Madrid Courses – 2025-26 Yearlong

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Studying abroad can be a more meaningful and invigorating learning experience than at home—both inside and outside of the classroom. You may be more curious and alert than you usually are so use this heightened energy to enhance your studies as well as your cultural and geographical explorations. You may also encounter different teaching styles and course processes; be prepared to adapt and to learn.

Academics

You will enroll in 12 to 18 credits per semester comprised of language courses plus electives in Spanish language and literature, Spanish, and European studies. All students must complete a minimum of one language course, although we strongly encourage students to complete an entire language track. Course availability is contingent upon student enrollment and is subject to change.

Click the course title to view course details, description, and availability.

Spanish Language Tracks

USAC offers intensive language courses grouped into tracks in which courses are taught sequentially (back to back) within one semester. If you have already taken the first course in a track, you do not have to take it again for credit, but you must audit it to be prepared for success at the next level. Language courses are small and typically have a maximum enrollment of 15 students each.

Language Courses

• Elementary Spanish I

  Fall

  Spanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.

• Elementary Spanish II

  Fall

  Spanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 100-level 4 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.

  Prerequisite: one semester of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Intermediate Spanish I

  Fall

  Spanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.

  Prerequisite: two semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Intermediate Spanish II

  Fall

  Spanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 200-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed to help learners of Spanish to develop basic communicative competence and critical thinking skills. It offers an intensive study and practice of the productive and receptive language skills in the oral and written modes. The main emphasis of this track is on communication.

  Prerequisite: three semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Spanish Composition I

  Fall

  Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  The focus of this course is to improve learners´ written abilities through the analysis and the production of different types of texts. In addition, several grammatical topics will be reviewed in order to enhance and refine the learners´ grammatical competence.

  Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Spanish Composition II

  Fall

  Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  The focus of this course is to improve learners´ written abilities through the analysis and the production of different types of texts. In addition, several grammatical topics will be reviewed in order to enhance and refine the learners´ grammatical competence.

  Prerequisite: five semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Advanced Spanish I

  Fall

  Spanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed for students who may manage in daily tasks and interactions, but still need to improve their control over different oral and written registers. In addition, these courses will offer them the opportunity to enhance their vocabulary in specific and technical areas, and to improve grammatical accuracy in their oral and written expression.

  Prerequisite: six semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Advanced Spanish II

  Fall

  Spanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Spanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed for students who may manage in daily tasks and interactions, but still need to improve their control over different oral and written registers. In addition, these courses will offer them the opportunity to enhance their vocabulary in specific and technical areas, and to improve grammatical accuracy in their oral and written expression.

  Prerequisite: seven semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

Fall Semester

Spanish Language and Literature Electives

• Spanish Conversation and Oral Skills

  Fall

  300-level 1-3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  300-level 1-3 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed to improve the knowledge, listening, and expressive capabilities of language

  students. Students will not only learn necessary vocabulary to express themselves in daily situations, but

  will also learn to navigate more complex situations through conversation and free discussion of

  contemporary topics using visual material, listening comprehension exercises, articles, and other course

  materials. The objective of the course is to facilitate the acquisition of language necessary to express

  oneself in daily situations.

  Prerequisite: Two semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent, or instructor approval

• Survey of Spanish Literature I

  Fall

  Spanish World Languages and Literatures 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  A study of the development of Spanish literature through the analysis of literary movements and the comparison of the most important authors of each period from the 12th to 18th century. Texts from different literary genres are selected which demonstrate underlying ideas, idiosyncrasies of the Spanish people and universal values, as well as the literary characteristics of the works themselves.

  Prerequisite: five semesters of college-level Spanish; students who have completed second-year Spanish with strong grades may be considered with home university approval

• Twentieth-Century and Contemporary European History and Cinema

  Fall

  400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The fundamental objective of this course is to examine the history of Twentieth Century Europe through the analysis and interpretation of a series of films that reconstruct key moments of this period. As the most influential artistic medium of the twentieth century, the cinema becomes both product and producer of historical processes and rhetoric, constructing and deconstructing myths, stories and identities. As such, studying cinema in a diachronic context allows us to examine the social, economic, historical, artistic and ideological movements related to a particular timeframe. We will simultaneously reflect on the connection between historiographic narratives and their corresponding on-screen versions. History as presented in film and the history of film.

• Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Spanish Short Stories

  Fall

  Spanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  The objective of the course is to become familiar with the more outstanding short story writers and gain an appreciation for their most important literary works. You will read the best writers in Spain today, and you will learn to do a literary analysis of the works read. To facilitate your literary analysis, there will be a series of questions which review content and provide discussion and essay topics.

  Prerequisite: six semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

Art and Spanish/European Studies

Many of these elective courses will be shared with other international students attending the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.

• Drawing Madrid

  Fall

  Art 100-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Art 100-level 3 credits Taught in English

  In this course, students will explore and develop drawing skills through the creation of a travel sketchbook. Starting with the idea of the city as a social form and positioning students as travelers in Madrid, the course offers an exploration through drawing and interaction with visual arts. Drawing from Michel De Certeau's understanding of everyday practices, such as walking, as ways to create spaces that challenge dominant urban circuits, we will visit and sketch prominent sites: monuments, art galleries, gardens, as well as less known but equally significant places like social centers and neighborhoods. Drawing real objects and scenes is essential in learning to draw because it helps us develop observation skills, accurate representation, study of shapes and anatomy, technical practice, mind-hand connection, and stimulates our creativity. This practice allows us to better understand the visual world around us and gives us the tools necessary to create more convincing and expressive drawings. This exploration of contemporary art from a personally and socially engaged perspective aims to expand students' knowledge and artistic skills, as well as foster a deeper understanding of how art can be a powerful tool for reflection, questioning, and transforming our society.

• Government and Politics in Spain

  Fall

  Political Science Spanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  In this course, students will develop an understanding of the actual political circumstances of the Kingdom of Spain through an analysis of the post-Franco democratic process and the creation of autonomous communities.

  Visión de las circunsatncias políticas actuales del Reino de España. Especial énfasis se otorgará al análisis del proceso democrático tras Franco, y la creación de la peculiaridad de las Comunidades Autónomas.

  Students will analyze the fundamental elements of the Spanish political system and its institutions: The Crown, Cortes Generales (Parliament), government, judicial system, constitutional court, and autonomous communities. Other topics will include the electoral system, the European Union and Spain, constitutional protections for foreigners, and constitutional considerations regarding international treaties.

  When possible, we will a make a site visit to one of the institutions studied in class: Congress, Senate, Constitutional Court, Supreme Court.

  Siguiendo la Constitución española vigente, analizaremos los elementos fundamentales del sistema politico a través de sus Instituciones Constitucionales; La Corona, Cortes Generales (Congreso y Senado), Gobierno, Sistema Judicial y el Tribunal Constitucional, las Comunidades Autónomas. Asimismo estudiaremos el Sistema Electoral Español, la Unión Europea y España, la protección que la Constitución otorga a los extranjeros, y una visión general de los Tratados Internacionales.

  -Intentaremos visitar alguna de las sedes de las Instituciones más representativas: Congreso, Senado, Tribunal Constitucional, etc.

  Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish

• LGBTQIA+ Spain

  Fall

  Gender, Race, and Identity Sociology 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course introduces foundational concepts of human sexual diversity and cultural attitudes towards certain manifestations and interpretations of gender and sexuality. Students will explore how the regional and international human rights standards seek to define and guarantee the rights of LGBTQIA+ persons, and to what extent the current global and Spanish American contexts reflect this. Zooming into the regional LGBTQIA+ movement, we will focus on the path to equality in Spain, with a direct dialogue with activists of a local LGBTQIA+ organization and LGBTQIA+ rights public institution.

• Mass Media and Political Communication

  Fall

  Journalism 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course examines the interaction between media and politics. By studying different media forms, we will explore such issues as the information needs of active citizens, the impact of partisan media, charges, and countercharges about “fake news,” professionalism and accountability in journalism, the use of social media as a tool for bypassing the press, the rise of polarization in the electorate and gridlock in government, and the depictions of American politics in other countries.

• Masterpieces of European Art I

  Fall

  Art 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The aim of this course is to analyse the fundamental masterpieces that define the evolution of European art from the classical Greek period to the renaissance. The famous Diadumeno of Policleto, The Garden of Earthly Delights of Hieronymus Bosch, The Burial of the Count of Orgaz of El Greco, and Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, will be some of the pivotal pieces studied within this course and the instruments we will use to understand the different aesthetic changes in the history of Europe from the 5th century B.C. to the end of the 16th century.

• Museum Studies

  Fall

  Anthropology Art History 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course explores critical debates on museums in society and the core functions of museum practice. This course will take several approaches to studying museums as an interdisciplinary course. Readings and lectures will provide perspectives on such topics as the history and philosophy of museums, types of museums, exhibit design, collections acquisition and management, the staffing and financing of museums, educational programs, and more.

• Spain Through the Photographer's Lens

  Fall

  Art 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course provides students with the opportunity to learn about the history and traditions of Spain during the 19th and 20th centuries through the lens of photography, which will be used to analyze the cultural background that defines Spanish society today. From the old monarchy of absolutist tradition to today’s democracy, photographers have captured thousands of daily moments that help us to look again at history and understand the changes that define the Spanish culture.

  Alongside our study of the political and social history of Spain, we will analyze the aesthetic changes in the history of photography: the beauty of close sharpness, the metaphors of photographic montages, the poetry of daily instances, to list a few. This course combines the artistic level and the documentary level of each historical period to offer a global and up-to-date view on the history of photography in Spain.

• Spanish Culture and Civilization

  Fall

  Anthropology Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Anthropology Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Students will develop a broad understanding of Spanish culture and civilization through the study of Spanish geography, history, regional cultures, traditions, and the challenges facing contemporary society.

  Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

Spring Semester

Spanish Language and Literature Electives

• Spanish Conversation and Oral Skills

  Fall

  300-level 1-3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  300-level 1-3 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course is designed to improve the knowledge, listening, and expressive capabilities of language

  students. Students will not only learn necessary vocabulary to express themselves in daily situations, but

  will also learn to navigate more complex situations through conversation and free discussion of

  contemporary topics using visual material, listening comprehension exercises, articles, and other course

  materials. The objective of the course is to facilitate the acquisition of language necessary to express

  oneself in daily situations.

  Prerequisite: Two semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent, or instructor approval

• Survey of Spanish Literature II

  Spring

  Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  A través de una selección de textos, se estudiarán algunas de las obras más representativas de la literatura española, desde el siglo XVIII hasta la actualidad. Este estudio tendrá dos elementos básicos de análisis: contenido temático y formal.

  Prerequisite: five semesters of college-level Spanish; students who have completed second-year Spanish with strong grades may be considered with home university approval

• Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Spanish History and Cinema

  Spring

  Art Film History 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  The course explores the history of twentieth-century Spain through the study of selected texts and the analysis of relevant films of the period in Spanish culture and society. We will examine such questions as women´s roles, dictatorship and censorship, exile and migration, experience of war and repression, economic development, democracy, social movements and globalization, and how these issues are represented through cinema in Spain.

  Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Spanish Narrative

  Spring

  Spanish 400-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  This course features the works of several major novelists from different cultural communities in Spain regarded as among the most representative of 20th and 21st-century Spanish fiction. From the early 20th century with Miguel de Unamuno to the latest novel published by Rosa Montero, this course will examine the changes to the Spanish novel during the 20th and 21st centuries, which will enhance students´ ability to study and deepen their knowledge of other narrative styles and themes in other countries during the same period. The difficulty and complexity of the novels read will increase as the semester progresses.

  Prerequisiste: six semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

Art and Spanish/European Studies

Many of these elective courses will be shared with other international students attending the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.

• Drawing Madrid

  Fall

  Art 100-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Art 100-level 3 credits Taught in English

  In this course, students will explore and develop drawing skills through the creation of a travel sketchbook. Starting with the idea of the city as a social form and positioning students as travelers in Madrid, the course offers an exploration through drawing and interaction with visual arts. Drawing from Michel De Certeau's understanding of everyday practices, such as walking, as ways to create spaces that challenge dominant urban circuits, we will visit and sketch prominent sites: monuments, art galleries, gardens, as well as less known but equally significant places like social centers and neighborhoods. Drawing real objects and scenes is essential in learning to draw because it helps us develop observation skills, accurate representation, study of shapes and anatomy, technical practice, mind-hand connection, and stimulates our creativity. This practice allows us to better understand the visual world around us and gives us the tools necessary to create more convincing and expressive drawings. This exploration of contemporary art from a personally and socially engaged perspective aims to expand students' knowledge and artistic skills, as well as foster a deeper understanding of how art can be a powerful tool for reflection, questioning, and transforming our society.

• Economic and Political Institutions of the European Union

  Spring

  Economics History Political Science 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course will analyze the past, present, and future of European integration based on historical, social, political, and economic factors. The process of European integration and its effects will be assessed at the international level considering the EU as well as examining key differences among European member states.

• Gender and Communication

  Spring

  Gender, Race, and Identity Speech Communications Women's Studies / Gender Studies 400-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course introduces students to gender-related communication integrating theory and practice to heighten awareness of the importance of gender as a variable in communication. Emphasis will be placed on perception, verbal and nonverbal similarities and differences in interpersonal, small group, and public settings, with emphasis on the host culture.

• History of Gender and Religion in Spain

  Spring

  Gender, Race, and Identity History Women's Studies / Gender Studies 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course examines the origins and development of three distinct religious cultures in Spain - Islamic, Jewish and Christian – with a focus on the role of gender from the prehistoric to the contemporary era. Students will take advantage of Madrid's world-famous museums to learn about the city's history and the influence of the three religious cultures, inviting them to reflect on historical change and the evolution of religious thought and practice.

• Masterpieces of European Art II

  Spring

  Art 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  The aim of this course is to analyse the fundamental masterpieces that represent the important changes in European art after renaissance. The baroque culture in the 17th century can be seen as the transition to a more modern definition of art building to the contemporary age: impressionist painters recognize in El Greco and Velázquez their predecessors on the brushstrokes techniques, Caravaggio paintings represent for the first time the physical truth of the common people, and the Classics helped the revolutionaries of all Europe at the end of the 18th century for their new political purposes.

• Photojournalism/Visual Journalism

  Spring

  Art Journalism 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course will introduce students to the technical and creative aspects of visual journalism, allowing them to apply these in practice by creating photographic compositions that convey information or tell a story. Critical feedback will be provided directly by the instructor and by peers in collaborative critiques. Students will also produce a long-term narrative story based on a topic of their choice.

• Spanish Culture and Civilization

  Fall

  Anthropology Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Spring

  Anthropology Spanish 300-level 3 credits Taught in Spanish

  Students will develop a broad understanding of Spanish culture and civilization through the study of Spanish geography, history, regional cultures, traditions, and the challenges facing contemporary society.

  Prerequisite: four semesters of college-level Spanish, or equivalent

• Women in Art

  Spring

  300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  This course will chronologically focus on women as art subjects and creators and the underlying ideologies that influence the understanding of and access to women's artistic production. Students will explore the history of women artists and their creative contributions and examine the religious, mythological, and secular images of women in art. Students should develop advanced knowledge of the theories and experiences of gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, and class as in the contemporary art world.

To request a course syllabus: syllabus@usac.edu

Internship

For eligibility requirements and application information, see the USAC internship page.

For more information about placement options, see the Madrid internship page.

• Internship

  Fall

  Internships 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  Spring

  Internships 300-level 3 credits Taught in English

  USAC skills-based internships abroad are designed to complement a student’s program of study while providing a structured work or field experience under the direction of a professional supervisor and with the oversight and support of an on-site USAC internship coordinator.

  USAC internships facilitate the academic and professional development of students through:

  1) the practical application of knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to a professional work environment.

  2) the further development of practical competencies essential to the ongoing work of the placement site.

  3) the cultivation of a network of professional contacts.

  USAC internships will expose students to the workplace culture, norms, and expectations of their respective placement site and host country, deepening cross-cultural understanding and helping students develop intercultural communication and language skills in an internationally focused organization or other professional work setting.

  Through the consistent participation in the processes and practices of a professional field, students will acquire a working knowledge of that field and will apply that learning to their own career and academic choices and goals.

  This course has an additional fee