About the Program
De Madrid, al cielo (“From Madrid, then to heaven”)
Designed for students at the intermediate level of Spanish language study, this 6-week immersion program focuses on the history, culture, and languages of urban and rural Spain. Based in Madrid, the program will expand your appreciation and understanding of some of the diversity of Spain through excursions to nearby Toledo and Segovia, as well as a weekend in Barcelona.
Operating in cooperation with the American University of the Mediterranean/Institute of American Universities in both Madrid and Barcelona, the program provides rigorous, comprehensive training in spoken and written Spanish language through classes, host families, and direct engagement with the extensive history and unique cultures of two distinct and significant regions of Spain.
Program Structure
The program will guide you in making rapid progress toward fluency in Spanish. Intensive language instruction is combined with exploration of the culture and history of Madrid and other parts of Spain through the lenses of art and architecture, literature, politics, and ethnography.
Morning class sessions integrate language instruction with cultural materials and readings. Afternoon and evening sessions include a weekly writers’ workshop, lectures and conversations with scholars and artists, visits to the Prado and other museums, the Retiro Park, the Hermitage of San Antonio de la Florida, the Barrio de las Letras, and other emblematic neighborhoods, and a night at the theater. All afternoon and evening sessions are directly related to classroom study and assignments and provide students with greater exposure to the cultural life of the city.
SPAN S-DM counts as one full-year course (8 credits) of degree credit and as two half-year courses towards the foreign language citation. It also fulfills the Harvard foreign language requirement.
SPAN S-DM Study Abroad in Madrid: Spanish Language and Culture, Past and Present
Johanna Damgaard Liander, PhD, Senior Preceptor in Romance Languages and Literatures, Harvard University
8 credits
UN Limited enrollment.
This is a second-year course in Spanish language and culture which moves students toward fluency using grammar review and language instruction combined with an in-depth study of the culture and character of Madrid through history, art, architecture, literature, and ethnography. The course focuses on five periods: when Madrid became Spain’s capital in 1561 and before; the theatrical boom of the seventeenth century through the enlightenment of Charles III; the vast contrasts of the nineteenth century; the civil war, subsequent dictatorship, and transition to democracy in the twentieth century; and Madrid’s place in Spain, in Europe, and in the world in current times. Students engage with Madrid directly, living and studying there for five weeks, and gain a deeper understanding of the city in the greater context of Spain by comparing the capital to smaller cities (Toledo and Segovia on day trips) and to the culturally, and linguistically diverse region of Cataluña, when we visit Barcelona for a long weekend.
Students expand and strengthen their linguistic skills and learn about the history and culture of Madrid by participating in language sessions, instructional excursions, writers’ workshops, lectures, theater class, flamenco class, and viewing centuries of art and architecture. The course provides students with numerous occasions to speak Spanish with native speakers from diverse backgrounds. In class, students compare levels of formality in both written and spoken language. Students become familiar with the vast and fascinating lexicon of Castilian Spanish, develop their written and spoken academic Spanish, and attain an advanced linguistic level by the end of the course.
Prerequisite: Harvard students must have completed Spanish 11, Spanish 15, or Spanish 20 (but not beyond Spanish 20) or received the equivalent score on the Harvard University placement test. Other students must have completed one year or one accelerated semester of college-level beginning Spanish.
Where You'll Live and Study
Madrid is an extraordinarily welcoming city, a relatively young European capital (founded in the mid-16th century), in which students will quickly feel at home. After all, most madrileños, while living proudly in their spectacular capital city, will also identify with their pueblo (small town) where they, their parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents have their roots, and where they spend holidays, or often simply retreat.
To truly understand Madrid, students, as well, will visit several other parts of Spain, besides its capital. Toledo and Segovia recall Jewish, Moorish, and Roman history, whereas Barcelona offers medieval, renaissance, twentieth and twenty-first century art and letters, a distinct Catalán culture and language, and a port providing direct contact with the entire Mediterranean.
Accommodations
In Madrid, you will live and have meals with a local host family. Host families all live within a short distance of our campus in the Chamberí neighborhood of Madrid, where classes are held. This lively, walkable area is filled with students and a diverse array of other residents and is well connected by Metro and bus to all other parts of the city.
Application
To apply, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Have completed at least one year of college or be a first-year student
- Be in good academic standing
Students enrolled at any accredited university are welcome to apply. See the How to Apply page for more information.
The Summer 2027 application will be available on December 1 via link at the top of this page. Each program has unique requirements included in the online application. Beginning your application early is the best way to ensure that you have sufficient time to review and complete the application requirements by the deadline.
You may apply to no more than one program.
A complete online application includes:
- Basic personal information
- A statement of interest
- Your most recent transcript
- Program-specific requirements (if applicable; may include letters of recommendation, etc.)
Interviews may be requested at the discretion of the program. Please note that this program requires a letter of recommendation as part of the online application process, which must be submitted by the application deadline. Apply early to ensure that your recommender has time to submit your letter.
Be sure to read about the funding options available for Harvard Summer School Study Abroad programs.
If you have questions about the application, please contact the Harvard Summer School Study Abroad Office by email at SummerAbroad@Summer.Harvard.edu.
Cost & Expenses
The program fee includes:
- Tuition
- Accommodations
- Scheduled program activities
- Some meals (the program will provide further details)
You will also need to budget for a number of expenses not covered by the program fee. The amounts listed below for these out-of-pocket expenses are approximate, and you may incur additional expenses not noted here. Your actual expenses will depend on a number of factors, including personal spending habits and currency exchange rates. Note that expense categories — especially airfare — may be subject to significant fluctuations.
- International airfare ($1,600 – $2,000)
- Ground transportation ($250)
- Meals ($600)
- Personal expenditures, communications, course materials, and miscellaneous ($800)
If you have specific questions about personal budgeting, please contact the program directly.
See Funding and Payment for information on how to submit payments and funding options.
Additional Information
- Questions? Contact Johanna Liander at jLiander@fas.Harvard.edu.
- Need an accommodation? See Students in Need of Accommodations to request one through the Accessibility Services Office.
- Accepted to the program? See Admitted Students for information about predeparture requirements.
