Universidad de las Americas, Puebla, Mexico (UDLAP)

About: 

One of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Mexico – Universidad de las Américas Puebla (UDLAP) – is located in Cholula, the oldest city in Latin America, whose magic is the result of a combination of art, culture, history, traditions, and modernity.

UDLAP is only a two-hour drive from Mexico City, one of the most cosmopolitan and populated cities in the world, and 20 minutes from Puebla, a UNESCO world heritage city.  Given its excellent geographic location, close to beaches, forests, and archeological centers, there are cultural, artistic, and recreational activities that enhance a student´s university experience.

UDLAP’s history begins with the Mexico City College, which was founded in 1940, laying the foundations for an international university.  Now, with over 75 years of experience, it has become an excellent academic institution with over 70 licenciatura and graduate study programs in diverse areas.  It offers a multicultural experience to its students, including the 55 nationalities represented on campus due to its exchange agreements with close to 40 countries.

Contacts at UDLAP:

E: incoming.udlap@udlap.mx  

A: UDLAP, International Affairs Office Humanities Building: (HU) 216 Ex hacienda Sta. Catarina Mártir San Andrés Cholula 72820 Puebla, México 

Highlights: 

UDLAP has maintained its leadership as a private university in the ranking conducted by the Mexican newspaper EL Universal. The ranking, which uses the opinions of academic peers and employers, ranked UDLAP in the first places as the best private university in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018. Most of the academic programs ranked by the newspaper Reforma also place within the first three slots. America Economia, the Latin American magazine headquartered in Chile, ranked UDLAP the second best private university in Mexico. In 2013 UDLAP began participating in the institutional rating process conducted by QS Stars. The assessment system has a range of performance indicators based on a criterion classification method. As a result, in 2017 UDLAP earned five stars; the only single-campus university in Latin America with this distinction.

Location: 

The campus is made up of 38 buildings on 180 acres, located 12 miles west of downtown Puebla, and less than 2 miles south of downtown Cholula in Mexico.

Courses / Modules: 

Students should discuss with their supervisor/international coordinator their choice of courses using the information provided by UDLAP 

Credit (Full-time Load per semester): 

30 UDLAP Credits = 60 York Credits

This has been calculated by the University of York and students should not compare it with the requirements of other universities.  Taking insufficient credits can lead to students failing the year. Any alteration to credits/modules must be discussed with your department prior to making any changes.

Teaching Periods: 

Two 16 week teaching periods 

Language:

Most courses are taught in Spanish, students are recommended to have CEFR Level B2 to ensure that they are able to follow courses.  

During orientation week at UDLAP, before registering courses, each student will be interviewed by the Spanish Language Coordinator to confirm their level of Spanish proficiency and be enrolled in the adequate Spanish course. The Courses of Spanish as a Second Language are managed by the Language Department. For more information about the course offering, please contact the Spanish Language Coordinator.

Accommodation: 

On-Campus Housing is available. Students need to apply as soon as they receive the confirmation of admission. UDLAP has 4 residential colleges, 3 on campus and one off campus.

Orientation / Welcome week:  

During the Orientation Week students will have a welcoming session to inform them about their exchange program, living in Puebla and UDLAP, institutional services, cultural shock, payments, visas, internship and course enrollment, among others.

Support Services: 

UDLAP offers a range of support and health services for students

Visas: 

There are different visa requirements for students staying for more or less than 180 days in Mexico. 

Health insurance: 

All International Students at UDLAP, without exception, are required to have international health and medical insurance coverage for the entire period of stay in Mexico.  Students may select their own insurance provider.

Travel insurance:  

If you are approved by the University of York to participate in this program, you will be covered by the University's Travel Insurance Policy. This is a complimentary policy to cover you for the duration of your University of York mobility experience. Please refer to the Insurance website for all travel insurance queries.  You may be required to obtain health insurance valid during your exchange. 

Laura, Language and Linguistic Science, Study Abroad, 2019/20

One of the main difficulties I faced whilst being abroad was the length of the academic term and not having a break, at York the terms are 10 weeks and we have reading week whereas I had to do 18 weeks of university without a break, all whilst being in a different country. I have enjoyed studying in a different country and understanding how their education system works, it has also allowed me to take modules that I would never had been able to do whilst being in York.

Alexandra,  Language and Linguistic Science, Study Abroad, 2019/20

I have become more flexible and spontaneous. My confidence has grown because I met so many new people while I was there, many of whom became my good friends. It was challenging learning psychology, literature and politics, all of which are subjects I have not studied at university and I had all these classes in Spanish. The teachers were very patient and understanding with me which was nice and it really helped my Spanish to improve. It was a challenge when I first arrived because my Spanish wasn't very good so it was difficult to communicate with my flatmates and I was homesick. I hadn't got any close friends. I overcame these difficulties. I went to the dance classes and I started making friends and I continued to try to use my Spanish and meet new people. I quickly made friends and I was very happy there. I was very sad to leave Mexico and say goodbye to all my friends there.

I have really improved my Spanish by talking and socialising with my Mexican friends. I am also more confident speaking Spanish with others. I have learnt a lot about the Mexican culture and traditions. For example, I visited Oaxaca to see the celebrations of 'Day of the Dead' a city famous for the celebrations of this important event in Mexico. I gained a new skill of learning salsa, cumbia, bachata and a little tango through going to dance classes on campus and going to free dance classes once a week at a bar. Therefore I also discovered this part of the culture. I traveled to different towns so I found out more about the Mexican way of life in different parts of the country. I also learnt a bit about the nature and wildlife when I visited some beautiful forests, beaches, jungles and waterfalls. The nature in Mexico is incredible.

Amy, Language and Linguistic Science, Study Abroad, 2019/20

This experience has been eye-opening in many ways. I have become a more understanding person in terms of accepting other cultures. However, it has also taught me how to decide for myself what I want to learn from and acquire from other cultures, whilst maintaining the parts of my original culture that I see benefit me and others around me the most. My language skills and confidence in talking about sensitive topics respectfully has definitely improved. For example, I successfully discussed (in complete Spanish) feminism, women's rights and the differences between Mexico and UK's approaches towards these topics with my Mexican friend's mother. After experiencing Day of the Dead for myself, my views around death have changed for the better and it is not so hard to talk about now, and I feel like this is a big change in me that I thank Mexico for. 

Caitlin,  Language and Linguistic Science, Study Abroad, 2019/20

My experience has made me a more confident individual and I feel that it has completely brought me out of my shell. I achieved my long term goals of travelling every weekend and I have made life long friends from across the world. My spoken Spanish has greatly improved and i find that i make less and less grammatical mistakes and I have gotten over my fears of practicing. 

• UDLAP

• UDLAP Fact Sheet

• UDLAP International Office

• Numbeo - cost of living comparison site

• Expatistan - cost of living comparison site

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