University of Alcalá de Henares–Madrid, Spain

Madrid is located in the heart of Spain at 2,100 feet (660 meters) above sea level and is home to a population of about 6.5 million inhabitants in the capital region with 3.5 coming from the metropolitan area. The climate is hot in the summer and cool in the winter due to the mountains directly to the north. Its palaces, museums, and art galleries provide a feast for modern culture lovers. This capital city prides itself on its vibrant cultural lifestyle, gastronomy, and rich history. 

The city of Alcalá de Henares is located 30 km (18.5 mi) northeast of Madrid on the Castilian Plateau. The city center remains medieval with winding cobblestone streets surrounding the city’s main square, Plaza de Cervantes while housing a bustling population of 200,000. Alcalá is best known as the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, author of the celebrated Don Quixote, as well as our partner University, Instituto Franklin-Universidad Alcalá de Henares. (IF-UAH)

This is a fall or spring program:

• The fall term runs early-September until mid-December. This group departs together in early September and is home for Christmas break. 
• The spring term runs from mid-January until late April. Spring semester students will depart together in mid-January and return in April with a Spring break during the semester.

This program has two tracks:

The Spanish Intensive Track is designed for Spanish majors and Spanish minors.

The English Track is designed for other majors but mostly business students (however other majors may apply). Both tracks are available to students in the fall and spring semesters, and it is possible for students to take courses from both tracks while in this program.

Please check to see what courses Franklin is offering during the time in which you would like to study abroad.

Spanish Intensive Track

• Students will take up to five classes in Spanish designed to improve their knowledge of Spanish language and culture.
• All Spanish majors and minors are required to take at least one additional Spanish course upon their return to Loyola to complete their program.
• All Spanish majors and minors must take half of their major or minor requirements at Loyola (Majors 6/11 courses at LUM, Minors 3/6 courses at LUM).

English Track

• This program is designed for non-Spanish majors and minors and accommodates mostly business students (however other majors may apply).
• Students must take at least one Spanish language or Spanish culture course. 

*All grades from abroad are transferred and calculated into your Loyola GPA; no courses can be taken as pass/fail.

This program includes:

• Tuition and housing (students choose between a home stay with a local family or living in the dorm).
• Meal with host family or meal plans in the dorm.
• Local Spanish University insurance.
• Cultural excursions and special meals in Spain.
• Health insurance while in Spain.

*Applicable visa fees and costs are incurred by the student.

Students will be supported by our full-time director, Maria José Lopez Pozo, who has been with the program for more than 25 years. Maria José Lopez Pozo is a Madrid-based professor that not only works with our students on all aspects of their study abroad experience (questions, concerns, illnesses, travel,  and homestays) but also teaches a few of the required courses for our students. Maria José will help students get acclimated to their new surroundings and direct them to the appropriate personnel or office that can assist them with any questions they may have. 

Students will experience a similar class setting to Loyola (small seminar-style classes). However, students must be prepared for a more independent semester and typically grades consist of a midterm and final exam only. Both semester programs are designed to accommodate Spanish majors and minors. Spanish Minors must complete Spanish 201 before going abroad; Spanish majors must complete Spanish 203 before going abroad. Students will take five courses during their study abroad program.

The English track is available both in fall and spring semesters. In addition to business or Spanish courses, students can also take upper core classes in the program. All students are required to take a Spanish language or Spanish culture course (which may return to Loyola as a Free Elective).

Homestay

To assist students in their language and cultural development, students are encouraged to live with a host family in Alcalá.

• Host families are centrally located to the university within a 5- or 20-minute walk to campus.
• Students may choose if they want to live alone or with another Loyola student.
• Homestay families are selected by the University of Alcalá; Loyola has worked with the same families since the inception of the program. These host families have been carefully and thoroughly interviewed. Host families are diverse and can vary from a single mom to an older couple to a retired woman. Students do not find out their host families until about two-four weeks before they leave the United States. It is normal for students to feel a bit nervous about living with a host family, but the majority of students have come back saying it was their favorite part of their study abroad experience.
• Two meals per day are included as part of the homestay program, this gives students the ability to practice their Spanish and see and live the daily life of Spaniards.
• Laundry once a week is provided as part of the homestay program.
• Please keep in mind that overseas housing is very different than housing at Loyola. Rooms are much smaller and may not have all the modern amenities U.S. housing may have.

Student Dorms

• The UAH student dorms are located on campus within a 5-minute walk of classroom buildings.
• Students may choose if they want to live alone or with another Loyola student.
• Students will be provided with a bedding pack upon arrival.
• There is a cafeteria in the dorm building which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• There is a gym located in the building which is free for students to use.
• All rooms include air conditioning, a microwave, and miniature refrigerator.
• Free WiFi is included.
• Students have access to laundry facilities inside the dorm. Students pay for their own laundry services if selecting dorms.

Loyola financial aid applies and students are eligible for consideration for all forms of federal, state, institutional and private sources of aid except the Federal Work Study Program. Students studying abroad for either a semester or full academic year will forfeit the value of a Federal Work-Study assignment for the semester/s that they go abroad. If the student qualifies for federal work study, they can use the award for the semester they are on campus during their abroad year.

If you receive GI/Veterans benefits, please contact our Registrar’s office as soon as possible before you apply!!

Students/parents pay to Loyola the following charges:

• Loyola Tuition
• Loyola Housing
• Study Abroad Program fee
• International Insurance Premium
• Flagship fee

Students’ expenses in Spain will vary depending on how much they travel, shop, and go out at night. Most students will take advantage of the proximity to other European countries and cheap airline tickets and travel, and that usually accounts for much of their spending.

Medical insurance is provided for all students during the program term by Loyola University Maryland through Chubb Insurance. This insurance coverage includes medical evacuation and repatriation, as well as 24-hour support services for medical issues. This insurance functions as a primary insurance while abroad.

Students are required to submit a copy of their U.S. health insurance card/policy. Please be sure not to cancel your US insurance policy while abroad since the provided insurances only function while on program and outside of the US.

Students also have access to local Spanish medical insurance while studying in Spain. 

Under the guidance of the program director, Loyola students are responsible for obtaining their own student visa. Students are required to attend a workshop during the semester that is specifically dedicated to preparing the paperwork for their visa appointment. Because Loyola University is located in Maryland, ALL students must make their appointment for visa processing in Washington, DC at the BLS office; students may not process their visa application in any other location. Students are responsible for all applicable visa fees. Students are responsible for handling visa fees and additional insurance which cost around $400.

Once accepted into the program, students must call their bank and credit card carriers to tell them that they will be abroad for the semester. Students should carry debit or credit cards with them. Both Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted forms of payment, Discover and AmEx are less commonly accepted. Cash in Europe is also widely utilized.

Students have the option of opening a Spanish bank account with the assistance of Maria José, although Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted forms of payment.

Loyola will arrange and pay for group travel to and from Madrid. Any change to the students booked itinerary is done at their own cost. Loyola does not pay for any flight deviations or tickets changes. Group flights are arranged for students traveling to Madrid.

• Flight departures are usually from Newark International Airport in New Jersey or JFK Airport in New York.
• Students fly to Barajas International Airport in Madrid, where students are met by Maria José on arrival.

Application Requirements 

Students must submit an online application AND a Course Planning form by 11:59 pm on the first Wednesday after Thanksgiving break of their sophomore year to study abroad in the fall or spring term of junior year. 

• Attend a Study Abroad 101 information session.
• Declare a major before applying to the study abroad program.
• Discuss with your major advisor the possible courses you could take abroad and see if there are any potential problems, he/she sees with your plans to study abroad; Students cannot be on disciplinary probation nor have a history of serious disciplinary problems.

Criteria for Acceptance

• Minimum cumulative CQPA average of 2.750.
• Students who can find courses which fit their Loyola program and allow full-time participation and who are neither on disciplinary probation nor have a history of serious disciplinary problems.
• ROTC candidates can apply as freshman to study abroad in the spring of their sophomore year. 
• An academic interview with the program coordinator at Loyola University Maryland is required.