BU’s Madrid programs offer the chance to study and live in one of the world’s most dynamic metropolises. All students have the unique opportunity to experience life in a Spanish homestay. The Madrid Engineering Program, offered Spring Semesters and designed for sophomores, gives students the opportunity to take technical and engineering courses through the Universidad Pontificia Comillas-ICAI. Classes are taught in English by Spanish faculty, and no prior language study is required.
Requirements & Considerations
- All students must enroll according to, and remain in compliance with, the Boston University Study Abroad Course Load Policy.
- Ideally suited for second-semester sophomore engineering students
- Some courses carry prerequisites
- No prior language study is required
- Admissions requirements for all programs
Curriculum
Required Courses
All students are required to enroll in one Spanish language course, plus CAS LS 241 Cultures of Spain, as well as CAS MA 226 and ENG EK 307. They also choose one additional Engineering elective from the options outlined below. Language course assignments are based on placement test results. Students with prior Spanish Language experience will be placed into a higher-level course, based on their ability. All language courses are taught at the Instituto Internacional.
Spanish Language Courses (one required)
- CAS LS 111 First Semester Spanish (4 credits)
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- Individual in Community
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- CAS LS 112 Second Semester Spanish (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- Individual in Community
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- CAS LS 211 Third Semester Spanish (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- Individual in Community
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- CAS LS 212 Fourth Semester Spanish (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Individual in Community
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- CAS LS 306 Spanish Through Translation (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- Global Citizenship & Intercultural Literacy
- Oral & Signed Communication
- This course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area:
- CAS LS 400 Level Spanish Elective Course (pending placement test results)
Other Required Courses
- CAS LS 241 Cultures of Spain: Past and Present (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy
- Historical Consciousness
- An introduction to Spanish civilization with special emphasis on history, art, and literature. Instruction begins in English and shifts gradually into Spanish as students’ fluency increases. Course content is enriched by visits to the Prado Museum, Segovia, Toledo, and others.
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- CAS MA 226 Differential Equations (4)
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- Critical Thinking
- Prerequisite: CAS MA 225 or MA 230, or the equivalent.
- First-order linear and separable equations. Second-order equations and first-order systems. Linear equations and linearization. Numerical and qualitative analysis. Laplace transforms. Applications and modeling of real phenomena throughout. (Cannot be taken for credit in addition to CAS MA 231.)
- Syllabus
- This course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas:
- ENG EK 307 Electric Circuits (4)
- Corequisite: CAS PY 212, or the equivalent.
- Introduction to electric circuit analysis and design; voltage, current, and power; element I-V curves, circuit laws, and theorems; energy storage; frequency domain, frequency response, transient response, sinusoidal steady state and transfer functions; and operational amplifiers, design. Includes lab. Taught in English at a local university.
- Syllabus
Elective Courses
Students choose one of the following 4-credit elective options, taught in English at a local university:
Elective Course List
- CAS PY 321 Thermal Physics (2 credits)
- Thermal and Quantum Physics must be taken together and will fulfill a Natural Science elective for BU Engineering students
- Prerequisites: CAS PY 211, CAS PY 212 and CAS MA 124, or the equivalent.
- First and second laws of thermodynamics: kinetic theory of gases, heat capacity, heat engines, introduction to entropy, statistical mechanics, and introduction to application of free energy and Boltzmann factor. Calculus approach for majors in engineering, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
- Syllabus
- CAS PY 322 Quantum Physics (2)
- Thermal and Quantum Physics must be taken together and will fulfill a Natural Science elective for BU Engineering students
- Prerequisites: CAS PY 211, CAS PY 212 and CAS MA 124, or the equivalent.
- Interference and diffraction, photons and matter waves, the Bohr atom, uncertainty principle, and wave mechanics. Calculus-based course for majors in engineering, mathematics, physics, and chemistry.
- Syllabus
- ENG BE 209 Principles of Molecular Cell Biology and Biotechnology (4)
- Prerequisites: high school biology and at least one semester of college chemistry.
- For biomedical engineers. Principles of cell and molecular biology and biochemistry emphasizing biomolecules, the flow of genetic information, cell structure and function, and cell regulation.
- Syllabus
- ENG ME 304 Energy and Thermodynamics (4)
- Prerequisites: CAS PY 211.
- Macroscopic treatment of the fundamental concepts of thermodynamic systems. Zeroth, first, and second laws; properties of simple compressible substances; entropy; energy availability; ideal gas mixtures and psychometrics; and thermodynamic cycles. Application to engines, refrigeration systems, and energy conversion.
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- Syllabus
Housing & Student Services
- Individual bedrooms in local family home. Each room has a bed, a desk, and some storage space. Linens are provided and washed regularly. Kitchen access is not guaranteed. Students will have the ability to reheat food.
- Board included: All meals (3 meals per day/ 7 days per week) will be provided by the host family. A packed lunch will be provided by the host family if the student is unable to commute home for lunch.
- Students may eat at the dining hall.
- Host families provide laundry, internet.
- Gyms at the university and in town, but may be expensive.
- Students can study at the Instituto or the ICAI. Many students study at home, as university libraries have more restricted hours than in the US.
Program Dates
- Spring Semester: mid January to early May.
Application Timeline
- Applications Open June 1*
- Applications Deadline September 15
This program is not on a rolling admissions cycle. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all required materials have been received by the BU Study Abroad office by the application deadline. Decisions will not be made until after the application deadline. Applicants will receive their decision via email.
Information on other programs that do not follow a rolling admissions cycle and information for BU Students Awaiting an Admissions Decision can be found here.
Cost & Financial Considerations
- 2024/2025 Tuition & Fees: $40,434
Cost includes tuition, housing, board, program related activities, administrative fee, overseas medical insurance, and emergency evacuation coverage. - Estimated program budget, including cost of living expenses.
- Grants and Scholarships available.
