Learning Outside the Classroom

Internships, volunteer work, language exchanges, and cultural activities provide students with opportunities to deepen their social immersion in Spanish culture, enhance their language skills, and gain a better understanding of present-day Spain. For this reason, the School in Spain encourages all students to take full advantage of their experience abroad by participating in learning outside the classroom.

Internships

Through an internship in a host organization, students will gain in-depth knowledge and exposure to the host culture as well as the Spanish work environment. This experience will also provide students with new skills that can lead to greater opportunities in the future. Students may earn one unit of credit for the internship. In order to receive academic credit, students must work at least sixteen hours per week and submit substantial academic work. Interested students will find application materials in their pre-departure information and should return these to International Programs. Students may be asked to participate in a phone interview before leaving the U.S. and will interview (again) with the organization once in Spain.

Because we employ an outside agency in Madrid to place these in their internships, there will be a financial penalty for students who withdraw from the internship after the initial meeting in Madrid. Withdrawal from an internship must be approved within the first week of classes so that the student can add a course to his/her registration and maintain the required full course load.

$200 fee for withdrawal after the initial meeting

$965 fee for withdrawal after being placed

$2,945 fee for withdrawal after the internship starts

Volunteer Work

Students wishing to contribute their time and service to the community may choose to work as volunteers with organizations in the non-profit sector. The Cultural Coordinator in Madrid and Director in Córdoba can assist students in finding volunteer opportunities.

Students who would like to volunteer or intern working with children or adults with disabilities are required by the Spanish Ministry of Finance and Public Administration to obtain a background check conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

FBI background checks apply to U.S. Citizens only. Non-U.S. citizens should obtain their respective country’s equivalent of a background check.  Background checks must be completed BEFORE arriving in Spain. Instructions on how to apply for an FBI background check can be found at: https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks

Cultural Activities

Other activities that facilitate student immersion include language exchanges, cultural activities and outdoor activities. The Cultural Coordinator in Madrid and the Director in Córdoba or the host institution contact is are available to advise students on the wide range of possibilities Spain has to offer. Spanish universities also have ERASMUS international student organizations that offer activities. 

Middlebury College in Spain subsidizes participation in cultural activities and cultural travel through refunds up to a certain amount per semester.