Madrid Study Abroad

Choose your paella ingredients while strolling through Madrid's fish market. See how Diego Velázquez used light in his “Las Meninas (The Maids of Honors)” masterpiece at the Prado Museum. Study flamenco dancing with a master. Gain insight into the intricacies of Spanish and European finance.

These are just some of the possibilities if you study abroad in Madrid.

Most programs in Madrid are affiliated with colleges and universities around the world. Students enroll for a semester or a full year to earn credits towards a degree.

Syracuse University's Madrid Program is an example of a year-long college study abroad program. It gives students a rich immersion in Spanish life and awards course credits at the same time.

Students attend several "pre-session" seminars in Spain to learn about its culture, economy and history. Afterward, they move in with a host family while they attend Syracuse's Madrid campus. Students are also expected to work as interns at a Madrid business and get involved with campus activities and clubs during their time abroad.

Some other study abroad programs are run by independent agencies. The Council on International Educational Exchange offers study abroad opportunities to high school and college students and teachers. CIEE coordinates its program in Madrid through the Universidad Carlos III. Students stay in off-campus apartments with a local host coordinator, but they fully participate in campus life. They also take field trips and go on outings so they can experience everyday Spanish life in and outside of Madrid.

But suppose you finished your formal schooling years ago and you have fallen in love with some aspect of Madrid’s culture. You want to learn more about it. Are you out of luck? Do you have to enroll in college again to study abroad?

Not necessarily. Businesses and educational institutions recognize they can tap new markets by encouraging people to study abroad on an individual basis.

For instance, companies such as Cactus Language Worldwide and World Link Education offer programs combining language and flamenco instruction. Cactus conducts its language programs through the Madrid campus of the University of Southern Mississippi. WLE works with a private school called the Academy of Spanish Studies. Both schools provide the flamenco classes through arrangements with local dance schools and instructors.

If you want to develop your Spanish culinary expertise, dozens of travel companies now offer what might be called "study abroad light" opportunities when it comes to cooking. "Cooking tours" and culinary vacation packages incorporate hands-on cooking lessons in the tour activities.

Many programs include just a day or half-day cooking lesson. However, Quixote's Kitchen is a private school offering a week-long Madrid-based cooking vacation. The "Madrid: Melting Pot of Spain" itinerary includes daily cooking lessons, lectures and field trips to food-related places like outdoor markets, tapas restaurants and the Museo del Jamon ("Museum of Ham") in Madrid.

Most often, though, people who are not earning college credits study abroad in Madrid simply to improve their Spanish language skills and appreciation of the culture. They can turn to private language schools such as Carpe Diem. This school is located on Calle Fuencarral, where the Bilbao, Chueca and Malasana neighborhoods intersect. That puts the school in the middle of some of Madrid's best nightlife, where students can practice the language skills they learn in class during the day.

Some Madrid-based language schools accept students who have either no background in Spanish or only basic skills. Many more require an advanced beginner or intermediate level, because they use the total immersion method of instruction. That requires Spanish to be spoken exclusively. When researching opportunities to study abroad in Madrid, always check to see what level of language skill a program requires.

Also be sure you know what type of visa is required to participate in an internship, work-study or strictly academic program. Travel companies and schools might have this information. U.S. citizens can also visit www.travel.state.gov, which lists visa requirements for every country.

Given its rich heritage, quality educational programs, and easy travel accessibility, Spain's capital city is a logical and rewarding destination for anyone who wants to study abroad.





Sources: www.ciee.org, www.studyabroaddirectory.com, www.spainexchange.com, www.wle-spain.com, www.cactuslanguage.com, www.quixoteskitchen.com, www.carpemadrid.com, www.travel.state.gov