Continue your engineering studies in Madrid, Spain
Lafayette has been partnering with the Madrid branch of St. Louis University (SLU), Missouri for several years. The SLU-Lafayette partnership is one of the signature programs of Lafayette College and was specifically developed to accommodate Engineering students. Students typically participate in the program during the spring semester of their sophomore year. The program is led by a rotating Lafayette faculty resident director and students have the option of taking the course taught by the resident director in addition to courses offered at SLU-Madrid.
Occasionally, when spots are available, the program might be open to non-Engineering student, too.
To apply to the program, please see the Engineering Abroad Program Brochure Page.
Spring 2018 Faculty Director: Professor David Shulman
Finances
Students pay Lafayette tuition and room/partial board and continue to receive financial aid (with exception of RA benefits and work-study hours). Included in this cost is:
- Round-trip group flight from local area airport (typically Newark Airport)
- Tuition
- Housing
- Partial board
- Up to two international excursions
- Several day-long trips and cultural events
- Emergency medical and safety insurance through On Call International
Typical expenses not included in program costs include but are not limited to: transportation between home and airport for group flights, additional baggage fees for flights, passport and visa/residency permit fees, meals outside the partial board coverage, some meals during excursions, books and supplies, additional course fees (i.e. course-related trips, lab fees, museum fees), overload courses, personal expenses.
About the Location
St. Louis University
St. Louis University is an American, Jesuit university ranked among the top 100 research and teaching institutions in the United States. Distributed over two campuses: St. Louis Campus in the United States and Madrid Campus in Spain, the University enrolls more than 11,000 students, over 650 of whom pursue their studies in Madrid.
While originally established in the 1960s as a study abroad program for US college students, the Madrid Campus is now a free-standing campus of St. Louis University where students from more than 65 countries study undergraduate and graduate courses to obtain either US 4-year undergraduate degrees, graduate degrees or, in the case of study abroad students, credits towards their degrees on their home campuses. Students will receive a quality education, as well as the added value of international exposure, providing them a competitive edge over their peers upon graduation.
Academics
Courses work a little differently in universities outside of Lafayette. Students are expected to take and transfer a full load of credits back to Lafayette. Engineering-related courses (i.e. Differential Equations) are offered at SLU-Madrid as well as courses outside of engineering, and all students are typically required to take a culture-related course (to be specified by Lafayette). Students should consult with their academic adviser to be sure they are selecting the study abroad program with the best academic fit.
You can find the SLU-Madrid course catalog here.
Credit Transfer
Most engineering-related courses at SLU-Madrid transfer back to Lafayette as 1 full Lafayette credit. Most humanities/social science courses at SLU-Madrid transfer back to Lafayette as 0.75 Lafayette credits.
Many engineering-related courses have been pre-approved to transfer back to Lafayette. However, not all engineering-related/math courses at SLU-Madrid are approved, so students should confirm with the engineering department to make sure a course will work for their academic timeline. All other non-engineering-related courses must be approved to transfer back to Lafayette via the Course Approval process. You can learn more about Course Approval here.
Accommodations
In this program, students live with host families. Host families are typically located up to a 20-40 minute subway/bus commute from the university campus. There is often another student living in the homestay as well. Note a maximum of two Lafayette students may reside in the same homestay.
Internet access, bed linens, and laundry service (typically two loads of laundry per week) are included. Breakfast and dinner are typically provided by the host family. Lunches will typically be the responsibility of the student. The SLU-Madrid campus does offer a pay-as-you-go cafeteria option and there are several eating options through the city.
Excursions
Multi-day excursions
Included in your tuition is the cost of up to two multi-day excursions. In the past, group excursions have included such places as Morocco; Toulouse, France; and Barcelona. Excursions may change depending on the semester and the faculty resident director's expertise.
Other cultural events
Students will attend up to three day-long excursions. In the past, these excursions have included such places as Toledo, Segovia, and El Escorial. Excursions may change depending on the semester and the faculty resident director's expertise. There will also be some cultural outings within Madrid, possibly including a soccer match, a flamenco show, a guided tour of one or more of Madrid’s art museums, etc.
Visas
At this time students traveling on a US passport need a student visa to enter Spain. Fees for this visa are the responsibility of the student. Our office reviews the visa process with students in the first cohort meeting. We work to batch process student visas with the Spanish Consulate so timeliness is key. While the Office of International & Off-Campus Education works to support students through the visa process, the office staff are not visa experts and it is the responsibility of the student to obtain the appropriate visa and documentation.
At this time students traveling on a non-US passport may need a visa to enter Spain. Fees for this visa are the responsibility of the student. Our office reviews the visa process with students in the first cohort meeting. We work to batch process student visas with the Spanish Consulate so timeliness is key. Please note that international students may need to obtain visas for other countries they may visit as part of either the group excursions or personal travel as well. While the Office of International & Off-Campus Education works to support students through the visa process, the office staff are not visa experts and it is the responsibility of the student to obtain the appropriate visa and documentation.
To apply to the program, please see the Engineering Abroad Program Brochure Page.
