Latin American Studies Coursework at Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, and El Colegio de la Frontera Norte

San Diego State University allows students to take up to nine units outside the University. Cooperative agreements with two universities in Tijuana, Mexico, allow SDSU students to experience a Master’s level academic environment in respected Mexican universities. Both campuses are less than an hour from SDSU.

The Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) is located in Tijuana on Otay Mesa, about 30 minutes from SDSU and less than 10 minutes from the Otay Mesa border crossing. UABC is a large public university, with campuses in Tijuana, Ensenada, Tecate, and Mexicali. It has a variety of undergraduate and Master’s programs, including History, Economics, Business, and more. It is currently expanding its Ph.D. programs into Economics and other fields.

El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) is located in Tijuana on the toll road to Las Playas de Rosarito, approximately 45 minutes from SDSU and about 20 minutes from the San Ysidro border crossing. COLEF is a prestigious Mexican research institute, with graduate programs in Economics, Urban Development, Demography, and a handful of other social sciences. COLEF has no undergraduate programs.

SDSU and UABC are currently in the process of articulating courses and standardizing the procedures for students to take classes on each other’s campuses. In the meantime, it is possible to make arrangements to take classes at either UABC or COLEF on an ad hoc basis. No extra fees are required, but interested students should consult the graduate advisor for additional information about procedures.

Please be aware that your Spanish language proficiency should be relatively advanced before you attempt to take a Master’s level class in Mexico.

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