USAC Spain: Madrid - Spanish Language, Art & Spanish Studies

I studied abroad in both Pau, France and Madrid, Spain in the summer of 2015, and had a wonderful experience in both cities. Being that it was the summer, the university campus in Madrid was a little quiet, but I absolutely loved the classes I took with amazing professors. My Spanish improved immensely and the professors worked hard to challenge me in speaking, reading and writing. I lived in a small but nice apartment with a roommate from my home university, the University of Nevada, Reno (the USAC headquarters!). We lived right near Atocha, the main train station, making travel within the city and to other places in Spain convenient. Madrid in the summer is an incredible city, especially for a young person without a lot of travel experience, as it is quite safe and easy to navigate on foot and has quality public transportation. Madrid has plenty of nightlife for those who like to party, but plenty of high culture in the form of museums, historical sites and cuisine for the more bookish types like myself. One of my favorite memories is enjoying churros con chocolate with my friends at the famous Chocolatería San Ginés!

Photos

I studied abroad in Madrid through USAC in the Summer of 2023. The coordinators at URJC Vicálvaro and the pre-program preparations were fantastic. Group excursions covered so much, and they offered a variety of living options. The language immersion helped me earn by Global Seal of Biliteracy and I made lifelong friends.

Photos

Studying abroad was an incredible experience—immersive, eye-opening, and unforgettable. I grew academically and personally while exploring new cultures, making lifelong friends, and gaining confidence. Highly recommend!

I studied with USAC in July of 2025. I learned Spanish on URJC’s campus. The location was 20 minutes from downtown Madrid via metro or car. It was quiet, and there is a small grocery store near the dorms. I stayed on the university campus so I luckily had A/C! The USAC staff was very helpful and kind. They even offered to help me with my language skills when I wasn’t in class and needed extra tutoring. The field trips were fun, especially to Segovia. My cohort was very friendly, and I enjoyed going on trips with them around Spain. We had weekends off which was super nice. The cafeteria food was okay, and you could only get one meal from there a day. Overall, I definitely enjoyed this study abroad program!

**This is a great opportunity for UNR/UNLV students and I would not recommend for students that don't attend these schools.** For clarification, I was on a one month (July) Summer program. Something I didn't realize when applying for USAC is that it is based out of University of Nevada. I was one of maybe 5-8 people from other schools out of a 30 person group, which wasn't very fun when the others were a giant group of people that could see each other after the program, etc. I did make some amazing friends, though, and everyone was generally very kind. My Spanish class was very easy and I did not feel challenged at all, I showed up to class and did my work and forgot it when I left. However, my teach we amazing and I wish I could have her as my teacher again. The two "excursions" were bus rides with some museums that I could have paid less than 100 Euro to do by myself. I had to pay extra to live in the dorms which only included one meal a day. My friends who lived in apartments had 20-60 minute Metro rides to campus (UJRC). Finally, since I was not on the group flight, they didn't allow me to join their provided transportation even though I landed at the same time as the group flight. I also had to provide my own transportation to the airport when I left.

I had the best time in Madrid! The city had so much to offer, I made friends that I’ve traveled to see again since the program and I loved my classes! The staff for my program was lovely and were always there to support us!

My study abroad in Madrid was wonderful. I stayed with a great host family and I found the usac staff to be very helpful. If I had the chance to do it again, I would in a heartbeat. The friends I made in Madrid are something I think about all the time. I miss being there and immersed in the culture.

I had an amazing time in Madrid, Spain. There, I learned Spanish, met locals, made lifelong friends and traveled all across the country and Europe. My academic advisors and professors were so helpful every step of the way with supporting not only my academic but also my personal journey. I loved my housing situation as I lived in a beautiful apartment in the heart of the city with my very own room and amazing roommates! And all my classes were so fun and helpful in learning Spanish and I even got to take a photography class. I would recommend going to Madrid to anyone considering studying abroad!

Photos

I had such an amazing time! I’m actually going back to live in Madrid for 10 months because I enjoyed my time there so much! That staff was amazing and most of the teachers I had were very kind! I would definitely recommend!

I met so many amazing people while I was in Madrid and had experiences and connections that I will spend the rest of my life reminiscing on. I hope I can be so lucky to do something so beautiful again! I got the opportunity to see Morocco, which completely changed my life, I went on short beach trips, made lifelong friends, experienced the culture, learned a ton of Spanish, and experienced freedom and independence for the first time in my life. I will be forever indebted the universe for allowing me to have experienced something so pure and beautiful and I will never be the same. Part of the reason this was possible is because the program, specifically Sara and Gabriela did a fantastic job making sure logistics were taken care of so all we had to worry about was settling in and having a wonderful experience.

Sara and Gabriela (the program instructors) were incredible and made my experience exponentially more safe and fulfilling. The professors were great and my Spanish improved significantly! I felt challenged by my coursework without missing out on experiencing the city. I made friends in the program and enjoyed the day trips with the group. I really liked my shared apartment and got very lucky with its location. I'm so glad I chose USAc because their on the ground support felt very secure while I was abroad.

Studying abroad truly changed my life! I had always dreamt of going abroad and USAC made that possible with still being able to graduate on time. Nobody prepares you for the lifelong friendships you will make while being abroad and the true sense of independence that comes with being in a new environment on your own.

I loved every minute of it. I didn't mesh a lot with other groups members, my one thing I would change would be that I wish the group was bigger but I have no complaints about anything else. The staff is amazing, living in the dorms was fun and I learned so much more than I could ever imagine.

Studying abroad in Madrid through USAC was a life-changing experience that exceeded all of my expectations. Not only did the program offer classes I needed to complete my minor degree, but it also gave me the chance to immerse myself in what I think is one of Europe’s most beautiful and culturally rich countries. The housing accommodations were comfortable, safe, and conveniently located. Any specific requests I had were quickly addressed, which made adjusting to life in Madrid easy. The program coordinator, Sara, was outstanding—knowledgeable, approachable, and deeply committed to making our experience the best it could be. Sara even took the time to personally walk me through the neighborhood that I was living in while in Madrid. Beyond academics, the cultural experience was unforgettable. I explored the many different neighborhoods of Madrid, visited museums, and built lifelong friendships with other students in the program. Every day truly offered something new and meaningful. If you’re considering a USAC program, I can’t recommend choosing a Spanish city enough. It allowed me to expand my horizons culturally and academically. Take the leap because you won’t regret it!

Photos

Studying abroad in Madrid was a life changing experience, and the best part was meeting my best friend. We quickly became inseparable, traveling to amazing places like the French Riviera, where we explored beautiful coastal towns, and Valencia, with its stunning architecture and delicious paella. Madrid itself was incredible, from immersing myself in the culture to improving my Spanish. But what made the experience truly unforgettable were the memories I created with my friends. It wasn’t just about the sights we saw, but the bonds we formed.

Photos

Madrid is such a beautiful city, and Gabriela & Sara (on site administrators) help you get to know the city and get involved in local activities! We had most Fridays free, so I got to travel on the weekends which was great! I love Spain and the spanish people and cant wait to go back. One thing I wish I would've known is that the classes are only with other USAC students, so you don't get much interaction with university students. I hope in the future they provide the opportunity to take actual university classes so that future USAC students can become friends with the local students.

I had done a foreign exchange to Spain in high school and knew I wanted to study abroad in Madrid in college. I had the most amazing time with the friends I made and experiences we had! I was nervous about the program being a small size, but I ended up loving that aspect since I was able to get to know everyone. I chose to live in a shared apartment and ended up becoming really close with one of my roommates and we traveled everywhere together. I loved all of the professors and the classes that I took. I only wish they were more classes that were science related since I am a pre-health student, but I also enjoyed learning about different topics than my major. Overall, if I got to do this all over, I would choose the USAC Madrid program again!

Studying abroad in Spain for a year allowed me to grow as a person so much. Being in a new country experiencing new cultures such as soccer clubs, different cuisines, taking cooking classes are all different experiences I’ll never forget. USAC also offered many fun excursions that allowed you to build new relationships with your program. One of my favorite parts about studying abroad was how easy and convenient it was to travel all around Europe. If your debating studying abroad, I heavily recommend studying through USAC as they have an amazing group of teachers and staff and are very helpful and supportive.

My time in Madrid will forever be the most incredible and unforgettable experience of my life. It inspired the path I want to take in life (to be a professor of art history). I made amazing friends, travelled to phenomenal places, and was exposed to the most beautiful art and culture.

Photos

I stayed in the dorms at Rey Juan Carlos. It was very clean and nice place to stay. I had so much fun and little to no worries while I was abroad thanks to Gabriela and Sarah! They made all of us feel so welcomed and helped us make the transition so easily. It wouldn’t have been as amazing as an experience without them and the amazing teachers.

Photos