Madrid - Language & Area Studies

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Overview

Quick Facts

City:

Madrid [1]

Country:

Spain [2]

Program credits:

15-19 per semester (5-6 courses)

Language(s) of Instruction:

Spanish

Language prerequisites:

4 semesters of college-level Spanish

It won’t be hard to fall in love with Madrid. Located in the heart of Spain, this capital city is especially unique because it has an urban pace and is well-known for its rich artistic, political, and business culture.

Our program is designed for students who want to experience the vitality of Spain and the large urban university environment of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), one of the country’s most distinguished universities.

Our Center is located on the UCM campus, and this program strives to immerse you in the culture of the Madrileños through its academic options, extracurricular activities with university students, and housing choices. Several field trips take you beyond the city limits to sites of historic and contemporary interest.

Madrid will also be your classroom. Whether visiting one of Madrid’s many art galleries or museums, learning about Spanish culture by taking in a film by one of Spain’s up-and-coming filmmakers, or simply strolling around the city and enjoying the warm climate in one of the city’s many parks, you will be captivated by Madrid’s vibrancy. Welcome to study abroad!

We want you to feel at home in Madrid, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life in Madrid. Beyond the classroom, IES Abroad offers many internship placements in a variety of organizations to help you gain career experience and get to know the local culture.

Program Dates

These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.

Academics

Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences.

We offer unique courses that explore Spanish Language, and Area Studies, through an in-depth and hands-on approach.

Our world-class professors and course options at prestigious local universities enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.

You take 15–19 credits per semester and all courses are worth three credits unless otherwise specified. All courses are taught in Spanish.

You craft your own academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional components:

IES Abroad Spanish course (required, 4 credits)
IES Abroad Spanish-taught area studies courses (3–15 credits)
Universidad Complutense de Madrid courses (3–15 credits)
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria courses (3–15 credits)
Escuela Cerámica de la Moncloa (3 credits)

Language Certificates for Advanced Students
As an added benefit at no additional cost, IES Abroad Madrid also offers preparation courses for advanced Spanish language students for examinations sponsored by the Spanish Chamber of Commerce and government that lead to a certificate. These Certificates of Foreign Language are the most prestigious awards for Spanish language skills and will enhance your resume.

Diploma de español como lengua extranjera (DELE) - This certificate, covering general Spanish abilities, is offered by the Instituto Cervantes. The exam consists of oral expression, writing, reading comprehension, grammar, and vocabulary.
Diploma de español de los negocios de la Cámara de Comercio - This certificate is for students interested in using Spanish specifically for commercial and professional uses. It is recommended for students who also attend classes to prepare for the DELE.
Diploma de español para ciencias de la salud de la Cámara de Comercio de Madrid - This certificate is recommended for students who anticipate a future in the medical field, social services, or health services.

Courses

This is a list of planned course offerings. A final list of course offerings will be made available to you in your MyIESabroad account.

To learn more about IES Abroad’s innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching language abroad, refer to the IES Abroad MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication [3].

Partner Institution(s)

Enrolling in courses at a local university is a great way to meet Spanish students and improve your language skills. You are strongly encouraged to enroll in at least one local course.

Universidad Complutense de Madrid
www.ucm.es [4]
The Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) is the largest university in Spain and one of the best public universities in the country. Registering for courses at UCM enables you to enjoy full privileges of the school’s activities and facilities.

Courses
Courses are available at the following faculties:

Biological Sciences
Chemical Sciences
Communication
Computer Sciences
Documentation Science
Economics and Business
Fine Arts
Geography and History
Geological Sciences
Health Sciences
Law School
Mathematical Sciences
Modern Languages
Philosophy
Physical Sciences
Political Sciences and Sociology
Psychology
School of Education

When planning, take into account that IES Abroad students are not permitted to take:

first-year courses
medical courses
dentistry courses

When choosing your courses, bear in mind that some classes offered by the local university are academic year courses, starting in October and ending in June. Semester students cannot take these academic year courses. Students will receive 3 credits for each course taken at the Complutense. Academic year students who take annual classes will receive 6 credits.

Complutense Final Exams
In the fall, official UCM exams take place through the end of February; IES Abroad students must arrange to take exams early (mid-December) at the time of course registration and subject to professor approval.

Spring students enrolled in UCM courses may not arrange for early exams and will need to stay through early June to complete courses and final exams.

Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
www.ufv.es [5]
The Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV) is a small, private school that focuses on media communications courses with a laboratory or practicum component. Courses focus on obtaining hands-on experience, and the school has a film studio, radio station, and advanced computer and video equipment.

Courses
Courses are available in the following disciplines.

For a complete list of course offerings at UFV, please visit the UFV website [6].

Fine Arts
Media Communications
Music
Health Sciences

Please note that course offerings vary from semester to semester. Exact course availability is determined shortly before the start of each semester. For this reason, it will not be possible for you to officially register until your arrival in Madrid; however you will need to refer to current course offerings in order to pre-register as part of your application.

Internships

While adding study abroad to your resume is impressive enough, adding an international internship experience is just as powerful, and can help distinguish your application for graduate school or a job opportunity in today’s competitive job market.

An internship provides an invaluable cultural experience, and helps you develop professional and personal skills. All IES Abroad internships are supervised and offered as academic options earning IES Abroad credit.

Placement examples include:

Arts

Escuela de Música Creativa – A creative music school in Madrid for children, youth, and adults
Galería de Arte Infantas – An art gallery

Business

Dla Piper – A global business law firm
Imaste Ips. S.A. – Conduct market research

Education

Universidad Complutense de Madrid International Relations
Madrid Puerta Abierta – Social action organization

International Relations

Instituto de Cuestiones Internacionales y Politica Exterior
Fundacion para las Relaciones Internacionales y Politica Exterior
El Club de Madrid – An independent non-profit organization that assists countries with critical elements of their democratic transition; membership includes 60 former heads of state

Marketing

Gamesa
Metro news social organizations
Madrid Puerta Abierta – Social action organization

Political Science

PSOE – Spanish political party

Field Study

IES Abroad Madrid organizes field study trips that complement IES Abroad courses and contribute to a general knowledge of Spanish culture and society. Past field study excursions include:

Attending local theater performances and concerts
Taking architectural walking tours
Visiting Madrid’s most famous museums - the Prado, Reina Sofía, Sorolla, Cerralbo, Museo de América, and Thyssen
Visiting Congress
Visiting local television stations

Housing

Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Madrid, it will feel like home.

Homestay – Live in Spanish homes with señoras or families and eat breakfast and one additional meal per day (either lunch or dinner) with your hosts when the program is in session. In many cases, more than one IES Abroad student is placed with a señora or family. Commute time to the Center varies between 15 and 45 minutes.

Homestay with Kitchen Privileges – if you are interested in a homestay but prefer to purchase your own food and prepare your own meals, you may wish to consider this option. If you choose this option, you receive a meal credit. A very limited number of these placements are available. Commute time to the Center varies between 15 and 45 minutes.

Apartment – Share apartments located in residential areas near the IES Abroad Madrid center. Apartments are furnished, including a fully-equipped kitchen. Utilities, regular cleaning, and wireless internet access are included. Space is limited, and meals are not included. Commute time to the Center varies between 15 and 25 minutes.

Residence Hall/Colegio Mayor – Colegios Mayores are dormitories located on the campus of UCM and throughout the city. This housing option includes up to 20 meals per week in student cafeterias.

This housing option is ideal for outgoing students with a high level of Spanish language who are prepared to integrate into local, more traditional student culture, participate in Colegio activities, and who are willing to abide by the rules of the Colegio. This housing option is limited and requires an additional fee.

Student Life

Part of making you feel at home in Madrid is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, housing that is well located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.

Orientation

The program begins with an orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad Madrid staff, your fellow students, and the city of Madrid.

Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive orientation & re-entry experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home. In addition, IES Abroad organizes guided visits around Madrid with Spanish university students and hosts a welcome lunch.

Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events

Redefine the way you live and learn in Madrid through our cultural activities, such as:

Lectures by local film directors and poets
Visits to the national newspaper
Lessons in Spanish cooking and dance
Sports activities such as soccer games
Tour of the REAL MADRID Stadium
A cultural week focused on the Spanish War of Independence against Napoleon’s Army

Field Trips

Although your adventure begins in Madrid, our field trips take you to other great cities around Spain to provide contrast and context for what you are learning in the classroom.

We organize several one to three day field trips for you. Some trips are included in the cost of the program, while other trips are available and may be subsidized by IES Abroad. Past destinations include:

Valencia
3 days
Visit Spain’s third largest city, rich with delicious cuisine, excellent weather, and countless cultural outlets, such as Europe’s newest cultural and scientific complex, Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències (the City of Arts & Sciences).

Asturias
3 days
Home of the largest national park in Spain, Picos de Europa.

El Escorial
1 day
Visit this royal site that was once the residence of the king of Spain as well as a monastery for the Roman Catholic church. The palace is also the burial site for nearly every king and queen since the 16th century.

Segovia
1 day
Site of a Roman aqueduct and historical palaces and churches of Spain’s Golden Age.

Toledo
1 day
Known as the “city of three cultures”—Christian, Muslim, and Jewish—Toledo preserves an artistic and cultural legacy that makes the city an open-air museum.

Aranjuez-Chinchón
1 day
Home to one of Madrid’s most well-known royal palaces and gardens.

Granada
3 days
Explore the city's rich Moorish architecture and Muslim influences--see the greatest example when you visit the Alhambra.

Bilbao y San Sebastián
2 days
The impressive Guggenheim Museum has become the icon of Bilbao; tradition and modernity go hand in hand in this incredible city.

Center

IES Abroad Madrid [7]

The IES Abroad Madrid Center is located in the heart of the Universidad Complutense’s main campus, inside the San Agustín residence hall. There are two museums — The Museo de América and the Museo del Traje— within walking distance of the Center. Features include:

High-speed wireless internet and printer access
An outdoor swimming pool
A student lounge and garden
A small gym
A library, classrooms, and offices

Center staff:

Elvira Munoz
IES Abroad Madrid Director
Elvira Muñoz, Director, IES Abroad Madrid, served a two-year appointment as Associate Director for the Education Abroad Program at the University of California Madrid. Her association with the University of California began at UCLA, where she was a Lecturer and Associate Undergraduate Vice Chair of the Mathematics Department, 2000-2002, and Visiting Assistant Professor, 1995-2000. She received two Distinguished Teaching awards during her career at UCLA. She also has taught mathematics at State University of New York at Stony Brook, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, and Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Mathematics from Université Paris XI, and a B.S. in Mathematics from Universidad de Salamanca. Her considerable experience abroad also includes work and study in Germany, Sweden, and Brazil.

IES Abroad Staff

María José Cacho
Assistant Administration and Student Services

Marta Camacho
Academic Advisor

Yolanda Charlán
Student Affairs Coordinator

Angel López
Student Affairs Coordinator

Gemma Muñoz Garcia
Senior Academic and Internship Coordinator

Yolanda Real
Assistant Director of Administration

Faculty

Fernando Alonso
Economics
Doctor en Ciencias Económicas, Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Montserrat Alonso Cuenca,
Spanish
M.A. en Filología Hispánica

Juana Anadón Benedicto,
History
Doctora en Historia, Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Josefina Blanca Armenteros,
Art History
Licenciada en Geografía e Historia

Epicteto Díaz
Spanish Literature
Doctor en Filología Hispánica Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Rafael Fernández Sánchez,
Economics
Doctor en Ciencias Económicas Profesor, Universidad Alfonso X el Sabio

Antonia Fernández Valencia,
History
Doctora en Historia, Profesora, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Emilio García
Spanish Film
Doctor en Historia del Cine, Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Javier Huerta Calvo,
Spanish Literature
Doctor en Filología Hispánica Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Cristina Iborra Mateo,
Spanish Language
M.A. en Periodismo
Licenciada en Filología Inglesa

Fernando Luengo Escalonilla,
Economics
Doctor en Ciencias Económicas, Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Amalia López Salso,
Spanish Language and Literature
M.A., Humanities, Southern Methodist University; Licenciada en Ciencias Biológicas

Beatriz Mariño
Art History
Doctora en Historia del Arte, Profesor

Ana Martín Pascual,
Spanish
Licenciada en Filología Hispánica, Advanced Certificate Latin American Literature

José Manuel Matilla Rodríguez,
Art History
Licenciado en Geografía e Historia, Conservador del Departamento de Dibujos y Estampas, Museo del Prado

José Antonio Nieto Solís,
Economics
Doctor en Ciencias Económicas, Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

María Pardo Serrano,
Spanish Language
Licenciada en Geografía e Historia

Aurora Pastor Martínez,
Theater Performance
Licenciada en Ciencias Políticas, Actress

Emilio Peral Vega
Spanish Literature
Doctor en Filología Hispánica

Emilio Peral Vega,
Spanish Literature
Doctor en Filología Hispánica

Juan Carlos Pereira Castañares,
Contemporary History
Doctor en Historia, Profesor, Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Cost