- Location: Spain - Madrid
- GPA Requirements: 3.0 GPA
- Program Structure: Hybrid
- Application Deadline: Fall: January 31 | Spring: August 13
- Program Term(s): Fall, Spring
- Official Website: Engineering + Society in Madrid, Spain (CIEE)
| Term | Start Date | End Date |
| Fall 2024 | August 26th, 2024 | December 21st, 2024 |
| Spring 2025 | January 20th, 2025 | June 4th, 2025 |
| Fall 2025 | September 1st, 2025 | December 20th, 2025 |
These dates are tentative. Confirm program dates before booking travel.
Where: Madrid, Spain
Madrid’s influence in politics, education, science, entertainment, media, fashion, and arts make it an important international metropolis, and a major hub in Southern Europe. Spain’s capital city is also its largest, with a historic center dating back to the Hapsburg Empire, and world-renowned art museums. A huge variety of tapas bars, dance shows, concerts, outdoor parks, soccer matches, ethnic neighborhoods, and contemporary theater and cinema make it a lively place to live and learn.
Academics
The Engineering and Society program is designed for engineering students who want to learn Spanish and gain insight into Spanish and European culture while immersing themselves in Spanish university life. This program allows students with no knowledge of Spanish to take classes at a Spanish university in English in a variety of topics not only in the area of Engineering but in Business, Economics, Sociology, Communications, Political Science, and Law, among others. Choose from CIEE elective courses and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) courses in audiovisual, communication, computer, electrical, electronic, industrial, material, mechanical, telecommunication, and telematics engineering. Engineering courses follow a lecture format for the first four to six weeks then switch to lab work or smaller group sessions. CIEE students may also take Education Abroad courses, which focus on Spanish language and culture. Students can choose to take Study Abroad Program (SAP) courses in English, and/or Curso de Estudios Hispánicos (CEH) courses in Spanish. Students must enroll in a minimum of 4 courses.
Academic Structure
UC3M classes are taken in English or Spanish, depending on the student’s language level – regular university classes are open to Spanish and other international students. Engineering School courses are taught in English and follow a lecture format for the first four to six weeks, and then switch to lab work or smaller group sessions. It’s common for a course coordinator to instruct with a co-teacher who alternates teaching lectures with performing lab research. Most courses also incorporate online coursework.
Course Credit
CIEE courses: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours
CIEE Language Courses: 3 – 4 U.S. semester/4.5 – 6 quarter credits; 45 – 60 contact hours
CIEE Internship: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 100-120 internship placement hours
UC3M courses: 4 U.S. semester/6 quarter credits; 60 contact hours
UC3M International School English-track courses: 4 U.S. semester/6 quarter credits; 60 contact hours
Courses
For a full list of course offerings, visit CIEE’s website here.
Eligibility
Housing & Student Life
Homestays: Hosts range from families to individuals, and they may welcome one or two CIEE students. Each student has a private bedroom and shared kitchen, bathroom, WiFi access, and laundry facilities. Hosts provide breakfast plus one hot meal a day. Students purchase the rest of their meals on a nearby campus.
Residence halls: These modern-style, WiFi-enabled dormitories typically house students in single or double bedrooms and do not have kitchen access. Residence halls are close to supermarkets, restaurants, and public transport and have independent dining halls and laundry facilities. Meals, kitchen access, and laundry are not included in the program fee. Students can purchase dining hall meal plans on their own if offered by the residence hall management.
Shared apartments: Students can live with other CIEE students in apartments and be part of a local community of Spanish neighbors. Students will be placed in single or double rooms depending on room size and availability. Specific municipal noise curfews are in place. Utilities, cleaning, laundry facilities, and internet access are included. Meals are not included. Students prepare meals in their shared kitchen apartments or purchase affordable meals on or off campus.
Visa & Immigration information
All students are required to have a visa to study in Spain. Please consult with CIEE regarding visa processing.
Application Process
Allegheny students must apply for approval to study off-campus from the Global Education office AND apply directly to their chosen program. For this program, students should work on the Allegheny approval application at the same time as the host program application. Please note that the Allegheny approval application deadline for this program is January 31 for fall intake and August 13 for spring intake. Study away approval applications will be reviewed immediately following the appropriate semester deadline. The separate application deadline to apply directly to this program will vary and could be before or after Allegheny’s approval application due date. Check directly on their website (linked at the top of this page) for deadline information. For more information about the study away application process, please visit the application steps page.
Fees & Costs
Below find information on estimated costs for a semester abroad. You will receive a bill from Allegheny College, as you normally would, for the amount shown under “Costs Paid to Allegheny College.” All other study away program costs will be paid directly to a non-Allegheny entity and are listed in part two below. These amounts are estimates and will vary depending on individual choices. A total estimated cost of attendance for this program is shown at the bottom.
All financial aid awards can be applied to study abroad costs with the exception of federal work study awards and certain tuition exchange scholarships. For more information, visit our page about Financing Study Away.
Part One: Costs Paid to Allegheny College
| Tuition (12 to 20 credits) Students do not pay tuition directly to CIEE. Instead, students continue to pay tuition to Allegheny College. This fee includes academic related expenses, CIEE iNext travel insurance, CIEE deposit. |
$27,930 |
| Housing – Double Room Rate – Includes CIEE Standard Housing in a homestay, student dorm, or shared apartment. |
$3,675 |
| Meals – Gator Blue Plan – Two meals a day during the week are included in the homestay option. This fee is not charged if students are in a residence hall or shared apartment and instead students pay for meals on their own on-site. |
$3,375 |
| Study Away Fee | $800 |
| SUBTOTAL Paid to Allegheny College | $35,780 |
Part Two: Costs Paid to non-Allegheny Entity
| Estimated Cost of Additional Food – Students in the homestay pay for their own lunch. Students in apartments and residence halls pay for all meals on their own and should instead budget $300/month for groceries or more if eating out |
$1,330 |
| Estimated Airfare | $1,200 |
| Estimated Local Transportation | $125 |
| Estimated Books & Supplies | $50 |
| Estimated Immigration and Visa Expenses | $160 |
| Estimated Personal Expenses Personal expenses include: the basic expenses for laundry, toiletries and other incidental expenses. It does not include an estimate for personal travel, entertainment or social outings. |
$250 |
| SUBTOTAL Paid to NON-Allegheny entity | $3,115 |
TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE
| Subtotal Part One: Fees paid to Allegheny College (in section 1. above) PLUS | $35,780 |
| Subtotal Part Two: Fees paid to non-Allegheny entity (in section 2. above) | $ 3,115 |
| TOTAL COST OF ATTENDANCE | $38,895 *** |
| ***Compare this to a semester at Allegheny in Meadville. |
NOTES:
Study Away Fee includes: administrative support, transcript translation and processing, pre-departure orientation, and emergency travel insurance.