Hello everyone,

I know before I posted asking questions about study abroad because before I couldn't seem to find any four year study in spain programs so I figured I would have to go the study abroad route. But after hours and hours of research I finally found a school that I am interested in where I could get my undergraduate degree in spanish studying in spain. The school is not in andalucia but it sounds like a realy great university it is through St. Louis University and it is there Madrid campus. It sounded great but then again I am still working on researching it. Does anyone happen to know anything about the school and has anyone gone there? I'd prefer to get my spanish degree in spain because for one american schools are way to expensive and in my opinion not always that great and by studying in a spanish speaking country I figured it would help me become a lot more fluent then studying in america with all english speaking students. However I am not sure if it is the only school like that in Spain and would like to know if anyone else knows of any other four year programs in Spain? I am pretty much a beginner in the spanish language. I know a few basic words and the few words that my mom remembered from her high school spanish class like. Pluma, Buenas Notches etc. etc. so I would probally have to start at the beggining so any four year schools that would except beginners? It will probally be quite a while before I will be able to go because I am still trying to figure out how to pay for all of this. And I may not be given a slot at one of the schools but I am a huge planner and wanna plan as much as I can ahead of time hoping it will help calm my nerves if I have a game plan. Any study abroad stories anyone would like to share? I would greatly appreciate it.

Allison

I am appying to the graduate program at St. Louis University's Madrid campus, and as far as I can tell from my research, it looks like a great program. It features all the good things about US universities (federal financial aid, good support services, career placement,lots of housing options, etc) and it's located in Madrid. You would essentially be attending a full-fledged US college, but instead of St Louis Missouri, you'd get to be in Madrid. I didn't really look too closely at their undergrad program, but I think I noticed that you can study any major for two years before finishing your degree at the campus in St Louis. The only exception is if you are majoring in Spanish, which you can complete by studying all four years at the Madrid campus. To me, it sounds perfect and I have yet to find any major drawbacks.

And for anyone else out there who is interested, their grad program offers courses in the summer so that you can complete your master's degree by studying in Madrid for 3-5 consecutive summers. It's a great option for teachers like me, so I can keep my job during the school year and still work towards my masters in the summer (they also offer grad courses during the academic year).

Buena suerte!

Thanks for the heads up on the Graduate program... I am going to have to look into that!

Please keep us posted on how things go. I would love to hear all the stories:) Maybe it will help me decide for sure if I would be making the right decision. I realy liked the idea of the spring group flight and am curious if anyone has tryed that?

Take care,
Allison

I studied at St Louis University Madrid Campus for a year a few years ago. Very international student body. There were students from just about everywhere and most spoke at least 2 or 3 languages, except for the Americans of course. I have to tell you though, it felt a bit like being at some kind of super preppy high school for rich kids. Let me know if you have any specific questions about the school.

Have you ever heard of Schiller International University? It's a Florida University and they have a campus in Madrid. http://www.schiller.edu/

Hello DC,

Thankyou very much:) I had no idea that florida also has a spain campus. I will surely be looking into that. I am not even close to being rich so I would probally stick out lol. How did you like there madrid campus? Like did you feel like your spanish improved a lot by being there or was it kind of weird with so many students from different countries? And was it easy to make friends?

Thanks,
Allison

Hi Allison,

Believe me I'm not rich either, just good at finding financial aid. I liked the school, the campus, and the professors. I was however disapointed with the lack of academic seriousness from most of my fellow classmates and friends. It was obvious that many were there because they had money and not for their academic prowess.

It was super easy to make friends. I made a lot of friends and keep in contact with several.

It's a good place to improve your Spanish but you have to be disciplined and stay away from English speakers when your hanging out. You got to introduce yourself to some Spanish students right away and tell them you'd like to practice speaking and hang out between classes and after.

Go to the following link and put in the street address if you'd like to see the campus: Avenida del Valle, 34

http://fotos.qdq.com

In my opinion though, if you are interested in studying just Spanish, a Spanish University is probably the best option. Several have programs designed for non native speakers and then your whole world would be in Spanish. And they're much cheaper.

I'm sure you'll find the pefect school.

recibe un saludo cordial

Thankyou very much DCS I realy appreciate your responses. I have been searching for spanish colleges but I wouldn't be sure how to go about applying for them. I think the idea of going to an actuall spanish university would be a great experience and sounds exciting. However trying to figure out how to apply and figure exactly what they offer seems to hard for me. I think these days they make all college stuff confusing. Do you happen to know anyone who applyed to the universities and how did they go about doing that? And can anyone reccommend a particular college? I would prefer something like a complete 4 year program so that I can become fluent as possible while at the same time getting a degree and experiencing the culture to the fullest. I will probally have to find a way to save some money first but would like to know all of my options ahead of time.

Thanks,
Allison

I think you should go for St. Louis University, if you want 4 years in Spain. Do what will make you most fluent.

Another option, very reasonalbly priced, is University of Puerto Rico. When I was a student there in 1998, undergrad, per credit hour was $30/credit hour and grad was $75/credit hour. Financial aid was also an option, since it was a US university.

UPR, although not in Spain, was an excellent university.

Just trying to give you all options for a back up plan, but follow your heart to Spain, if that's where you want to be.

Shawn

Thankyou very much Shawn for the ideas. The more options and ideas the better. There is know guarentee that st. louis would take me on. Thanks to all for your support and advice. It is always appreciated.

Allison

While on the topic of graduate programs......does anyone know of any good programs for International Relations (and related programs) here in Madrid?
Thanks!
Cat

Not to throw cold water on your plan, but one thing comes to mind. If I correctly understand your situation, you are in high school and have not studied much Spanish. You are also a planner. You might think that choosing a career now and zealously pursuing it is a good idea. However, many people begin college with one idea and end up changing completely. It's neither good nor bad, just the result of having new experiences and growing up. If you begin a 4-year program at a Spanish university and decide you don't really want a degree in Spanish, your options may be limited. Or you may feel stuck and will never feel the freedom to explore and discover what you really want to do. That is what college is all about. Being too sure of your desires at this early stage may serve to close your mind to fabulous opportunities. Like I said, I don't mean to be a naysayer. It might work out great, but having been there done that, I just wanted to add a different perspective.

On the other hand, at a university in your home country, you can always change course with little repercussion. If you stick with a Spanish major, you can spend a year in Spain and your fluency will really take off. I suggest spending some time in the summer at language schools to rapidly enhance your Spanish. Just make sure your university will give you credits for it. Also, you might want to try a homestay with a Spanish family. I've done both and they were some of the best experiences in my life. Like DCS, I heartily recommend spending your time with Spanish speakers and avoid speaking English. (A Spanish sweetheart wouldn't hurt, either!)

Good luck!

I got my Spanish M.A. in 2000 from St. Louis University and studied over the summer there in '99. I have lots of opinions and observations about the facilities and their course offerings, perhaps some names for you to contact in STL (I was a Teaching Assistant and Adjunct Instructor there too) for anyone who wants more details. PM me and I'll answer any and all questions as best I can.

GO BILLIKENS!!!