USD in Madrid
The University of San Diego in Madrid program is coordinated and managed exclusively by the USD Office of International Studies Abroad. As an extension of the University of San Diego, USD in Madrid semester program offers similar courses to those offered on the San Diego campus and provides students with on-site support from USD faculty and staff who work in our Madrid office. Please explore this page for all details regarding this unique program.
Academics
The program offers courses across several disciplines including Spanish, art history, business, communication studies, history, political science, theology and religious studies, and engineering. All courses offered in Madrid are USD courses and will transfer back seamlessly to fulfill credit requirements for majors, minors and core. USD students attend classes with other USD students and those whom have advanced Spanish language skills may also choose to enroll in courses offered by Universidad Pontificia Comillas.
Course Requirements and Course Offerings
All students are required to enroll in one Spanish language course and the travel seminar, where students can choose to receive credit in either Spanish, history, art history, political science, or business (see below for more details about the required travel seminar).
USD courses are all taught in English by local faculty who have extensive experience teaching in Madrid and, therefore, all courses are infused with site specific information relevant to the course content. All students are required to take a minimum of 15 units during the academic semester (excluding the Travel Seminar). To determine which courses are available in Madrid, visit the USD in Madrid Program page.
Travel Seminar
The Travel Seminar is a very attractive component of the program in Madrid. The Seminar offers students an academic and culturally intense opportunity to travel throughout Spain with area specialists. This is an academic course that travels throughout Spain, coupling cultural sight visits with guest lecturers as well as company visits. The Seminar includes travel to the following destinations. Please view the USD in Madrid Program page for specific details.
- Toledo
- Segovia
- El Escorial
- Valle de los Caídos
- Granada
- Sevilla
- Córdoba
- Barcelona
In the Travel Seminar, students can choose to receive academic credit for one of the following courses: SPAN 394, BUSN 494, POLS 494 or HIST 354. To learn more about this unique feature of the program, please see the Travel Seminar Calendar.
Activities/Excursions
Madrid is one of the most livable capital cities in the world. Festive and friendly, this modern, fast-paced political and financial center of one of Europe's most ancient countries has managed to preserve the old while embracing the new. The city offers an abundance of opportunities to participate in Spain's rich cultural life. Its central location offers easy access to Spanish cities in every direction.
Throughout the semester, the USD Office in Madrid will inform students about interesting activites taking place in the city. Additional planned and guided excursions are planned during some weekends and holiday breaks. Please check in with the USD Office in Madrid for information about upcoming excursions.
Additional Excursion - Spring 2013 semester only
GREAT EUROPEAN CITIES TOUR- LONDON, PARIS & BERLIN
Note: a minimum enrollment of 25 students must be met
Students participating in the USD in Madrid during the SPRING semester have the opportunity to tour some of the most important cities in all of Europe: London, Paris, and Berlin. This trip is INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM FEE (available to students at no additional cost). The tour includes the following:
- Two nights in each city
- Hotel with breakfast
- All tours
- Program-related activities
- Inter-city transport
Housing
All students participating in the USD in Madrid program live off-campus with host families. Students may request to live alone with a host family or students can be housed with up to two other roommates. Breakfast and dinner are included.
Students have declared that the host family experience was one of the best parts of their entire time abroad. Host families don't just provide a roof over your head and meals on the table, they provide an insider's perspective to life in Madrid and integrate you into their family by including you in social events as well as daily life activities.
For security reasons, students are not permitted to find their own housing arrangements outside of the USD-contracted families.
USD Office in Madrid
USD maintains an office on-site in Madrid staffed by our Academic Director as well as our housing and student activities staff. The entire staff is available to assist USD students at any time during their stay abroad.
| Name | Position |
Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Carlos Burgos, Ph.D. | Academic Director | burgos@sandiego.edu |
| Marisol Garcia | Housing Coordinator | info@madrid-housing.com |
Office Location:
University of San Diego, Madrid
Alberto Aguilera, 23 ED 421
28008 Madrid
Phone: +34 915422800 (Ext. 2217)
