University of Buenos Aires

Overview

The University of Buenos Aires (Universidad de Buenos Aires or UBA) is a public research university located in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was founded in 1821 and is considered the leading university in the country and among the most prominent institutions of higher learning in South America. Its average enrollment is around 300,000 students.

With almost two centuries of tradition in academic excellence, UBA is known for its practice of offering all its undergraduate programs for free regardless of nationality or social status. The university is also recognized for providing around 40% of Argentina’s total research output. It also belongs to the top 60-70 among all institutions of higher learning across the world, according to major international ranking groups. Moreover, the university is a member of the International Forum of Public Universities.

The university comprises around 14 degree-granting autonomous faculties. These include the Faculty of Medicine (Facultad de Medicina), Faculty of Philosophy and Literature (Facultad de Filosofía y Letras), Faculty of Pharmacy and Biochemistry (Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica), and Faculty of Architecture, Design and Urbanism (Facultad de Arquitectura, Diseño y Urbanismo).

Students are expected to complete the university’s Common Basic Cycle (CBC) in their first year. The CBC is designed to ensure that all students will have a standardized educational background before embarking on more advanced subjects.

Some of the most sought-after popular undergraduate courses at the University of Buenos Aires include Public Translation, Environmental Design, Architecture, and Business. The university also offers postgraduate programs, such as Master in Architectural Project and Ph.D. in Economic Sciences.

UBA also has several academic, health, and cultural facilities. For instance, it manages Argentina’s largest university press, the Eudeba (Editorial Universitaria de Buenos Aires), as well as the Ricardo Rojas Cultural Center, the University of Buenos Aires Symphony Orchestra, and the Cosmos Cinema, which has been operational since 1922. The university also administers several high schools, interdisciplinary commissions, scientific institutes, museums, and hospitals.

Notable alumni include revolutionary leader and physician Che Guevara, several presidents of Argentina such as Alberto Fernández and Eduardo Duhalde, former Paraguay President Jose Pedro Montero De Candia, as well as several Nobel prize laureates like César Milstein (Medicine) and Luis Federico Leloir (Chemistry).