About the Program

Tufts in Madrid

Tufts in Madrid is a transformative study abroad experience that fosters intercultural understanding, academic rigor, and personal growth.

Rooted in the liberal arts tradition, our program offers two distinct tracks to serve the diverse academic needs and linguistic backgrounds of our students:

The Arts & Sciences Spanish Track (A&S)

Our long-standing Spanish immersion track offers students the opportunity to study the language, culture, politics, and identities of contemporary Spain through direct engagement with host families, university courses at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), and critical studies courses offered at our program center. With a strong emphasis on inclusion, equity, and intercultural fluency, students in the A&S track explore Spain’s layered social and historical realities — including questions of identity, belonging, and collective memory — not only in the classroom but through lived, everyday experiences. Four semesters of Spanish language required.

The STEM English Track (S&E)

Our newly launched English-language STEM  track is designed for students pursuing degrees in engineering and the sciences who wish to combine academic advancement with a global experience. Hosted at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), a leading Spanish institution known for innovation and internationalization, students in this track take courses in English at the UC3M while living in student residence halls in Madrid.

While Spanish language skills are not required for this track*, students are encouraged to explore the cultural life of the city and Spain through curated excursions, site visits, and program activities. Those with sufficient Spanish background may also request to live in a homestay and enroll in a course offered in Spanish at the program center.

*Students from institutions other than Tufts should consult their home institution regarding any additional language requirements that may apply, even for the S&E English Track.

A Unified Vision of Inclusive Global Education

Though our two tracks differ in their structure and depth of immersion, they are unified by Tufts in Madrid’s commitment to building bridges across difference, fostering curiosity and reflection, and cultivating students’ capacity to navigate global contexts with empathy and confidence. Whether through full immersion or introductory exploration, we believe that meaningful intercultural engagement is possible for all students —and essential to building more compassionate and equitable global communities.

To support this vision, the program offers courses, site-based learning, internships, and ongoing intercultural mentoring that encourage students to think critically about local and global issues. By engaging deeply with the experience of being abroad, students develop transferable skills such as self-awareness, cross-cultural empathy, and the ability to collaborate across difference — competencies they will carry into future academic, professional, and personal spheres.

Academic Excellence

Program Courses

Tufts in Madrid’s courses (offered at our program center) and faculty provide an academic experience for our students that allows them to study Spain critically and respectfully as a complex, dynamic, heterogeneous society and culture in transition. Students study the most pressing sociopolitical issues of the day, issues that are manifest on the streets of Madrid, at the dinner table with their Spanish hosts, on television and the internet, in newspapers, and in the air they breathe here.

In interdisciplinary fashion, all of our program classes explore Spain’s ongoing engagement with its historical memory and examine how a range of personal and collective identities are expressed through art, literature, politics, and everyday life.

The program grounds academic excellence in intellectual diversity, providing students with the information and intellectual tools they need to analyze the complex and diverse realities of modern and contemporary Spain, and to situate themselves within it as critical thinkers.

Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)

The Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Spain and the Spanish-speaking world. Originally founded as a studium generale in Alcalá de Henares in the 13th century, the university was reestablished in Madrid in 1822. Today, it remains a leader in research, teaching, and intellectual life, consistently ranking among the top five universities in Spain in European and international rankings.

The UCM’s distinguished alumni include seven Nobel Prize recipients, numerous Spanish Prime Ministers, European Commissioners, Presidents of the European Parliament, and other prominent political and cultural figures.

The university is spread across two campuses: Moncloa and Somosaguas. The Moncloa campus, where most Tufts in Madrid students enroll, is centrally located and easily accessible from the Tufts in Madrid program center.

Students in the Arts & Sciences Spanish Track may take classes in the academic department of their choice or through the Reunidas Program, a consortium of North American universities that offers courses taught in Spanish by UCM faculty, designed specifically for international students.

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M)

The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) is a modern, research-intensive public university founded in 1989. Known for its strong international orientation, UC3M is consistently ranked among the top young universities in Europe and is widely recognized for its excellence in engineering, technology, economics, and social sciences.

UC3M hosts a large number of international students each year and is a member of the European University Alliance YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe), committed to innovation, diversity, and academic excellence.

STEM students at Tufts in Madrid are directly enrolled in English-taught courses at UC3M’s Leganés campus, which houses its School of Engineering. Courses are rigorous and designed to align with the academic needs of Tufts students in disciplines such as mechanical, electrical, biomedical, computer, and aerospace engineering.

The university offers state-of-the-art labs, innovation hubs, and student organizations that foster hands-on learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and global exchange. UC3M’s vibrant international community, combined with its high academic standards and cutting-edge research, makes it an ideal setting for engineering students seeking an academically robust and globally minded semester abroad.

Student Mentoring & Support

At Tufts in Madrid, we believe studying abroad is more than an academic pursuit — it’s a transformative opportunity to grow as a person in relationship with the world. Our student support model is designed to cultivate deep reflection, emotional resilience, and intercultural maturity through a rich array of resources and personalized mentoring.

Our intercultural programming helps students explore how they relate to difference, how they show up in unfamiliar contexts, and how to engage ethically and empathetically across cultures. Through individualized mentoring and small-group initiatives, we guide students in cultivating awareness, agency, and care — for themselves and others.

Signature Student Support Offerings:

  • Intercultural Focus Groups (IFGs): Weekly small-group meetings in English where students explore cultural adaptation and the emotional dynamics of living abroad, led by trained staff in a supportive setting.

  • Mindfulness & Compassion Practices: Students are introduced to mindfulness as a tool for navigating challenges abroad. These practices promote present-moment awareness, emotional connection, and compassionate allyship.

  • Identity Affinity Groups: Weekly spaces dedicated to Students of Color and Queer & Questioning students provide community, connection, and a space to share the joys and complexities of their lived experiences while abroad. Conducted in English.

  • Individual Mentoring: Students meet one-on-one with program mentors throughout the semester for personalized support, reflection, and integration of their academic, emotional, and intercultural experiences.

  • Inclusive Practices: All staff, faculty, host families, peer mentors, and Language Exchange Partners receive training in inclusive and culturally responsive practices to ensure students are met with respect, understanding, and support.

This holistic mentoring framework reflects our deep commitment to individual student well-being, inclusion, and the transformative potential of study abroad.

Program Structure

Tufts in Madrid offers a flexible, high-impact academic and cultural experience designed to meet students where they are — whether they are fully immersed in Spanish-language learning or engaging through an English-language STEM track.

  • Flexible Enrollment Options: Students may study for the fall, spring, or full academic year.

  • Academic Tracks: Students may take courses in Spanish at the Tufts in Madrid program center, at one of our partner institutions, Universidad Complutense de Madrid for A&S or Universidad Carlos III de Madrid for S&E.

  • Language & Immersion: Students in the Spanish immersion track use Spanish in their classes, homestays, and daily program interactions. Students in the STEM track take their academic coursework in English, and all students participate in intercultural programming conducted in English.

  • Intercultural Mentoring & Dialogue: Intercultural Focus Groups and workshops are conducted in English and open to all students, allowing shared reflection across tracks.

  • Academic Support: Tutors are available to support students in both A&S and S&E tracks.

  • Internships & Volunteer Opportunities: Students in both tracks may apply for placements in public health, NGOs, business, advocacy, education, and research (Spanish proficiency required for some internships).

  • Housing Options: Students live in homestays with Spanish families or in local student residences with Spanish and international peers. Spanish language proficiency (equivalent to four semesters of coursework or heritage status) is required for homestay placement.

  • Full-Cycle Support: From the application process and pre-departure advising (including visa support) to on-site mentoring and re-entry guidance, students benefit from comprehensive support provided by a team of engaged, eexperienced professionals.

  • Inclusive Excellence: Our program design emphasizes access and inclusion, offering targeted resources for underrepresented students and a deep commitment to intercultural learning.

Student Financial Resources

Tufts in Madrid is deeply committed to increasing cultural access and opportunity for students from all financial backgrounds. To support full participation in academic and cultural life, the program offers a broad range of financial resources in the form of stipends, partial reimbursements, and included services.

  • Meals:

    Students in homestays receive two meals per day at home and a daily stipend to cover the cost of a third meal. Students living in residence halls receive three meals per day as part of their housing plan (no daily stipend).

  • Transportation and Travel:

    All students receive a comprehensive local transportation pass for use on metro, buses, and city trains. The program also offers partial reimbursement for independent travel within Spain during the semester.

  • Cultural and Personal Enrichment:

Students may request reimbursement for a wide range of enrichment activities such as gym memberships, private lessons (music, art, dance, etc.), and workshops.

  • Excursions

The program fully funds overnight group excursions to sites of cultural and historical significance each semester.

  • Medical Insurance:

    All students are covered under a comprehensive Spanish health insurance plan with no co-pays as well as OnCall International Traveler Insurance.

  • Cultural Engagement Support:

    Students are encouraged to attend cultural events and experiences throughout Madrid, and may submit requests for partial reimbursement, subject to program approval.

These resources are designed to reduce economic barriers and ensure that every student—regardless of financial background—can fully engage in the transformational experience of study abroad.

Cost

Students typically pay a comparable cost for off-campus study as they would for a semester on campus. Most financial aid packages transfer, but students should confirm the details with their financial officer at their home institution.

Is Tufts in Madrid Right for You?

Tufts in Madrid welcomes students from all disciplines and academic backgrounds who seek an intellectually rigorous, culturally immersive, and globally engaged semester abroad.

The Arts & Sciences Spanish Track (A&S)  is open to Tufts and external students who have completed at least four semesters of college-level Spanish or who are heritage/native speakers. While the program is language intensive, it is not limited to Spanish majors—most of our students International Relations majors, and other students pursue majors in a wide range of fields across the humanities, social sciences, community health, and beyond.

The STEM English Track (S&E)  is designed for students in STEM and engineering disciplines who wish to take their coursework in English. No prior Spanish language study is required for this track* (*although external students should check their own institutions language policy), though students with sufficient Spanish may opt for a homestay and/or enroll in a course taught in Spanish at the program center.

Please note: Only students who apply through the STEM Track will be eligible to take courses at the UC3M.

All participants must be at least sophomores, though most are juniors. The program actively encourages applications from students historically underrepresented in study abroad. Robust support structures are in place to ensure an inclusive, affirming experience for all participants.

Application deadlines

Tufts

  • February 1 (for full year, fall or spring)

External Students

  • Feb. 15 for full-year and fall semester
  • Aug. 15 for spring semester
  • Please contact Melanie Armstrong or Evan Lohmann to comfirm application deadlines for your institution.

Useful contacts