Syracuse University, the fourth largest private university in higher education in the US and one of the first to offer overseas courses in Madrid, is still one of the few that offers courses taught in English and in Spanish for beginning to advanced students.

Through the Division of International Programs Abroad (DIPA) at Syracuse, the SU/Madrid Center since 1970 offers a broad range of fully accredited classes, not degrees, in the Liberal Arts, Social Science and Business.

All SU/Madrid students open their study abroad semester in Spain with AZAHAR, a unique two-credit, two-week traveling seminar and orientation program that starts in Toledo and continues in Córdoba, Sevilla and Granada. AZAHAR introduces students to influences on contemporary Spain from the fascinating amalgam of Islamic, Jewish and Iberian cultures, their historical monuments and enduring products.

Classes that meet during the fall and spring semesters, and in a modified format during the six-week summer session, are complemented by numerous Internship opportunities especially in the business community, the arts, social services, education and communication sciences. The faculty is made up of 35 professors, most native Spaniards holding doctorate degrees.

Students earn Syracuse University credit upon successful completion of semester courses in the following academic options:

Option I: Courses at the SU/Madrid Center in the International Institute in downtown Madrid where the Program has offices and classroom space. In addition to nine levels of intensive Spanish language, subjects taught include Anthropology, Arts of Spain, Biology, Communication Studies, Drawing, Ecology, Economics, Finance, Geography, History (Spanish, European, Latin American), International Relations, Comparative and Spanish Literature, Marketing, Philosophy, Political Science (Comparative, European, Spanish) and since 1994, Sephardic Studies and Women's Studies. Classes are small and use every opportunity to expose students to direct experience through an extensive range of field trips, on site study tours and museum visits.

Option II: Courses at the Autónoma University of Madrid. Qualified students enroll through SU/Madrid directly in the Autónoma University of Madrid (UAM) where they may elect from a broad spectrum of courses in the Humanities, Social and Natural Sciences, and participate in the cultural and sports activities associated with that University. Classes at the UAM are taught in Spanish and range in size from large lecture to small discussion. Students may also combine courses taught in the SU/Madrid Center either semester with those at the Autónoma in accordance with their interest and background. Option II also offers advanced UAM students access to the graduate curriculum at Syracuse University, New York.

Option III: Summer Courses at the Politécnica University of Madrid. In cooperation with the College of Engineering at Syracuse University, qualified students of aerospace, civil, mechanical, electrical, computer, chemical and biochemical engineering or computer science, with or without knowledge of Spanish, may carry out of a series of independent study projects in the engineering laboratories of the Universidad Politécnica. Qualified Spanish engineering students at the Politécnica may apply to study at Syracuse in the US.

The Summer Program at SU/Madrid is based in Anthropology or Literature and Spanish Language, and in Work Experience opportunities. Classes in Madrid are complemented by study tours to historic Cantabria and the Basque Country, to Cataluña, Extremadura and the two Castilles.

Every effort is made to accommodate personal preferences for housing. Students live with carefully selected Spanish hosts within walking distance or short rides on excellent and modern public transportation to the Institute or UAM. Tuition covers two meals a day plus laundry in single or double accommodations. The mutual friendships which develop between hosts and students have been an especially rewarding aspect of SU/Madrid overall.

The Program provides extensive information on a wide range of extracurricular activities, including sports, dance, drawing, music, fencing, theater, and horseback riding.

Costs include Syracuse University tuition plus a program fee which includes, for semester students, one-way transportation New York-Madrid, room and board, AZAHAR and other Program Tours. Ample financial and scholarship aid is available.