Originally founded in 1922 as Universidad Naciónal del Sureste, today Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY) is a large university with 15,500 undergraduate and graduate students. With fifteen facultades, a research institute, and nineteen libraries, UADY offers a challenging academic environment and extensive resources. Located in beautiful Mérida in the Yucatán Peninsula , the university is one of the most renowned in Mexico , with many of its majors recently ranked as the best in the country.

The capital of the state of Yucatán, Mérida is a colonial city on the Gulf side of the Yucatán Peninsula . Mérida's compact size makes it easy to explore the city's squares and markets, but its population makes it big enough to have a theater, art galleries, and museums. Despite its colonial Spanish architecture, everyday Mérida life demonstrates the influence of the Mayans indigenous to the Yucatán. The Mayan influence makes for fascinating learning and ample cultural opportunities throughout the Yucatán Peninsula . Students can explore some of the most important Mayan ruins, including those at Úxmal and Chichen Itza .

Program Type
Third-party provider agreement with the Institute for Study Abroad – Butler University (IFSA-Butler), facilitated by Duquesne University’s OIP.

Academic Highlights
Anthropology, archaeology, biology, business administration, economics, education, history, linguistics, literature, nutrition (including public health), psychology, social anthropology, and social communications.

Courses Available at the Universidad Autónoma

Language of Instruction
Spanish

UADY requires four semesters of university-level Spanish or equivalent for admission. Students are required to take one advanced Spanish course during their semester abroad developed especially for IFSA-Butler students.

Academic Calendar
Fall semester: late August – mid-December
Spring semester: January – May

Housing and Meals
Each IFSA-Butler student studying at UADY lives in or near Mérida with a carefully selected host family. Board includes three meals per day. Housing with a Mexican family is guaranteed.

Services Provided
IFSA-Butler office in Mexico is staffed by an IFSA-Butler resident director. The resident director organizes housing, excursions, orientation, and other program-sponsored activities and also acts as your main emergency contact.

There is a mandatory two-week orientation provided for the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán students to help you settle into your new environment on many levels. There are also three mandatory group trips organized to other areas of the Yucatán and Mexico throughout the semester.

Estimated Costs (Category I Program)

Scholarships available through IFSA.

For a more in-depth look: www.ifsa-butler.org