transient Students:
Transient Students can find step by step information about UGA registration and requirements to participate in Study Abroad Programs at this site of the Office of International Education

Application Deadline:
February 2, 2007. Late applications will be considered if the program is not full. Maximum enrollment: 20 students. Apply early to insure your spot in the program. You may get an application package or request it to be sent to you by mail at the address at the bottom of this page.

Other Details:
Courses are open to students in any discipline, also open to non-UGA students. Some of the excursions include dinner and tango show in Buenos Aires, visit to local arts and crafts markets, tour of Buenos Aires downtown, a day at a "estancia" (a ranch) to enjoy barbecue, horseback riding and typical songs and dances, visit to archeological sites viewing pictographs and petrogliphs left behind by the primitive inhabitants of the region, visit to Talampaya National Park, Barreal del Leoncito National Park, Quebrada del Condorito National Park and Ischigualasto Provincial Park, the latter designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its rich early dinosaur and mammalian fauna.

UGA Faculty:
Dr. Marta Patino-Douce
Dr. Alberto Patino-Douce

For information and application forms contact:
Dr. Marta Patino-Douce  (Program Director)
UGA Geology in Argentina Program
Department of Geology
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30605
Phone: (706) 542-2399
FAX: (706) 542-2425
E-mail: mapatino@uga.edu