Carlos III University of Madrid

Unique study opportunities

• Learn in an intimate, welcoming campus atmosphere with local Spanish and international students.
• Take exciting film courses on international journalism, camera directing, radio broadcasting, or documentary video.
• Take advantage of laboratories and computer rooms specifically tailored for students taking engineering courses.

Language

Spanish Language Study: Optional

UC3M offers Spanish language courses from beginner to advanced levels, including a course specifically designed for heritage Spanish speakers. 

Even if you plan to only take courses in English, you will find Spanish language study to be helpful as you navigate living in a Spanish-speaking country. Madrid is an international city and many folks speak English but being able to communicate even with a little Spanish is incredibly useful and could open up more opportunities for getting to know locals.

You will complete a placement exam a couple of months before the start of the program to determine your language level and your ability to take other courses taught in Spanish. An intermediate level of proficiency is required to take classes taught in Spanish.

UC3M has many classes in English. Many degree programs offer half of their courses if not the entire program in English. In particular, international studies, economics, and engineering, have rich offerings in English. You can also study entirely in Spanish or select a mix of classes for a truly bilingual experience. 

Courses and credit

REQUIREMENTS WHILE ABROAD

To successfully complete this program:

• Take a full-time course of study: a minimum of 20.0 quarter/13.1 semester UC units (approximately 24 ECTS credits at UC3M). Most courses are 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units (equivalent to 6 ECTS credits at UC3M).
• You may select up to two courses for pass/no pass, but the combined total units of those courses may not exceed 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units (6 ECTS at UC3M).
• Class attendance is considered mandatory. Absences are only excused in the case of medical reasons with a note from a doctor resident in Madrid.

CURRENT PROGRAM COURSES

There are three types of courses available on this program: regular Carlos III degree courses, mini-cursos, and Hispanic Studies courses, all of which have offerings in English. The combination of courses you choose is up to you as long as you meet the minimum unit requirements.

As a general rule, course offerings for the next academic year are not typically available on the UC3M website until June or July. However, degree requirements do not change much year-to-year so you can use the current year course lists in each degree to get an idea of course availability for the term you are looking to be abroad.

Regular Carlos III Degree Courses

Typically 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units (6 ECTS at UC3M)

UC3M courses are sorted by degree plan. Business, Economics, Political Science, International Studies, Sociology, and Engineering are popular subjects but there are a variety of additional subject areas available. As you search the university course offerings, pay close attention to listed prerequisites, the year of study (e.g., third-year courses will likely assume more background knowledge), and the semester the course is offered.

Mini-Cursos

2.5 quarter/1.7 semester UC units (3 ECTS at UC3M)

Mini-cursos are lower-unit humanities courses. Topics vary by term.

Hispanic Studies and Spanish Language Courses

5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units (6 ECTS at UC3M)

These courses are specifically designed for international students to build Spanish language skills and introduce Spain within the context of the rest of Europe. Hispanic Studies courses are offered in Spanish and English. Courses are typically offered both semesters.

COURSE RESTRICTIONS

International students may not enroll in the following UC3M degrees:

• Applied Mathematics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Biomedical Sciences
• Neuroscience
• 3rd and 4th year courses in Robotics Engineering
• Sciences
• Urban Sustainability Studies

These are joint degrees offered in partnership with other Spanish universities. International students may only enroll in courses taught at UC3M:

• Philosophy, Politics and Economics
• Science, Technology and Humanities

Common UC degrees not offered at UC3M:

• Art
• Art History
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Communication
• Environmental Studies
• Physics
• Psychology

This is not an exhaustive list so please review the UC3M course offerings carefully in order to confirm that coursework you are interested in taking is available.

RESEARCH

Research opportunities are available in the UC3M School of Engineering. See the link in the Catalogs and Resources section below for further information. Please be aware that there is an additional fee for the research lab placements. 

Other independent study and research opportunities or internships are not typically available on this program.

COURSE REGISTRATION AND SELECTION

You will register for UC3M courses once you are on-site in Madrid through the UC3M online student portal. The UCEAP Study Center staff will help you with this process. The portal opens for all students at the same time and spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis so be sure to have a list of courses you want to take before course enrollment opens! Remember that, similar to your UC campus, you are not guaranteed enrollment in UC3M courses. You will need to be flexible and have a back-up course plan if your top course choices are full.

Catalogs and resources

• Trying to decide what Spain program is right for you? Refer to the Spain Comparison Chart and Spain Programs by Degree for additional guidance.
• Regular course offerings (Grados ⇾ Oferta de Titulaciones): The easiest way to look for courses is by looking through the Carlos III degree (grado) pages. Click through the course of study that interests you to get to a page with a “Programa” link that lists current courses, broken down by year (curso) and term (cuatrimestre).
  • Courses with bilingual options (offered in English and Spanish) are noted on these pages in parentheses.
  • Courses in the sciences and engineering can be found by following the different ingeniería links: “Grado en Ingeniería [type]...”  then the Programa link in the center of the following page.
  • NOTE: some study plans are being phased out; ensure that you are looking at the new plans when browsing the course offerings.
• Mini-cursos: use the menu options to display available results in each category.
• Hispanic Studies courses: offered through the UC3M International School. Review videos or syllabus links for additional course details
  • For courses taught in English select Curriculum Plan | English Track
  • For courses taught in Spanish select Curriculum Plan | Spanish Track
  • Courses to learn Spanish language can also be found in the Hispanic Studies English and Spanish tracks. What class level you enroll in will be based on a language placement exam that takes place several months before the start of the program
• UC3M Research Labs: Available for various areas within Engineering
• UCEAP Course Catalog: See a list of courses students have taken on this program. This is not a current representation of course offerings on this program. Reference the above links to review recent course offerings.
• Campus Credit Abroad: Learn the types of credit (major, minor, general education, elective) students from your campus received at this location.

Academic culture

Carlos III University of Madrid is among the top 200 young universities in the world. Core leadership skills are an important part of the curriculum, and the university emphasizes sharing varying perspectives and collaborating to achieve common goals. Good attendance and active participation is a key element to succeeding in your classes and will have an impact on final grades!

CAMPUSES

UC3M has two main campuses: Getafe (where the UCEAP Study Center is located) and Leganés. If you are taking coursework in different facultades, pay attention to what campuses the facultades are located on since you may need to factor travel time between campuses into your course schedule. Transit time between the two campuses takes approximately 30 minutes

DEGREE SYSTEM

Spanish universities traditionally follow a career system, which means that Spanish students begin their studies with their major already selected and take courses that are preassigned within one facultad for their entire university career. Spanish students are, therefore, highly specialized in their fields. Unlike Spanish students, you can take courses in more than one facultad so you have more flexibility to choose courses.

In many respects, Spanish undergraduate degrees are similar to the U.S. American bachelor's degree: students progressively advance through a degree plan over four years, starting with foundational courses, required courses, electives, and a final project.

While not always exact, be aware that many courses designated as básica, particularly those offered for first year (curso 1, or primer curso) students, are considered lower division. Unless you are specifically trying to meet lower division GE requirements, try to avoid enrolling in first year courses whenever possible.

CLASS FORMAT AND EXPECTATIONS

While some professors tend to be more open to interaction, many courses in Spain are lectures with little or no class discussion. Given this lecture format, note-taking skills are important. You’ll also need to do preparatory work on your own outside of class, which may extend beyond what a professor assigns.

Most professors supply a syllabus at the beginning of the course. In some cases these are available online in the guía for each facultad. The syllabus may include a bibliography and reading list that may be extremely long. You probably don’t need to read every book on the list, but you do need to find out which ones are essential and how they relate to each other. You may be expected to know the arguments of important books in the field, since a principle objective of many courses is to master what has already been written on any given topic.

ATTENDANCE

All courses in the UC3M International School (including Hispanic Studies and Spanish language) have specific attendance requirements. If you miss a certain number of classes (even excused absences), it will impact your final grade. Consider this carefully when enrolling in courses.

For all other courses, Spanish professors usually take formal attendance and they’ll notice repeated unexcused absences from class. In many cases, exams concentrate heavily on material presented in class. Failure to regularly attend class can result in a lowered or failing grade. 

ASSESSMENT AND EXAMS

In Spain the GPA is not as important as it is in the US, and the Spanish grading system differs greatly from the U.S. American grading system. Grades for Spanish students are rarely curved, so the performance of a fellow student does not affect another student’s grade. Grades are assigned according to how much of the course material you have mastered, not how much effort you feel you may have put into the class.

Exams are usually essays that may include subjects that were minimally covered in lectures. This is where independent research is critical. Exams may be open notebook or open book, in which case you’ll be expected to read several books and quote from them.

Spanish students know how and at what point in the year or semester the professor will be expecting them to apply themselves and be productive. Do not wait until the end of the year to study for a final exam; it constitutes your entire grade.

If you study at UC3M during fall semester, you may finish your exams in December, but UC3M professors may not share final grades until the completion of the exam period in early February. Your professors will determine the final exam dates and you may not approach them to request earlier exam dates.

If you study at UC3M during spring semester, regular degree course and mini-curso final exams will extend into early June. Again, your professors will determine the final exam dates and you may not approach them to request earlier exam dates. Hispanic Studies and Spanish language course exams finish by mid-May.

Although the Spanish system often allows for multiple final exam sittings (convocatorias), you must take your final exam during the first exam period. UC policies also specifically prohibit re-taking final exams.

Grades

You will earn direct UC credit and grades for all coursework. While UC3M may offer a suggested grade conversion scale, UCEAP uses its own conversion scales approved by UC faculty. 

Fall semester grades are usually available in late March. Spring grades are usually available in early September. 

If you are planning to graduate the same term you are abroad, grades may not arrive in time for fall or spring degree verification deadlines. Please talk with your major academic advisor about your graduation plans.