Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini

The Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini (Carlos Pellegrini High School of Commerce, ESCCP) is a public high school in Buenos Aires, and it is one of the most prestigious in Argentina and Latin America. Founded on February 19, 1890 by President Carlos Pellegrini under the name of Escuela de Comercio de la Capital de la República (Commerce School of the Republic's Capital), it would become the first vocational school in the country, enabling its graduates to be the first with the high school degree required for admission in Economic Sciences' Colleges. The school was renamed in 1908, taking its current denomination. In 1931, the school was placed under the control of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), and in 1953 women were given the right to study in the institution. As the school is under the UBA control, the high school diplomas are issued by the University of Buenos Aires itself. Most, if not all of the teaching staff also teaches at the UBA, and Physical Education classes take place at the UBA's Ciudad Universitaria (campus). This relationship between the school and the University also gives graduated students the possibility of attending an extra 6th year for a degree in Ciencias Comerciales (Bachelor in Commercial Science); the subjects for this academic year are equivalent to the UBA's Ciclo Básico Común (CBC - Common Basic Cycle; a year of basic subjects study, mainly aimed to level students from different high school backgrounds) plus four other assignments. This extra curricular year entitles the students to enter the UBA in many majors, specially including economy-related ones, without the need of attending the CBC. In the year 2005, several changes were made in what concerns to the CBC. Students can now make the entry course to any university, and not only to the economy-oriented ones. The main building was designed by Italian architect Gino Aloisi (1864 – 1924), and inaugurated in 1909.