Graduate Student Exchange Program (Universidad Complutense de Madrid)

The Institution

The Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) is a public research university founded by Cardinal Cisneros in 1499, by decree of Pope Alexander VI to provide instruction in Theology, Canon Law, and Liberal Arts. It is named after the ancient Roman settlement of Complutum, now an archeological site in Alcalá de Henares, just east of Madrid. It enrolls over 86,000 students, making it the third largest non-distance European university by enrollment. It is one of the most prestigious Spanish universities and consistently ranks among the top universities in Spain. Since its foundation, it has attracted numerous scholars, intellectuals, and students from all over Spain and the world, establishing itself as one of the main international centers of learning. 

The Program

The graduate student exchange program between the UCM and RLL was established in 1990 by the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard to facilitate institutional exchange.

Length of the Program

The Exchange Program covers one academic year to be spent at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid. The academic year at UCM runs from October 1 to June 30. Some activities may start in the third week of September. 

Funding

In exchange for free room and board in one of the UCM residence halls for the academic year (from September 1 to July 31), the Harvard student is required to teach approximately 8 hours/week. The cost of health insurance and visa fees will also be covered by the UCM. Note that participating students are responsible for securing their own additional funding; there is no monetary compensation provided by the UCM for teaching and no supplemental financial support provided by Harvard/RLL for this exchange. Please see the GSAS website for information about fellowships.

Teaching Activities

The Harvard student will be issued "Venia Docendi" (Clearance for Teaching) at the beginning of each semester for a total of 120 teaching hours. They will have the choice of teaching English language courses in the Department of English Philology only, or of splitting their 120 teaching hours between teaching English and teaching in another department of their choice—either one of the two Departments of Communications or one of the four Departments of Spanish Philology, on topcis in Spanish or Hispanic language, literature, culture, visual arts, communications, etc. Courses outside of the English department are conducted in Spanish. The specific teaching assignment is determined in consultation with the host Departments, the director of the Real Colegio Complutense here in Cambridge, and the RLL Spanish section, on a case by case basis, depending on the RLL student's interests and qualifications.

Educational Activities

The Harvard student will register in one to three master’s subjects in the Philology Faculty. The student can choose from any subject offered within the master’s programs at the faculty during their stay. According to their field of interest, they may select courses from these course listings.

The Harvard graduate student participant will be assigned an informal faculty mentor or contact person in their field of studies for the duration of their stay. The student and faculty mentor will work together to define the student’s research objectives, scheduling regular meetings for academic guidance and supervision of the student’s work. The student will be invited to attend meetings, seminars, workshops, or conferences organized by the Ph.D. programs in the faculty of Philology. They will be introduced to research groups at the faculty working on similar areas and invited to join some of their activities. If the student has a level of Spanish lower than B2, they will have the opportunity to take an online Spanish course offered at the beginning of each semester. 

Eligibility/Application Process

RLL students in the Spanish section have priority, but other GSAS graduate students are welcome to apply (G2 and above). Both US citizens and non-citizens are eligible. Note that non EEU citizens will need to apply for a student visa. The application process entails submitting an online application form and uploading a statement of purpose describing how spending a year at the UCM fits in with the applicant’s academic goals. Katherine Killough, the Language Program Coordinator, will send out an email with the application link to the rllgrads list in early March of the preceding spring; the application deadline is March 1. Applicants from outside of the RLL Spanish section should also request that their advisor send an email expressing their support of the application to Katherine directly. 

Administrative Details

The Harvard student will have student status while at the UCM; therefore, they will need to apply for a student visa (as shown in the calendar). The UCM will send the participating Harvard student an admission letter and all the details and information necessary to apply for the student visa before July 15, the start of the UCM’s summer break. Upon arrival to the UCM, the Harvard student is invited to attend a welcome session offered for foreign students at the beginning of each semester. They will receive guidance on how to apply for a student ID card which will give them access to sports facilities and libraries, the UCM Wifi, as well as the online catalog of master’s course offerings, etc. The Harvard student will be invited to participate in the intellectual and cultural activities of the University community. The Complutense offers classes and graduate seminars, as well as conferences and workshops.

Contacts

At Harvard

RLL Faculty Program Liaison: Luis Girón Negrón

Administrative Contact: Katherine Killough, RLL Language Program Coordinator

Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard Director: Daniel Sánchez Mata, Associate at the Harvard University Herbaria, Organismic and Evolutionary Department, Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University and Full Professor of Botany at Universidad Complutense of Madrid

At the UCM

Academic Contacts

Facultad de Filología Española III (Lengua y Literatura, CC. II), Guadalupe Arbona Abascal

Facultad de Filología Española IV (Bibliografía y Literatura hispanoamericana), Marina Gálvez Acero

Facultad de Filología Departamento de Lengua Española y Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada: Fernando Lázaro Mora

Facultad de Comunicación I, Hipolito Vivar

Facultad de Comunicación II, Ubaldo Cuesta

Facultad de Filología Inglesa I (Lengua y Lingüística Inglesa), María Julia Lavid

Facultad de Filologia Inglesa II (Literatura de los países de habla inglesa), Juan Manuel Núñez Yusta

Administrative Contacts

María José Serna Marques
Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales
Sección de Convenios y Becas
Edificio de Estudiantes
Primera Planta
Avenida Complutense, s/n
Ciudad Universitaria
28040 Madrid 

Please contact Katherine Killough killough@fas.harvard.edu with any questions.