The Boston University programs in Madrid offer a semester or academic year of intensive language and cultural study in the lively and cosmopolitan city of Madrid, Spain. The programs are designed for students who already have a background in Spanish language, and all courses are taught in Spanish by Spanish faculty or the resident director.

The Madrid Language and Liberal Arts Program offers a semester of study and cultural immersion in Spain’s capital. Students enroll in one of the following: Level I: Intensive Spanish Language, for students at the intermediate level; Level II: Advanced Studies, for students already proficient in the language; and Level III: Honors, a direct university enrollment program for exceptional students with strong Spanish-language skills. Upon successful completion of a semester, students earn 16 Boston University credits.

A second program, the Madrid Internship Program, is offered for those students who are looking to enhance their Spanish language skills while working abroad. In the Madrid Internship Program, students with sufficient language skills take three courses along with an internship and are fully immersed in Spanish work culture. The internship ranges between 15-20 hours per week.

In addition to the regular curriculum, all programs include day and weekend excursions to locations such as Granada, Córdoba, Toledo, Sevilla, and Segovia. Upon successful completion of a semester, students earn 16 Boston University credits.

Download a Madrid Programs one-sheet
Download a Madrid Level I one-sheet
Download a Madrid Level II one-sheet
Download a Madrid Level III one-sheet

Host Institutions

Instituto Internacional en España (Levels I and II)
Home to the offices of the Boston University Madrid Programs, the Instituto Internacional en España was founded in 1892 by a Bostonian, Alice Gordon Gulick. Recently declared a national monument of historical interest, the Instituto is located in the heart of Madrid and has an excellent lending library, cafeteria, auditorium, computer lab with Internet connection, and wireless Internet access for students using laptop computers. All courses at the Instituto Internacional are Boston University courses and are taught in Spanish by Spanish scholars from nearby universities.

Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Levels II and III)
The Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) is a state university founded in 1968. It currently enrolls approximately 30,000 students and hosts international exchanges of students and professors. UAM is widely considered to be one of the premier universities in Spain. Most of the university’s facilities, including libraries, computer labs, and sports facilities, are situated in the 548-acre Cantoblanco Campus, located 15 kilometers north of the center of Madrid, and easily reached by public transportation. Boston University maintains an office on the UAM campus.

The UAM is organized into seven schools (called facultades), which include: Philosophy and Arts, Psychology, Law, Science, Business and Economics, Education, and Biology. In addition, it has administrative services; a sports center; the Institute of Educational Sciences, Music and Languages; and a primary school. All classes are conducted entirely in Spanish, usually meet for three hours per week, and tend to be lecture-style with limited student/professor interaction. Class size varies considerably.

For academic-year students in Level II, spring semester and year-long courses may be taken at UAM. Exams for spring courses take place in early- to mid-June. For more information about the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, please visit their Web site at www.uam.es.