Program terms: Fall, Full Academic Year, Spring
Restrictions: Vanderbilt applicants only
Type of Program: Direct University Enrollment
Costs: Budget Sheets
Academic Calendar: Extends into Summer Months
Key Dates:

Term	Application Deadline	Program Dates
Spring 2026	09/03/2025	To be determined

Please note: This program is subject to a limited enrollment capacity and is prioritized for students within the School of Engineering. Non VUSE students will be reviewed on a space available basis. To encourage thoughtful program selection and intentional planning, applications will not be prioritized by the date of submission. Effective with the Spring 2026 application cycle, applications for limited-capacity programs will be reviewed after the deadline to ensure that students meet any eligibility requirements of their chosen program, including completion of mandatory advising. Study abroad approval is also contingent on individual student disciplinary matters. Application essays will be considered during the review process, and preference will be given to students who have a compelling academic reason for their program selection. For more information, please review our Vanderbilt Study Abroad Selection Process for Limited-Capacity Programs policy page

In this program facilitated by CIEE, students can experience a hybrid of study center classes and take classes at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). Students may also take non-engineering courses at UC3M such as economics, business administration, biological sciences, communication studies, international studies, political science, and sociology. Studying and living in Spain's largest city offers students many possibilities for soaking up Spanish culture and exploring on your own or in a group. CIEE staff are onsite to support our students, provide guidance, and provide extra-or co-curricular activities and excursions.

Beginning Spring 2026, all CIEE Madrid program participants will be required to take at least one STEM course.

We encourage advance planning and research to ensure that a program is a good fit for your academic, personal, and career goals. Given the limited enrollment capacity, students applying to SLU-Madrid are strongly encouraged to have a back-up study abroad application.

Academic Structure and Course Registration: 

• UC3M is known as the Harvard of Madrid, so students can expect coursework to be academically challenging or on par with Vanderbilt's academic rigor. 
• Course registration will occur on site after you arrive and classes are NOT guaranteed. Final course registration can take up to a month to be finalized and this is very typical for the host university Universidad de Carol III de Madrid (UC3M).
• The 1-credit hour STEM tutorial is NOT credit-bearing at Vanderbilt and will not count towards your overall credit hours.
• To access UC3M's majors and course listings click here.
• VU students are not permitted to take online courses while abroad. This includes CIEE's Arizona State University (ASU) Online courses.

Program Dates:

• For the fall semester, the program runs from early-September until early-December.
• For the spring semester, the program runs from late January until the first week of June. Early departure from the program is not allowed during the spring semester.
• If you plan to have a summer internship, please be mindful of this restriction and consider alternative programs as needed.

Housing and Commute Times:

CIEE Madrid offers many housing options to maximize your study abroad experience, including homestay, student residence halls or shared apartments. By default students are placed in standard housing, but they can choose to upgrade their housing to Select Housing or Select Housing Plus for an additional fee paid to CIEE. Upgraded housing is NOT guaranteed. Therefore, even if students select this option, they may not be placed in upgraded housing. 

Commuting is a large part of everyday life in Madrid and the city is very accessible with great public transportation: trains, buses, taxis, etc. The average commute time in  can be up to 70 minutes from your housing accommodation. For more up-to-date information about housing, refer to CIEE's website here.

Visa Process:

A student visa is required to study in Spain for U.S. passport holders (students holding passport of other nationalities should consult the Spanish consulate regarding visa requirements). Visa application process will occur after you have been accepted to the program. Key items to note:

• The visa process can take 5-8 weeks after submission of application.
• Students must surrender/give up their passport during the visa process. Spring study abroad applicants are advised to not schedule international travel between October - December.

Please note that it is student's responsibility to complete and submit visa applications within the appropriate processing timeframe. Visa applications submitted late may not be processed before the start of the program, and may impact students ability to study abroad. Students that choose to submit their Spanish visa applications independently must account for BLS Visa processing times: Once the visa application is received and marked as complete by the BLS office, the period to receive a visa decision is up to 2 months from the day following the registration of the application in the visa system, but this period may be extended if an interview or additional documents.

For more information, visit program homepage.

Fact Sheet

Housing: Apartment (shared), Dormitory, Homestay
Minimum GPA: 3
Language of Instruction: English, Spanish
Language prerequisite: No
Additional prerequisites: N/A
Costs: Budget Sheets
Student contacts: Peer alumni

Photo: Courtesy of Ben Woods