ciee - council on international educational exchange
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Student Experience


Want to see what Madrid is like for yourself? Click on the video to catch a glimpse of the city, campus, people, and culture you could find yourself immersed in next semester.






Student Testimonial: Madrid Internship
I am fortunate to be working for a cultural magazine in Madrid. As part of my journalism internship, I had the unique opportunity to interview several famous Spanish chefs, who, in some cases, have been awarded a Michelin Star for their gastronomical creations. I conducted one interview in a kitchen of local restaurant. While answering my questions, the chef, who was dressed in a smock made out of a garbage bag, plucked the feathers out of a pigeon. After the interview, I was fortunate enough to test some of her wonderful creations!

One of the work values I am learning in my internship is that a job is something that madrileños do, but it is not something that exclusively defines them. Instead, their lives seem to be expressed in the streets. Through my internship experience, I have learned the level of priority and values that Spanish people give to their work. The concept of time and priorities are so different here. I think it is great to experience the way Spanish balance work with life.

— Mallory Rozema, Fordham University
CIEE Madrid, Fall 2008

Photos


Student Stories

I chose the CIEE Study Center at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid because of the internship opportunities. I was placed with a Madrid-based union of Spanish-speaking radio stations from around the world that collaborates to create an online international news source. I was not expected to fetch coffee and make photocopies; instead, I was asked to cover events around Madrid, conduct interviews with locals, edit them, write a news notice, record it, and piece it together to create a coherent news story (all in Spanish!). So far, I’ve been covering the beat of the European Union’s international trade agreements with Africa, the Pacific, and the Caribbean, and the worldwide opposition it has spurred. Needless to say, this is a complicated story in English let alone another language, but it has been a fantastic experience to research this piece and take part in providing audio Internet news. My supervisor, Carlos, has been friendly, encouraging, and has given me great pointers. In addition to learning radio journalism (all my previous course work has been in print or broadcast), I’ve familiarized myself with innovative journalism practice in Spain, greatly improved my spoken Spanish, made various media contacts, and have by-lined concrete work interviews on record to show for it. My communications internship has been the most challenging job I’ve ever had, but by far the best. Just last week, one of my stories was featured on the front page of the website as a major news bulletin!

— Amber Parcher, Texas Christian University

Housing & Meals

Housing and meals are included in the program fee. Students have two housing options: live with a Spanish host or in a furnished apartment with other CIEE students, and in some cases, a CIEE Resident Fellow. Fellows are professionals, graduate students, and/or staff members at the Universidad Carlos III. They provide general guidance to students during their time in Madrid.

In the host option, students have an individual room in an apartment with a Spanish host and a choice of hosting options, ranging from very independent to those in which they are fully engaged with hosts. CIEE hosts have unique backgrounds and are actively involved in the community. Housing is in central Madrid with a commute to campus of 30 to 45 minutes. Meal options vary and may include two or three meals per day provided by the host, independent cooking, or some shared meals with the host. If all meals are not provided by the host, students receive a meal stipend.

In the apartment option, all apartments are located in the city of Madrid and, in most cases, are in the same building and/or neighborhood. Students have an individual room and full kitchen access with a variable meal plan in an informal academic and social community. To accommodate student class and internship schedules, the meal plan comprises both University cafeteria meal tickets and a monthly food stipend. The CIEE Resident Fellow also arranges group meals to help foster cultural reflection among participants. Students take public transportation to their classes at the Getafe campus—again, not more than a 45-minute commute.

Internet

Students receive an individual University email account and have unlimited access to computer labs for class-related activities on campus. There are high speed Internet connections in various classrooms, which can be used when classes are not taking place. Students are encouraged to bring wireless-enabled laptops to use on campus and in the CIEE office. Most CIEE housing options do not have Internet access.

Updates from Abroad

Are you curious about how students spend their time abroad at a CIEE Study Center? There are so many exciting activities that we thought study abroad advisors - and you - would love to learn about, that we asked our Resident Directors to describe CIEE orientation, field trips, courses, and more. The information they send back is the best way to learn about on-site activities first-hand.

Click on the links below and see what you could be experiencing next semester!

Orientation, Fall 2007
End of Semester, Fall 2007
Orientation, Spring 2008
Orientation, Fall 2008
Mid-Semester, Fall 2008
Orientation, Spring 2009

Orientation

Online Pre-Departure and On-Site Orientations
Students begin their study abroad experience in Madrid before even leaving home—by participating in a CIEE Online Pre Departure Orientation. Meeting with students online, the Resident Director shares information about the program and site, highlighting issues that alumni have said are important, and giving students time to ask any questions before leaving home. The online orientation allows students to connect with others in the group, reflect on what they want to get out of the program, and learn what others in the group would like to accomplish. The CIEE goal for the pre-departure orientation is simple: to help students understand more about the program and site, as well as their goals for the program, so that they arrive to the program well-informed and return home having made significant progress toward their goals.

The mandatory, two-day, on-site orientation session, held at the beginning of the program, is conducted in Spanish. Students are introduced to the city, culture, and academic program. Orientation also provides practical information about living in Madrid and includes both structured activities and independent sightseeing. A diagnostic language skills examination is also conducted to determine the linguistic level of all participants, ensuring that each student is placed in appropriate courses. Ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.

The Universidad Carlos III also holds an orientation for study abroad students. The Spanish language placement test is administered during this time.

Blog:

This program does not currently have a blog but will in the future.

Alumni

Students from the following institutions have participated in this program:

Albion College
Amherst College
Brandeis University
Bryant University
Eastern Michigan University
Fordham University
Gordon College
Gustavus Adolphus College
Harvard University
Illinois Wesleyan University
Kenyon College
Mount Holyoke College
Occidental College
Plymouth State University
Portland State University
Princeton University
Providence College
Rice University
Siena College
Texas Christian University
Texas Tech University
The University of Texas at Austin
Trinity University
Tulane University
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Connecticut
University of Houston
University of Iowa
University of La Verne
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of Missouri-Columbia
University of Vermont
University of Washington
Villanova University
Wellesley College

Evaluations

ACB Evaluation2008 ACB Evaluation
Following the principles and process set by the ACB, the evaluation report is made available once it is approved by the ACB. Program Evaluations happen about once every five years.
Annual Study Center Review2009 Annual Study Center Review2007 Annual Study Center Review2006 Annual Study Center Review
New in summer 2004, the Annual Study Center Review replaces the end of session reports written by the resident director. The Program Director solicits feedback from staff throughout the organization (including resident staff) as well as from the ACB and other Consortium member institutions in the drafting of these documents.
Student Evaluations 2009 Spring Student Evaluation2008 Fall Student Evaluation2007 Fall Student Evaluation2007 Spring Student Evaluation2006 Fall Student Evaluation2008 Spring Student Evaluation
CIEE began on-line student evaluations in spring 2003.