Eligibility
- 18 years of age or above
- Good academic and disciplinary standing at Penn State
- 2.75 cumulative GPA or better at the time of application
- Sophomore standing or above at the start of the program - Some local university courses may not be available to sophomores
- 2 semesters of college-level Spanish language or equivalent
- Enrolled in a Spanish course within the year prior to the program start date
- The Spanish Department no longer permit credits from Barcelona, Salamanca, or Seville study abroad to be used toward the Spanish major. If students are currently listed as a Spanish major or might consider a possible Spanish major in the future (i.e. once they return with substantial credits from abroad), they should not plan for these locations. Students minoring in Spanish are also discouraged from studying abroad at these locations.
Program Description
All students take an IES Abroad-taught Spanish language course. Students with four semesters or more of college-level Spanish may opt to take all of their area studies courses in Spanish for a true language immersion experience. Students with two to three semesters of college-level Spanish may opt to take all of their area studies courses in English or to challenge themselves by taking one of these courses in Spanish. All students, regardless of prior semesters of Spanish, have the option to take English- or Spanish-taught courses at our local partner universities, the Universidad de Salamanca (USAL) and Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca (UPSA).
Regardless of your major, you may combine your interests in linguistic and cultural proficiency with your academic pursuits. You can contribute to a local organization by participating in an education internship in the spring semester or, if you have advanced Spanish language skills, a service learning experience at a local not-for-profit organization in
the fall semester.
Dates
Fall: late August - mid December
Spring: mid January - mid May
Refer to the IES Abroad website for the specific dates, if available.
Location
Combine the atmosphere of a university town and the charming hospitality of a small city and you have Salamanca. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988, Salamanca is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to Spanish language education. If exploring a bigger metropolitan city and connecting to a major international airport for travels throughout Spain and beyond interest you, travel to Madrid on the new high-speed train in just 90 minutes.
The IES Abroad Salamanca Center is located in the core of the city, near the Plaza Mayor and the historic campuses of the Universidad de Salamanca and Universidad Pontificia.
Features include:
- Modern facility
- Wireless Internet access
- A student lounge and study area
- A small library
- A computer lab
Education Abroad in Countries with a Penn State Restricted Travel Designation
In order to comply with Penn State’s International Travel Policy, students interested in studying abroad in countries that Penn State has designated as “restricted” for travel, a petition for a waiver must be submitted. Once a petition is complete, and if the student is approved for study on the program in question, the student may be asked to meet with the Director of Education Abroad and the petition will be reviewed by the Penn State International Restricted Travel Committee (IRTC). The necessary petition will be included in the online application process for this program. To see if your program is taking place in a restricted travel country, please visit the Global Programs website.
