Spain

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St. Lawrence University offers students the opportunity to study for a semester or an academic year in Spain. Program participants will begin their studies with an immersive orientation. The program takes place in Madrid where students they live in homestay families and participate in program-related excursions, Spanish classes, and elective courses. The program is open to students from beginner to advanced Spanish levels. 

  • Based in Madrid.
  • Fall or Spring semester.
  • Academic year- option. Students must meet with Caitlin Hatz to discuss program courses. 
  • Pre-requisites: 2.8 GPA; 1 Spanish class on-campus prior to departure. 
  • Open to beginner and advanced level Spanish speakers, a perfect opportunity to improve language skills for post graduate opportunities in a number of fields. 
  • Elective courses taught in both Spanish or English. Language courses taught in Spanish. 
  • Live with homestay families.
  • Explore estimated additional costs for this program and others.
  • Apply Early Decision for this Program: SLU students who submit their applications to this program in full before December 6th will have their $50 application fee waived and will receive an automatic $100 in additional financial aid. 

Apply to Study in Spain

Location     Academics     Co-Curricular     Housing     Calendar     Orientation      Program Contacts

Location

The program is based in  Madrid and will include an orientation and other field components in other areas of Spain. 

Madrid, Spain’s capital, is a city of four million, and boasts a dynamic cultural and social life. Madrid also provides easy access to more traditional small towns and villages in Segovia and Salamanca. Also within easy reach of Madrid are the historical cities of Avila, El Escorial, Toledo, and the Guadarrama mountains -- popular for skiing, hiking and other sports. Students often comment that "there isn't time to see and do everything in Spain."

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Academics

The Program Director is a member of the St. Lawrence University faculty. The director teaches one SLU unit course related to his/her area of expertise in the context of Spain. In addition to organizing and supervising the academic and co-curricular program, the Director advises students, teaches in fall and spring, helps students with cultural adjustment issues, and is responsible for the work placement course.

In addition to one required Spanish-language course, students all enroll in the Director's course and select three elective courses from the list provided below. These classes are taught in both Spanish or English by faculty from the Universidad de Complutense in Madrid. These professors are well acquainted with US college courses as they teach within the Reunidas program, which is a U.S.-based consortium housed within the Complutense. These courses will be offered if there is sufficient student enrollment.

The courses take full advantage of being in Madrid and Spain, with excursions to several places in Spain, field work in various city neighborhoods, the chance to attend a variety of theatrical performances, and visits to the Prado and other museums.

This program has the ability to direct enroll at the Universidad de Complutense depending on the student's academic interests, preparedness, language ability, and course availability. Students interested in direct enrolling must speak with Caitlin Hatz and the current Director of the Spain program about possibilities. Options may include courses in Spanish language, philosophy, geography, history, and literature to name a few.

Students participating in the Spain semester program can receive up to four units toward the Estudios hispanicos major (provided they do some coursework in Spanish) and up to 2 or more units towards the minor (provided some work is done in Spanish).  If students want to take their elective courses in English they may receive units towards their Estudios hispanicos major or minor, only if they complete their classwork (papers, exams, oral presentations, etc.) in Spanish, and this is dependent upon individual faculty approval. 

Required Courses:

Director course (taught in English and theme changes each year) – SPAN/GOV Special Topics: Deconstructing Spain: The Politics of Museums and Public Spaces (1 unit)

This course turns a political gaze on how the Spanish state paints a picture of Spain and Spaniards through its presentation of cultural sites. The course explores art museums, archeological collections, memorials, monuments, UNESCO world heritage sites, and architecturally significant buildings to identify the narratives that such sites relay about Spanish identity today. By visiting sites in and outside of Madrid, students will learn how to deconstruct a museum exhibit, unpacking its subliminal messages by considering what is included/excluded, how prominently certain artifacts are displayed, how objects are positioned in relation to one another, which catchwords ground the descriptive texts about the objects, and which historical narratives are prioritized. Public monuments exalt key events and persons, teaching a particular version of history that demands scrutiny much as the Confederate monuments in the United States have recently received. Learning to interpret these political narratives will help students understand how a city can be a considered a text, something to be “read” with the same critical mindset that liberal arts students bring to written course readings or audio-visual material.

Spanish Language Course – (.83 unit)

Elective Courses (3 courses between English or Spanish tracks)

ELECTIVES TAUGHT IN ENGLISH 

Classes are taught in English, both fall and spring.

ELECTIVES TAUGHT IN SPANISH

Fall Semester Only

Spring Semester Only

ND 480: Internship with Seminar
(1 unit; For full-year students only)

This is a semester-long internship option for academic year participants that is conducted during the spring semester. Every attempt is made to match the internship assignment to the individual's interests. If there are no internships available, full-year students will take 3 electives instead of 2 or will do an independent study with the Director. 

The internship period complements the class work of the regular courses taken during the program and is designed to be a challenging personal and professional experience. During the internship, students remain under the supervision of the program and continue to reside with the Spanish families. They participate in a seminar and carry out required writing assignments and oral presentations. They are also required to participate in several cultural activities such as visits to museums, films, theater or book presentations in the city of Madrid. The final grade for the internship is based on work submitted for the seminar, the evaluation of the internship supervisor of the host organization, and the program director's evaluation of the student's work in the seminar and at the sponsoring organization.

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Co-curricular

Field trips, cultural events and other activities organized by the program complement the classes and are planned with the goal of furthering the students' understanding of Spanish culture. Recent field trips have been to Valencia on the east coast of Spain, Extremadura, Andalucía, and to Bilbao in the north. 

In addition to field trips to various parts of Spain, the program organizes group visits within the capital itself. The cost of all scheduled group activities is included in the comprehensive fee. Students are also reimbursed, according to program guidelines, for attendance at cultural activities of their own choosing.

English conversation groups are available between program participants and local university students in an effort to bring both groups together. Students are encouraged to do volunteer work in Madrid. 

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Housing

The home stays with Spanish families constitute one of the most fulfilling experiences offered by the program, as they provide a pleasant and supportive atmosphere for the students. Homes are located throughout Madrid and are usually within a fifty-minute commute from school. Family make-up and homes vary in background and composition. Students are expected to be sensitive to cultural differences and open to understanding and sharing fully in the life of the Spanish family. When possible, the program includes families in program activities. All meals are taken with the family.

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Calendar

The Fall semester typically begins in late August and ends in mid-December. The Spring semester typically begins in early/mid-January and ends in mid-May.

Fall 2025

August 

Sunday 24: Departure from U.S.

Monday 25: Orientation In Malaga

Tuesday 26- September 1: Intensive Language Course

Saturday 30: Program Excursion

September

Tuesday 2: Transportation to Madrid

Wednesday 3: Program Orientation at Reunidas 

Monday 8: Courses begin

Friday 19: Scheduled Academic Visit 

October

Thursday 4- Friday 5: Program Excursion

Wednesday 22-Tuesday 28: Mid-Term Exams

November

Friday 1: National Holiday

Monday 10: Holiday in Madrid  

Friday 14: Scheduled Academic Visit 

December

Friday 5: National Holiday

Monday 8: National Holiday

Wednesday 10: Ceremony at Reunidas 

Thursday 11: Last day of classes 

Monday 15-Friday 19: Final Examinations 

Saturday 20: Fall Students Depart for the U.S.;  Christmas Break for Academic Year Students 

Spring 2026

January

Tuesday 6: National Holiday 

Wednesday 8: Internship Begins for Academic Year Students 

Saturday 10: Spring Students Departure from U.S.

Saturday 11: Arrival in Spain

Sunday 19: Orientation begins in Malaga

Monday 12-Friday 16: Intensive Language Course in Malaga

Saturday 17: Program Excursion 

Monday 19: Transportation to Madrid

Tuesday 20: Program Orientation at Reunidas

Monday 26: Classes begin

February

Friday 6: Scheduled Academic Visit

Friday 27-Sunday 1: Program Excursion

March

Wednesday 11- Tuesday 17: Mid-Term Exams

April

Friday 27-Monday 6: Spring Break

Friday 17: Scheduled Academic Visit 

May

Friday 1: National Holiday 

Tuesday 12: Ceremony at Reunidas

Thursday 14: Last day of classes 

Monday 18-Friday 22: Final Examinations

May 23: Program ends and return to the U.S.

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Orientation

Pre-departure: The CIIS office organizes in depth orientation sessions on-campus prior to the students participation in the program. This includes a program specific session(s) in which the students will learn more about the program, local culture, academic expectations, and any other important information. There is also an orientation session lead by the CIIS office on culture shock, and what to expect, as well as safety and security while abroad.

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Program Contacts

If you are interested in learning more about the Spain program please contact one of the following people.

CIIS Coordinator: Caitlin Hatz, Director of Off-Campus Programs- Questions about program academics, eligibility, program logistics, and other off-campus opportunities.

Faculty Coordinator: Dr. Pedro Ponce - Questions about academics

Apply to Study in Spain

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