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Buenos Aires Sustainability Program

The Buenos Aires Sustainability Summer Program is an opportunity for Sustainability majors and minors to study intensely on the South American continent along with others in the program. The seven-week program is designed to integrate travel, classroom learning, and purposeful engagement with local and regional leaders to help students better understand the challenges that anthropogenic climate change poses to those in Argentina as well as creative solutions being formulated by those in South America. Students will likely travel to Iguazú Falls, a yerba maté farm, and Tigré, among other places, in order to understand more fully biodiversity conservation schemes, indigenous ways of farming, and the impacts of sea-level rise.


The Buenos Aires Sustainability Summer Program is designed for: 

  • Students pursuing Sustainability majors and minors
  • Students who desire to understand the consequences of anthropogenic climate change on other regions of the world
  • Students who desire to learn about sustainability with other like-minded and passionate students
  • Note: Students of all majors may apply to this program. 

Program Dates

May 14, 2023 - June 30th, 2023

Dates above indicate a planned departure date from the US and in-country return departure date.

Costs  

Tuition: $1,955 per unit  (equal to Malibu tuition per unit)

Room & Board: $4,494

Program Specific Costs:

Global Health Fee: $189

Required Vital Documents and Deadlines

Use the Summer 2023 Buenos Aires Sustainability & GE Preparation Checklist to make sure you're on track to study abroad this summer! You can click on each required task to learn more. Please note that all deadlines are subject to change.

 

Refer to the COVID-19 vaccine policies section of our global policies page for COVID-19 vaccine requirements and current conditions.

Course Requirements

8 unit minimum requirement. Students must choose one 3-4 unit class from the May block and one 3-4 unit class from the June block, or they may choose REL 301 (which runs both blocks) as well as one 3-4 unit class. HUM 295 is mandatory (0-1 credit) for all students. SPAN 121 is mandatory for students that have not completed nor tested out of SPAN 151.

Course Offerings

May Only

ENG 335 Environmental Literature (4)

GE: Literature

Prerequisites: ENG 101 or equivalent

Explores relationships between literature and place as revealed through the American nature writing tradition and in the work of international writers, in differing conceptual and cultural perspectives. Students will develop a keener understanding of the varied connection between literature and place, a more complex understanding of places they inhabit, and a more robust ethical relationship to these locations. 


HIST 320 Pre-Columbian Civilizations of the Americas (4) 

GE: World Civilizations

An examination of major Native American civilizations from prehistoric times to approximately 1600. Social and cultural aspects will be emphasized as archaeological, anthropological, and historical data are examined. Special attention will be given to the Native American cultures of Central and either North or South America.


HUM 212 Western Culture II (3) 

GE: Western Culture

 Prerequisite: HUM 111, ENG 101 (or GSHU 121 or SAAJ 121)

An analysis and interpretation of six major historical “events” during the time period 1300-1815 and their cultural implications: Renaissance, Reformation, Intercultural Encounters, Science, Enlightenment, the French Revolution. Students will achieve cultural literacy in these areas and develop skills in cultural interpretation and analysis.


PE 180 Beginning Tango (0-1) 

Tango music and dance originated among immigrants in Argentina and Uruguay. Over the past century, tango has become well-known worldwide even as it continues to be practiced locally by young and old alike. In this class, students will receive an introduction to tango music and dance, including basic dance movements, in a relaxed and fun environment that connects students with each other and with Argentine culture.

SPAN 152 Elementary Spanish II (4)

 Prerequisite: SPAN 151 or equivalent competency

Continued practice of basic conversation, reading, and writing; Spanish and Spanish-American culture. Must be taken for a letter grade. Students must earn a minimum grade of C- before they can advance to subsequent courses.

 

June Only 

HUM 313 Western Culture III (3) 

GE: Western Culture

Prerequisites: HUM 212

Focused on a particular topic in modern culture, the course will use historical narrative of the time period 1815 to the present as a background for investigation into a particular theme or themes. Students will engage with and assess varying cultural and historical interpretations. Students will achieve cultural literacy in the modern period and demonstrate their skill in synthesizing and evaluating diverse historical and cultural interpretations.

NPM 330 Introduction to Community-Based Research in the Nonprofit Sector (3)

GE: Cultural Competence

This seminar is an introduction to community-based research (CBR) in the nonprofit sector. CBR is collaborative, change-oriented research that engages faculty members, students, and community members in projects that address a community-identified need. The research is designed to assist nonprofit organizations in a variety of areas including: improving their programs, promoting their interests, identifying or attracting new resources, understanding or assessing needs of their target populations, explicating issues and challenges, creating awareness of the need for action, or designing strategies for change. The students will present their research findings both in a written report and an oral presentation appropriate for the research topic.
 


PE 193 Yoga (0-1) 

The purpose of this course is to impart knowledge about the basic technique and practice of yoga, including instruction in breath control, meditation, and physical postures. Also to develop physical competency and mental concentration.

SPAN 251 Second-Year Spanish I (4)

GE: Language

Prerequisite: SPAN 152 or equivalent competency

This course emphasizes language production skills and interactive language use with a concentration on conversation. The course also develops reading strategies and examines complex grammar structures. Students must earn a minimum grade of C- before they can advance to subsequent courses.

 

May - June

HUM 295 Enriching the International Experience (0-1) - MANDATORY

This course is designed to enrich the student’s international experience by providing opportunities to engage more fully with the culture and to reflect more deeply on the experience. It is the goal of this course to help students know how to look at and listen to their new culture and how to give meaning to their international experience. Taught only in International Programs. May be repeated in a different location. Cr/NC grading only.

REL 301 Christianity and Culture (3) 

GE: Christianity & Culture

Prerequisite: REL 101

A study of ways in which Christianity shapes such aspects of culture as art, literature, music, medicine, law, secularization, ecology, racial and ethnic issues, and education, and ways in which these, in turn, influence Christian life and faith.

SPAN 121 Spanish Language and Culture (1) 

Teaches basic practical conversation and limited reading and writing skills. This course does not prepare a student to take SPAN 152. Taught only in international programs. 

 

Faculty-in-Residence

Chris Doran

 

Dr. Chris Doran

Professor of Religion

Founder/Coordinator of Sustainability Minor, Religion & Philosophy Division

Office: RAC 167

Chris Doran was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. He went on to Seaver College at Pepperdine University to study biology. After receiving a bachelor's degree in biology and then a Master of Divinity from Pepperdine, he went off to Berkeley to study the intersection of theology and science. He returned to his alma mater in 2007 as a faculty member in the Religion & Philosophy Division. After recognizing that climate change is the most significant issue facing the future of human civilization, he created the Sustainability Minor in 2016. He then created the Sustainability Major in 2021. The Sustainability Program is the largest multidisciplinary program in the history of Seaver College.

Doran has spent considerable time in New Zealand in the past few years, which led him to create the sustainability study abroad program in Kaikoura. He took Seaver students to the South Island in 2018 and 2019. He has summited Mt. Fyffe three times, including once in the snow and believes that the bluff overlooking Point Kean is one of the most beautiful spots in the world. He is an avid runner, having completing 5 marathons and numerous half-marathons. As a certified scuba diver, he spends as much time underwater as he is able.

 

 

Updated: 08.31.22