In the fall student spend two weeks in Salamanca, where JHU Madrid conducts a culture and language “boot camp” at the Cursos Internacionales de la Universidad de Salamanca, which consists of fifty hours of classroom time, preparation for what is to come in Madrid. At the same time, students attend orientation meetings about life in Spain, academics and security and safety, etc. Each morning students review grammar, and practice their composition and conversation skills, essential for a successful experience at Universidad Carlos III. In the afternoons, students have practical sessions in which they are introduced to several aspects of Spanish culture and traditions, such as ceramics and cooking classes, sculpture and art workshops and guided tours of the city to learn about the history of Salamanca and its university, one of the eldest in Europe. 

In spring, just like in the fall semester, students spend two weeks in Cuenca, a small town in Castilla-La Mancha, enrolled in Intensive Spanish Language courses. In addition, JHU Madrid, with the collaboration of the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha ESPACU (Español en Cuenca), organizes guided cultural activities, including an excursion to the Land of Don Quixote and a hiking trip to Cuenca’s Natural Park. 

In both semesters, students are exposed to local varieties of the Spanish language and culture focused on the interaction of students with local people.

Students will be enrolled in a Reflections on Contemporary Spain course, worth three upper-division credits that incorporates the Intensive Language pre-course in Cuenca, program events and field trips throughout the semester, and a Spanish-language journal with sufficient substance to qualify for intensive writing credit at Hopkins Homewood.