Courses and Credits

All Skidmore in Madrid students take courses at both our Program Center and at the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (UAH). All courses are taught entirely in Spanish. The courses offered at the Center — one advanced language course and two area studies courses — are specifically designed for our students and are taught in either our main Center in Madrid or in our space at UAH. Each student is required to enroll in one area studies course, while the advanced language course is optional. The advanced language course is, however, highly recommended for most participants.

In addition to the courses offered at the Program Center, students choose one to four courses at the UAH. The UAH is considered a mid-sized public university, with over 26,000 students including undergraduates, graduates,  post-graduates, and about 1,000 international students. The main UAH campus where our students study is situated in the city of Alcalá, which is located a mere 18 miles east of Madrid. The Skidmore Program Office is housed on the UAH campus. The academic structure of the UAH consists of nine facultades, or "schools": Biology, Environmental Sciences, Business and Economics, Law, Information Science, Pharmacy, Philosophy and Arts, Medicine (both Medicinal Studies and Physical Activity & Sport Sciences), and Chemistry.

In addition to courses offered at UAH there are a number of other courses in art, dance, and Italian language offered at private studios and academies of quality and solid professional standards.

Participants are expected to carry a full course load of 14 to 17 Skidmore credits per semester. All course work taken in Madrid is reported on a Skidmore College transcript. For Skidmore students, grades are computed in the cumulative GPA, and may use all 300-level credits taken in Madrid toward fulfilling Skidmore's "maturity-level" credit requirement. Non-Skidmore students should check with their home campus for credit transfer details before applying to the program.

 

Courses at the Universidad de Alcalá

OCSE provides a selection of translated UAH course descriptions for those courses that have either been taken by past program participants or that correspond to the usual areas of interest demonstrated by our students. NOTE: These courses may not be available every year or every semester, and likewise many other courses are offered at the university which are not listed here. Students should consult the UAH Web page listing the university's various departments to find additional asignaturas (courses).

* Please also note that the university system in Spain is in the midst of some major changes under the Bologna Plan, and as a result some UAH course titles may have recently changed or have been eliminated altogether. We are updating our translated listing as best we can upon discovery of such changes.

Skidmore in Alcalá participants are currently eligible for UAH courses offered in the "primer ciclo" or "segundo ciclo." Please be sure you are only considering courses from the primer or segundo ciclo.

Internships

Internships are available only for full-year participants, in the spring semester, in a variety of non-profit organizations, museums, schools, and business. Past students have interned at places such as the Museo del Prado, the Spanish Commission for the Aid of Refugees, the Red Cross, Hot English Magazine, Kaplan, the Fulbright Commission, and many others. Interested students should contact the OCSE Program Manager for Skidmore in Madrid.

Individual and Group Tutorials

All classes offered at the UAH are taught in Spanish and are part of the regular curriculum. In order to facilitate our students' comprehension and integration into the European academic system, individual and group help is offered by the program and can be used by students for up to three hours weekly per class for reviewing class notes, clarifying points in doubt, and preparing for exams and papers. Students can also use tutors for an additional three hours to assist with grammar and spelling review in their papers before turning them in to Spanish professors.

Activity Courses

In addition to courses offered at UAH there are a number of activity courses in art, dance, music, and physical education offered at private studios and academies of quality and solid professional standards.