Option II: Engineering Track
The Syracuse University Engineering in Madrid program is designed to be a flexible program allowing engineering and computer science students in most any US ABET accredited program to participate. While the program is flexible enough to allow a wide range of study programs to be accommodated, the following guidelines are suggested for the best overall experience.
The program works best as a spring semester option for engineering juniors. The program is designed to include two technical subjects (3 is the maximum) in Spanish at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) with the balance of the program in non-technical subjects (language, history, literature, etc.) at the Syracuse University Center (in English or Spanish). The non-engineering courses at the SU Center begin in mid-January and end in early May. Technical courses at the UPM begin in late February and end in late June. Technical courses are usually assessed by an examination at semester’s end. Class lecture and hand-out materials are in Spanish. Your Spanish language skills, both spoken and written, must be substantial. Opportunities for language immersion and skills review will be available before the technical courses start via a travelling seminar, Mare Nostrum, offered by the SU Madrid Center.
We advise you to do advanced planning for course selection before you leave for Madrid and to be sure your advisor recognizes the suitability of the courses selected. We have listed below a range of typical subjects that usually are suitable for a wide range of engineering disciplines. These courses are mostly applications oriented and fit into most US engineering programs as technical electives. These sample courses have been screened for level credit value and are Spring semester offerings. Of course there are hundreds of other course offerings listed in the UPM websites (also listed below) and include all fundamental core subjects for most major engineering disciplines. You should be cautioned, however, that fundamental core subjects are often abstract, theoretical and mathematically rigorous. When combined with the language environment these core subjects are a higher challenge. In order to help you sort out your course options, you will be assigned a “peer advisor” from the UPM for you to electronically interact with for course advice regarding levels, and time scheduling. You will also be assigned tutors from UPM for each course when you are finally in residence in Madrid.
Click here for Politecnica courses matched with SU engineering courses and descriptions.
About UPM and Engineering Coursework
Program Features
- Required pre-semester, 2-credit field studies seminar. Students for whom Spanish is a second language are required to enroll in SPA 300.4 Mare Nostrum: A Mediterranean Introduction to Spain’s Character, Culture, and Civilization taught in Spanish, whereas students who are fluent in Spanish can take either BUA/IRP 400.1 Eurovision: The European Union, International Business and Economic Policy for the Twenty-First Century or FLL/HUM 400.1 Azahar: The Cultural History of the Islamic Conquest and the Christian Reconquest of Spain
- On-Site Orientation in Madrid
- Placement with Spanish Family
- Syracuse University in Madrid students generally enroll in one of the three main engineering schools at the UPM (i.e. Aeronáutica, Industriales and Telecomunicaciones) that cover most of the fields that any engineering student studying in the US would need.
- Intensive Spanish Language Instruction (required) at SU Madrid Center, earning 3 credits.
- Engineering Coursework at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM). Direct Placement in 2-3 technical courses, earning 6-9 credits.
- Enrollment in elective courses taught in Spanish or English at SU Madrid Center: Humanities, Business, or Social Sciences.
- Eligible for SU/Madrid Study Tours (Course Fee Required and Participation Will Depend on Universidad Politecnica de Madrid Class Schedule)
- Summer Research and/or Internships in Engineering also available