IES Abroad Madrid

Madrid is a diverse city that has a way of making you feel at home. It's easy to navigate and has all of the resources of a big capital city without feeling overwhelming. IES ensures a positive, fulfilling experience by providing opportunities to interact with local students, live with a host family or Spanish compañero, and take courses that will improve your understanding of the city and culture. I had courses about the History of Madrid and an art course taught in the Prado museum. Be sure to take advantage of all of the IES sponsored trips, too; the guides are incredible. Come prepared to make friends for a lifetime and discover a newfound independence.

I had the adventure of a lifetime studying in Madrid with IES Abroad. I lived in an apartment with other engineers and a local Spanish student, took classes in materials science and manufacturing systems as well as Spanish Art and Architecture, and enjoyed passing time wandering Madrid and its many parks, shops, restaurants, and plazas. While I traveled to many other countries during my time abroad, Madrid will always hold a special place in my heart thanks to IES Abroad. The staff was helpful and always available to help me feel comfortable and to help Madrid become my new home. My peers and I enjoyed participating in a cooking class, watching a spectacular live flamenco show, taking day trips to nearby cities, and meeting students from all over the United States, Spain, and the world. I am glad I was given the opportunity to take advantage of all that Madrid had to offer, and I encourage others to do the same with IES Madrid!

Living in Madrid for four months really opened up my eyes to the way in which the United States influences the rest of the world, as well as how Americans are perceived by others. It made me more understanding of cultural differences, and I came back to the U.S. feeling much more informed. It was a great way to take what I have been studying in Spanish classes for so many years out into the real world, and I was able to further develop my conversational speaking abilities to be more like a "native."

Studying in Madrid through IES was the best 4 months of my life. I was able to enjoy the awesomeness of the hospitality, academics, and culture of Madrid through the assistance of IES. The semester was sprinkled with explorative group trips that really allowed me to become close with my peers, and learn about the lesser known parts of the country. The academics were intensive enough to allow me to improve and practice my Spanish; however, they were not unnecessarily rigorous. IES really established a system where I felt that I was able to fully immerse myself to the Madrid lifestyle as much as I wanted. I met my current best friends, I meandered around Europe, and I fell in love with all things Spanish. I am hit with a wave of nostalgia every day that I am not able to sip on a cafe con leche paired with the ever so consistently delicious tortilla española. IES Madrid does it right.

While enrolled in this program I enjoyed my abroad experience a lot. I enjoyed this program specifically because it allowed me to get a feel for what it feels like to truly live in Spain because the program supervision was not overbearing, but there were enough activities that allowed me to feel a great sense of community. My only critique for the program was that students were rarely allowed to live outside of IES housing, which (in my opinion) did not provide the best option for cultural immersion. Overall, this is a great program for students to have low-academic rigor in order to fully enjoy their abroad experience.

IES Abroad Madrid was AMAZING! I learned so much while I was in Madrid and wouldn't trade that experience for anything. Because Madrid is so centralized, I was able to travel to a plethora of cities within Spain and experience other countries outside of Spain as well. There is a wide variety of classes offered and lots of activities to participate in with the university. Plus, my homestay experience was incredible - I still talk to my host mom a couple of times each month!

The staff from IES Abroad made this experience a one to remember! There were plenty of activities for us to be a part of and helped us emerge into the culture easily. My host family was amazing and provided me with delicious meals and pack me lunch whenever I left to travel for the weekend. Classes were great because IES provides you with tutors and other resources. Madrid is a safe city for the most part and has a lot to offer! You never get bored and the people are beyond amazing! All in all it was one of my best semesters in college and I would definitely do it again!

This program was the best 4 months of my life. The staff at IES was incredibly helpful and hands on in every capacity. From academics, to travel and safety, they had amazing resources and advice that was genuinely helpful. The courses were relatively easy (language barrier was tough at times) but the professors are helpful and want you to do well. Madrid is an incredible city that is filled with beautiful parks, wonderful museums and amazing food. You will never be bored while you are here. I made some of my best friends through this program and was able to travel to and explore more than 20 different cities throughout Europe on my own and with IES.