Study Abroad in Spain

Carnegie Mellon in Spain takes place at Estudio Sampere (http://www.sampere.net) in Madrid and either Alicante, Puerto de Santa María, or Salamanca. Students may choose a four-week program or a six-week program and begin in mid-June or early July. The four-week program takes place in Madrid. For the six-week program, after four weeks in Madrid, students transfer to a second Sampere site: either Puerto de Santa María, (on the Atlantic coast, near the city of Cádiz), Alicante, (on the Mediterranean coast, south of Valencia), or Salamanca (northwest of Madrid).

Depending on the courses taken, students completing the Madrid program may receive 18 units of transfer credit, and an additional 6 units for the Puerto de Santa María, Alicante, or Salmanca segment.

Course of Study
Students may enroll in courses at beginner, intermediate or advanced levels. They should consult with the program advisors before registering for courses to discuss placement. To certify proper placement, students take a placement exam on their first day of class in Madrid. As part of their academic experience, all students participate in three museum visits in Madrid and three full-day excursions to sites near Madrid (for example, to Toledo, Segovia, El Escorial and Valle de los Caídos). Advanced level classes include Readings in Literary Genres, Commercial and Technical Spanish, Survey of Spanish Literature, Spanish Film, Advanced Grammar and Composition, Advanced Conversation and Writing. To complement course offerings for advanced level students, Sampere may facilitate arrangements for internship experiences in the fields of law, marketing and tourism.

Extra-curricular activities include:
•Additional visits to museums, historical sites, and monuments in Madrid
•Walking tours within the city
•Get-togethers with Spanish people

Housing Information
Participants have the added advantage of being housed in Spanish homes near Estudio Sampere during their course of study. Estudio Sampere in Madrid is very centrally located, in the Barrio de Salamanca, an older, residential section of the city, a few blocks from Retiro Park, the Prado Museum and the elegant shopping street, Calle de Serrano. For the final two weeks, students will live with new host families in either Alicante, Puerto de Santa María, or Salamanca, and will resume their studies at the point where they stopped in Madrid.

City Information
Madrid
At the very center of Spain, Madrid is a bustling city, a city of "mucha movida", or much activity. It is easy to navigate by the metro system or by bus, as well as on foot. Students who study at Estudio Sampere will live in or near the Barrio de Salamanca, an older, centrally located residential section of the city, close to many of the key sights and attractions: Retiro Park, the Prado Museum, (as well as many other of the some hundred museums of the city), the center of the city at the Puerta del Sol and the Plaza Mayor, the "terrazas" or outdoor cafes of the Castellana, (a main thoroughfare that divides the city vertically), and shopping and entertainment districts. The Madrileños, or citizens of Madrid, are also known as "los gatos," or cats, because they greatly enjoy a nightlife that begins late and ends late. There is a wide selection of movies, theater, concerts, bars, cafeterias, nightclubs, and restaurants in a variety of neighborhoods. Madrid is an exciting place to explore, a vibrant city rich in culture and history.

Alicante
A popular tourist destination on the Costa Blanca, with miles of sandy beaches, Alicante has been described as the pearl of the Mediterranean, Well-inhabited well before the Romans, Alicante plays a vital role in the modern Spanish economy. Alicante is a medium-sized city of roughly 500,000 inhabitants, with a cultural life and a young and dynamic university. Century-old traditions like the San Juan Festivities and revivals of the Reconquista battles of "Moros y Cristianos" are celebrated in Alicante.

Puerto de Santa María
With beautiful sandy beaches, Puerto de Santa María is located on the Mediterranean Coast, on the Bay of Cádiz, in the province of Andalucía, southwest of Seville. It is a fishing village (from which Columbus set sail) which boasts wonderful, fresh seafood on its Ribera del Marisco (Seafood Way). In the heart of sherry country, Puerto de Santa María is the home of two famous bodegas, Terry and Osborne. It is not far from the Parque Nacional de Doñana, Spain's largest national park, a nature preserve and wetlands on the migratory route of many species of birds travelling between Africa and Europe.

Salamanca
Salamanca is home to Spain's oldest university. Hundreds of young Spaniards study here from October to June. Salamanca life centres around the Plaza Mayor. Surrounded by bars, restaurants, and shops, Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor is one of the most beautiful squares in Spain, and is known as the livingroom of the Salamantinos. Virtually everything in this small city is within walking distance: beautiful churches, ancient streets, bars, restaurants and much more. Segovia, Burgos, Santiago de Compostela, Leon and Madrid are all within easy reach. The climate is continental, with chilly winters and sunny summers.

Fees and Deadlines
Fees include: tuition, room and board during the four weeks in Madrid (and final two weeks in a second Sampere site).

Not covered: transportation costs to Madrid and back, incidental expenses of a personal nature. For additional cost and credit, students have the option of extending their study in Madrid beyond the six-week program. There may be a surcharge for internship arrangements.

For Beginning and Intermediate Level Students
Prior to study in Spain, a six-week intensive language program on the Carnegie Mellon campus during the first summer session from mid-May to late June is open to students at the elementary level (12 units) and intermediate level (9 units). No previous knowledge of Spanish is required for entering the elementary level. Participants will have classroom instruction, work in the Modern Language Resource Center, computer-aided exercises, drills, films, and discussions of contemporary Spanish society. Students should register for the on-campus six-week program through the Carnegie Mellon Summer School.

For current fees, program dates, and deadlines, see brochure insert, application or program directors:
Professor Therese Tardio
Carnegie Mellon in Spain
Department of Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon University
Baker Hall 160
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Application Form
The application form of this study abroad program can be printed out via Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Other Study Abroad Scholarships
Our department along with The College of Humanities and Social Sciences is offering study abroad scholarship opportunities for students to study for a semester, full-year, or summer overseas. Scholarships can be put towards tuition, room and board, airfare and/or book expenses at any accredited study abroad program. Click for more information about these awards.

Additional campus resources may be helpful for students who are evaluating whether to pursue a study abroad program:

Visit the university's Study Abroad page:
http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/sab/index.cfm

View the university's Office of International Education:
http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/oie/