Please note, admission to this program is subject to enrollment capacity. Students in the School of Engineering have priority in enrollment. 

We encourage advance planning and research to ensure that a program is a good fit for your academic, personal, and career goals. Given the limited enrollment capacity, students applying to CIEE Madrid should submit their application early, and are strongly encouraged to have a back-up study abroad application.

*Please note: there is a MANDATORY advising requirement for this program that must be completed before the application deadline*

Alternative Study Abroad Programs:
University of York (IFSA-Butler) (for Economics, and Social Sciences)
CIEE Seoul: Arts and Sciences (for CS, STEM, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences)
University of New South Wales (IFSA -Butler) (for CS, Economics, STEM, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences)
American University of Paris (for CS, Economics, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences)
IFSA Prague Tech Accelerator/Tech Accelerator Pus (for CS)

For more information about alternative study abroad programs, please contact the study abroad program advisor.

Program Overview: 

In this program facilitated by CIEE, students can experience a hybrid of study center classes and take classes at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). Students may also take non-engineering courses at UC3M such as economics, business administration, biological sciences, communication studies, international studies, political science, and sociology. Studying and living in Spain's largest city offers students many possibilities for soaking up Spanish culture and exploring on your own or in a group. CIEE staff are onsite to support our students, provide guidance, and provide extra-or co-curricular activities and excursions.

Academic Structure and Course Registration: 

• UC3M is known as the Harvard of Madrid, so students can expect coursework to be academically challenging or on par with Vanderbilt's academic rigor. 
• Course registration will occur on site after you arrive and classes are NOT guaranteed. Final course registration can take up to a month to be finalized and this is very typical for the host university Universidad de Carol III de Madrid (UC3M).
• The 1-credit hour STEM tutorial is NOT credit-bearing at Vanderbilt and will not count towards your overall credit hours.
• To access UC3M's majors and course listings click here.

Program Dates:

• For the fall semester, the program runs from early-September until early-December.
• For the spring semester, the program runs from late January until the first week of June. Early departure from the program is not allowed during the spring semester.
• If you plan to have a summer internship, please be mindful of this restriction and consider alternative programs as needed.

Housing and Commute Times:

CIEE Madrid offers many housing options to maximize your study abroad experience, including homestay, student residence halls or shared apartments. By default students are placed in standard housing, but they can choose to upgrade their housing to Select Housing or Select Housing Plus for an additional fee paid to CIEE. Upgraded housing is NOT guaranteed. Therefore, even if students select this option, they may not be placed in upgraded housing. 

Commuting is a large part of everyday life in Madrid and the city is very accessible with great public transportation: trains, buses, taxis, etc. The average commute time in  can be up to 70 minutes from your housing accommodation. For more up-to-date information about housing, refer to CIEE's website here.

Visa Process:

A student visa is required to study in Spain for U.S. passport holders (students holding passport of other nationalities should consult the Spanish consulate regarding visa requirements). Visa application process will occur after you have been accepted to the program. Key items to note:

• The visa process can take 5-8 weeks after submission of application.
• Students must surrender/give up their passport during the visa process. Spring study abroad applicants are advised to not schedule international travel between October - December.