Madrid, Spain: Spanish Language and Culture

*** Info Session: Thursday, February 29 at 4 p.m. ***

Sharpen your Spanish language skills and settle into the Spanish pace of life in Madrid, the stunning cosmopolitan capital of Spain. In this program, you will immerse yourself in day-to-day madrileña life, while earning UC Berkeley credit. You can satisfy language requirements, including credit toward your minor or major, or just make progress toward a personal goals of speaking fluent Spanish and learning about Spanish culture.

On weekends, the safe and efficient public transportation system will get you anywhere you would like to go. The World Heritage Site of Toledo and Segovia, with its Roman aqueduct, are about an hour away; in about two hours, the high-speed train (AVE) will get you to Barcelona, Valencia or Malaga; on the Mediterranean coast or transport you back in time to Córdoba, whose 8th century mosque (today a mosque-cathedral) was considered a wonder of the medieval world. 

Highlights include:

• Staying at a student residence in the historic center of Madrid
• Guided visits to Retiro Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and to sections of the city where Spain’s Islamic past and today’s controversial monuments are equally in evidence.
• A flamenco show
• Art museums, including the Prado and the Reina Sofía

Dates:

In Madrid: 

• June 1 – July 6, 2024

Dates are subject to change.

Courses:

There are three different tracks for this program. Each track includes two courses for a total of 6 UC Berkeley units. 

Track 1

• SPANISH N3: Intermediate Spanish (5 units) + SPANISH 16: Contemporary Culture (1 unit)

Track 2

• SPANISH N4: Intermediate Spanish (5 units) + SPANISH 16: Contemporary Culture (1 unit)

Track 3

• Spanish N102C: Advanced Composition (3 units) + Spanish 122: Spanish Culture and Civilization (3 units)

Language of Instruction: Spanish & English

Requirements Satisfied by this Program:

• L&S International Studies Breadth
• Additional Breadths TBA
• All courses offered in this program are equivalent to the classes taught on Berkeley’s campus and are accepted for major/minor requirements that they fulfill. 
• Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements courses may fulfill.

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Eligibility:

• At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
• 2.0 GPA or higher
• Must be 18+ years old at the time of application
• May not be on academic probation or under censure for student misconduct at any point from application review to the end of your program.
• Must have completed Spanish 2 (at UCB) or the equivalent courses/AP scores. See "Courses" tab for more details.

Housing:

• You will stay in the historic center of Madrid in a stately old home, which has been converted into a student residence dormitory in the heart of Madrid. You will share a room with another program participant in a double. Bathrooms are shared with 1 - 2 other rooms, in apartment- style arrangements. Cleaning and laundry services are provided. Singles can be requested for an extra cost (availability not guaranteed). Please note, due to in-country policies, students will be paired with roommates based on the “sex” listed on their passports. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to the program staff.
   

Food:

• Three home cooked meals are provided per day (including weekends) by the residence staff. 

• Please note that because of the home-cooked nature of the meals, vegetarian options are available but limited. Vegan options are extremely limited in the residence but possible to find outside the residence.

Application:

Application opens February 1, 2024

• Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
• Deadline to apply is March 13, 2024

Courses

Please note that all classes offered in this program are equivalent to the classes taught on Berkeley’s campus and are accepted for the major/minor requirements that they fulfill. The upper division classes require at least five semesters of college Spanish (or equivalent), including Spanish 25. For any questions regarding placement or program content, please contact Spanish & Portuguese Undergraduate Advisor Max Moloney, spanua@berkeley.edu, and cc Program Director Donna Southard, dsouth@berkeley.edu.
 

Note: There are three different tracks for this program. Each track includes two courses for a total of 6 UC Berkeley units.

• Track 1: SPANISH N3: Intermediate Spanish (5 units) + SPANISH 16: Contemporary Culture (1 unit)
• Track 2: SPANISH N4: Intermediate Spanish (5 units) + SPANISH 16: Contemporary Culture (1 unit)
• Track 3: Spanish N102C: Advanced Composition (3 units) + Spanish 122: Spanish Culture and Civilization (3 units)

Language of Instruction: Spanish

Course: Spanish N3

Title: Low-mid Intermediate Spanish

Instructor: Luis Pascual Sánchez Cordero

Units: 5 units

Prerequisites: Minimum GPA of 2.0 in Sp 2 or equivalent

This is an intensive version of the same course taught on campus with adjustments to cultural content to focus on Spain. It meets four days a week from 10am to 1pm and there will be 2-3 evening activities for visits to the Prado and Reina Sofía museums and a flamenco show. Class will be conducted in Spanish and used primarily for oral communication activities. You will learn the language through listening, speaking, reading and writing in contextualized situations, developing from low- to mid-intermediate written and oral proficiency. This active approach will help you interpret the world in new ways and develop your critical thinking skills as you engage with the language, investigating, experiencing and discussing  social and cultural issues of concern in Spain today. Grammar is part of the course, but not taught explicitly. You will be expected to watch video tutorials and study grammar concepts on your own, and then apply these concepts, along with the vocabulary, to interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication.
 

Course: Spanish N4

Title: Intermediate Spanish

Instructor: Donna Southard

Units: 5 units

Prerequisites: Minimum GPA of 2.0 in Sp 3 or equivalent

This is an intensive version of the same course taught on campus with adjustments to cultural content to focus on Spain. It meets four days a week from 10am to 1pm and there will be 2-3 evening activities for visits to the Prado and Reina Sofía museums and a flamenco show. Class will be conducted in Spanish and used primarily for oral communication activities. You will learn the language through listening, speaking, reading and writing in contextualized situations, developing from mid- to high-intermediate written and oral proficiency. This active approach will help you interpret the world in new ways and develop your critical thinking skills as you engage with the language, investigating, experiencing and discussing  social and cultural issues of concern in Spain today. Grammar is part of the course, but not taught explicitly. You will be expected to watch video tutorials and study grammar concepts on your own, and then apply these concepts, along with the vocabulary, to interpersonal, interpretive and presentational modes of communication.

Course: Spanish N16

Title: Contemporary Spanish Culture

Instructor: Donna Southard and Luis Pascual Sánchez Cordero

Units: 1 unit

This is a one-unit course offered in conjunction with SP N3 or SP N4. Each week you will have the opportunity to learn about Spanish culture through a combination of guest speakers and guided tours of significant historical areas and modern institutions of Madrid, such as:  

• Islamic Madrid
• Retiro Park and Plaza Mayor
• Fascist monuments in Moncloa-Universidad
• Espacio de Igualdad Nieves Torres (Center for the empowerment of women)
  
   

Course: Spanish N102C

Title: Advanced Writing Workshop

Instructor: Soledad Luque Delgado

Units: 3 units

Prerequisites: Applicants must have completed SPANISH 25 or the equivalent with a 2.0 GPA by the start of the program

This course presents a multifaceted vision of Spain’s capital. Each week centers on a different social aspect to develop reading, aural comprehension and writing skills. Students will focus on different types of writing each week: description and narration, argumentation, journalism, essay and chronicle, as well as speeches.

Course: Spanish 122

Title: Spanish Culture and Civilization

Instructor: Óscar Perea-Rodríguez

Units: 3 units

Prerequisites: Applicants must have completed SPANISH 25 or the equivalent with a 2.0 GPA by the start of the program

This course is an introduction to the construction of modern Spain through the study of a variety of texts – literary, film, visual arts, pop music – in moments of conflict. We will analyze these works, through which writers and artists have manifested their vision of the conflicts of their times. The class will meet twice a week: one day will be devoted to lectures and other activities in the classroom and one day will take place outside the classroom, as we explore the cityscape to incorporate cultural content as part of an active learning process. The writing produced for Spanish N102C will complement the content covered in this course. 

Requirements Satisfied by this Program:

• L&S International Studies Breadth
• SP N3 and N4 tracks satisfy L&S Foreign Language Requirement
• Upper Division Track satisfies L&S Arts and Literature Breadth
• Courses offered in this program are equivalent to the classes taught on Berkeley’s campus and are accepted for major/minor requirements that they fulfill. 
• Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements courses may fulfill.

Note: Requirements above must be satisfied through full participation (all courses must be completed with C-/P or better)

Course Enrollment

Note: Summer Abroad staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

Costs 2024

Tuition and Program Fee

The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

Fees are subject to change. All non-Berkeley  students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $68.

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses

In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated costs for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer.  Students can request a financial aid package estimate to understand what their individual financial aid package will look like. We recommend all financial aid eligible students request a financial aid estimate.

​​Requesting a financial aid package estimate: If you wish to receive a financial aid package estimate, please fill out this form (CalNet Authentication required). You will receive an email with your financial aid estimate (please allow a minimum of one week for response).

If you have a specific question about a study abroad financial aid issue you are encountering, please email TravelAid@berkeley.edu. Please do not email to request a financial aid estimate, these requests should be made using the form above. 

All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

Explanation of Fees

Tuition is based on a per unit cost:

• The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit
• The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $595 per unit

The program fee includes* the following items:

• Student housing: For more  information on housing and food covered see the summary tab.
• Excursions, cultural activities and On-site orientation activities
• Travel insurance to cover accident/sickness medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, and other travel assistance services
• Other program-related costs including fees for museum entry, group transportation, etc.
• The $300 deposit. If accepted to the program, the $300 deposit will be applied towards your program fee. If you are waitlisted or denied admission to the program, your deposit will be refunded. If you request to withdraw your application prior to an admission decision being issued, or cancel your participation after being accepted to the program, the deposit remains charged to your account. 

*The list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

The following items are excluded from the program fee and included in the Out of Pocket expenses estimate:

• International airfare
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, routine medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)
• Course materials (textbooks and readers). Contact instructor for clarification.
• Other travel expenses (passport, visa, etc.)

* The pre-departure orientation is mandatory and takes place on the UC Berkeley campus. If you are not on campus during this time, we will schedule a meeting via phone or Zoom.

† Students should plan to fly to Madrid and check into program housing on June 1, 2024. Students are expected to check out of program housing in Madrid on July 6, 2024. Students who depart Madrid after the last day may do so, but they are responsible for arranging their accommodations outside of the program check-in and check-out dates. 

All dates are subject to change.

Program Director: Donna Southard

Email: dsouth@berkeley.edu

Teaches Spanish N4 & Spanish N16

Donna Southard earned a Phd in Hispanic Languages and Literatures from the University of California, Berkeley, as well as an ESL teaching degree from the Autonomous University of Madrid, where she lived for over twenty years. She currently holds the positions of Lecturer and Assistant Director of Language Instruction in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at UCB, where she coordinates Spanish 3 and 4 and regularly teaches both courses. 

Program Assistant: Luis Pascual Sánchez Cordero

Teaches Spanish N3 & Spanish 16

Luis Pascual Sánchez Cordero earned a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literatures with a Designated Emphasis in Film Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Previously, he studied Hispanic Philology in the universities of St Andrews (Erasmus Program) and Valladolid, where he pursued his “Licenciatura” (5-years degree). He has taught at different study abroad & US universities’ programs (Kentucky Institute for International Studies, Berkeley Study Abroad, CIEE - Global Institute Madrid, and University of San Diego Madrid Center) as well as San Diego State University, Berkeley, University of Manchester, University of Sheffield, Universidad Isabel I, Universidad Pontifica de Salamanca, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, and Universidad Internacional de La Rioja. His publications and research fields include the cultural identity of Spain and Andalusia, and Gender Studies in Contemporary Spain’s literature and film.
 

Program Assistant: Oscar Perea-Rodriguez

Teaches Spanish 122

Oscar Perea-Rodriguez earned a PhD in Medieval History from the University Complutense, Madrid. He currently holds the positions of Lecturer in the Department of Spanish & Portuguese at UC Berkeley, where he teaches both lower division language and upper division history and literature courses, and Co-director of PhiloBiblon, the largest database of medieval and early modern sources for the study of Iberian cultures.
 

Program Assistant: Soledad Luque Delgado

Teaches Spanish N102C

Soledad Luque Delgado earned a BA (equivalent) in Spanish Philology at the Autonomous University of Madrid and a Phd (equivalent) at the National University of Distance Education. She currently teaches at the University of Carlos III, Madrid, and for the Middlebury and Duke programs in Madrid. She is a specialist in pronunciation and has published books on the articulation of Spanish sounds.