starting to get frustrated and sad

It seems like I have checked just about or all of the colleges in Spain and still can't find one that has what I am looking for:( I want to go to Spain and want to earn a complete 4 year spanish degree but have had no luck finding a school that has one. They all seem to be for only one semester or summer. I checked out the st. lous university madrid campus and schiller but I was hoping to find a spanish college that offers a full spanish studies degree with spanish tutition costs. The St. Louis Madrid college is quite pricey for me and my family. Anyone know any good spanish universities that would possibly take someone for a full four year degree? Or is someone who knows about spanish universitied maybe explain a little bit more about how they work? I would prefer total immersion wich I feel would be worth more of my money then a overly priced american university where I probally wouldn't remember the spanish when I graduated anyway and then my money would be wasted. I would realy like to be able to live in spain for college but it seems like that may not be possible:(

Take Care,
Allison

You should tell us what you want to study, and how much you want to pay for it.

There are almost a dozen universities in Madrid, most of them public.

Public universities cost about 500-600 € per year (the rest is payed by the State), while private universities cost 4,500-9,000 € per year.

The studies are divided into three categories: Diplomacy (Diplomatura/Ingeniería Técnica), Graduation (Licenciatura/Ingeniería Superior) and Post-graduation studies (Postgrado).

If you want to be for example Fisiotherapist or Industrial Technichal Engineering you will have to study a 3 year degree, if you want to study Psychology, Architecture or IT High Engineering you will have to study a 5 year degree. 4 year degree exist but are an exception.

Finally, the best way to focus this problem is to go to the spanish consulate or embassy nearest to you and asking for it. There are incredible exchange programms out there (as Fullbright Programm).

Fernando

try www.collegeabroad.com they have search engine for full undergraduate degrees abroad. Also, I heard of someone doing there entire degree abroad in Madrid and Juan Carlos III or something like that. Wasnt there a message board member who did her entire undergraduate degree abroad in Pamplona?? not sure on that...
Good Luck!
Kelly

It was the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos I (our current king). We have not had a king named Juan Carlos III yet

I am hoping to study the spanish language and culture. I would prefer to study in spain for a few years to get the most fluency possible. I am gonna check out the Juan Carlos school and see what they have. I have heard a lot of people go for only one year to Spain but is that realy enough to become fluent enough to have a conversation? I love languages and my goal is to eventually learn mutiple languages starting with spanish. Should I just start contacting a bunch of schools and ask them if they have programs where I can select my own special courses?

thanks fernando:) haha i knew that. and not to get off the subject: but I'm just curious, someone told me that Juan Carlos will be the last King of Spain, is that true????

Back on subject: I think the value of a year in Spain really depends on how much you know going into that year. I had studied Spanish for 6 years before studying abroad and I feel like I got pretty fluent being there, living with a family, taking classes with spaniards, etc...i was there for around 7 months. That said, before I went I could already hold a decent conversation, had a good grasp on grammar, and was familiar with native speakers. So I guess what Im saying is that the value of a year abroad and at what level you will finish it with really could depend on how much you know before you go.

Kelly: Spanish Constitution states that Juan Carlos I is the spanish king, and that his descendants will be kings (or queens) when the time comes. Thus, his son Felipe will be Felipe VI. Obviously that will happen unless the Constitution is changed and the Parlament proclaims a republic. That may happen of course, but it doesn't seem it is going to happen in the near future.

As for the univ. issue. One year is enough to become fluent in spanish. You will end speaking spanish "por los codos"!

Fernando

thanks fernando, it was actually a madrileño friend of mine that told me that about the king.... something about there being only one place left at el escorial. thanks for clearing that up.

as far as the on year in spain. while i agree with fernando that a year is enough to become fluent... if the person goes into that year with NO spanish language knowledge or experience... then i would question how fluent you could actually get in a year. just a thought

Thanks a lot for all of the advice. I learned a few things after I wrote the topic and now feel kind of dumb about them lol. I didn't know anything about student loans before so I just figured it would be impossible for me to afford school at the St. louis madrid campus. I had assumed that if I had got a loan then I would have to pay on it while I was going to school but then my mom told me no that is not the case and that you pay after you graduate. I can surely say I felt like an idiot after that one. Now I feel a lot better and can still hope to go to madrid and study if they accept me:) Now I am off to go research loans.

Could it be Carlos III?

Just a word about the "spaces" for deceased kings at El Escorial. It is true that only one sarcophagus remains empty and it is designated for the former Queen Victoria Eugenia wife of King Alfonso XIII. A guide told us something about places to be created for the Count and Contess of Barcelona (parents of the present King) above the doorway of the Royal Pantheon. The reason for the delay in the final disposition of the bodies is that only bones are placed in the "caskets" after 40 years of "rotting" and decomposition. Sorry, folks. The Kings are on one side of the crypt, and the Queens on the opposite side, but they are only included if they were a mother of a King.

The present King and Queen have never mentioned anything about burial plans. I guess they don't want to think about it. It is a big mystery!

came across this on the internet
http://www.internationalstudent.com/
it seems like a good website

Kelar,

Thankyou very much:) I will definetly make sure to check it out.

Allison