Global Education

Program Dates:

Fall 2023: August 28th – December 2rd

Spring 2024: January 22nd – June 5th

Fall 2024: (Tentative) August 26th – December 21st

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 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 student language level – regular university classes are open to Spanish and other international students. Engineering School courses are taught in English and follow 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

3.0 G.P.A. There are no specific language requirements for this program.

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 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, public transport and have independent dining halls and laundry facilities. Meals, kitchen access and laundry are not included in the program fee. Students have the option to 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. Depending on room size and availability, students will be placed in single or double rooms. 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.

Fees & Costs

Students pay Allegheny tuition, double room (homestay option), meal plan C (if choosing homestay option), and an off campus study fee of $800. Allegheny financial aid, except work/study, is applied to program costs. Tuition includes housing, international travel insurance (CIEE iNext), orientation, field trips, and transcript administration fees. Allegheny students do not have to pay the program deposit requested by CIEE. Estimated additional costs include: meals (if in apartment housing), CIEE application fee, books and supplies (approx. $300), international airfare & local transportation ($1650), visa fees ($160) and possible travel to consulate for visa, and personal expenses.

Visa & Immigration information

All students are required to have a visa for 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. The Allegheny approval application deadline is February 20 for fall programs and September 20 for spring programs. 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.