Madrid is the European cultural capital for the Hispanic Americas. Rich in tradition, Madrid comes alive at night as Spaniards spill into the streets. By day it is a cultural Mecca, with major plazas, narrow streets within the historic center, grand boulevards, and historic sites. Join many other students and faculty from Maryville and other local universities in Spain’s most famous city. Students will enjoy learning about “things Spanish” through formal classroom settings, lectures “in the streets of Madrid” by course professors, and excursions beyond the city to the area’s most popular cultural venues.

Students enroll in two courses and may also add a third independent study course, Exploring the Culture of Madrid. Some preliminary readings and/or assignments and post-on-site assignments complete the program.

Come learn about this rich culture in courses taught in English or through a variety of Spanish language courses.

• 6-9 credits for 3 1/2 weeks.
• Select 2 courses from 5 Maryville courses (taught in English) or from several Spanish language courses (conversation courses taught in the streets, or regular Spanish language courses).
• Add a third course, an independent study called Exploring the Culture of Madrid.
• Housing options include: student apartment or home-stay with a Spanish speaking family. Home-stay family provides breakfast and dinner daily.
• Excursions to the exciting historical cities of Toledo and Segovia, plus others.
• Estimated cost for everything, excluding airfare, is $4,599. This includes room and board, transportation to/from Madrid airport, local transportation, some excursions, insurance, and tuition for 6 credits.
• 3 additional credits cost an additional $750.
• A $300 deposit (refundable until March 1) guarantees a participation slot in the program.
• For additional information see Dr. James E. Harf (jharf@maryville.edu) in Gander Hall 101.

Excellent economic value – the total cost of the program for 9 credits is less than half of the cost of an 18-credit on-campus semester!

Course Descriptions

• The Regions of Spain: Cultures and Stereotypes (Debra Coats: Sociology – Maryville)

This course introduces students to the 17 unique and varied regions of Spain. The main focus is on the people themselves, and their way of life. A brief history of Spain’s profound political and historical transformations leads into an examination of the current regions. In particular, this course explores the proud heritages that define and shape the regions’ fiercely loyal citizens. A compare/contrast approach reveals the ancient rivalries and stereotypes, as well as separate regional languages clung to by the people of Spain’s 17 regions.

• Uncovering the Cafes, Parks, Coffee Shops, and Plazas of Madrid: Communication Skills and the Study of Third Places (Rebecca Dohrman: Communication – Maryville)

In contrast to one’s home (first places) and work (second places), third places, which are public places on neutral ground where people can gather and interact, allow people to put aside their concerns and simply enjoy the company and conversation around them (Oldenburg, 1991, The Great Good Place. New York: Paragon House). Oldenburg suggests that beer gardens, main streets, pubs, cafes, coffeehouses, and other third places are the heart of a community’s social vitality and the foundation of a functioning democracy. In this course, students will practice the art of qualitative methods such as participant observation and ethnography as they tour, spend time in, and study the rich collection of third places that make up the Spanish culture, one of the most community-centered cultures in Europe. Madrid is a vibrant city with a plethora of cafes, parks, coffee shops, and plazas that would be very interesting for students and would provide the perfect backdrop for readings about and practicing qualitative methods.

• Spanish Museums and Galleries (Mark Schatz: Art – Maryville)

This course will follow the history of art in Spain from the Renaissance through the 20th century as presented in museums and galleries around Madrid. The circumstances surrounding the establishment and growth of Madrid’s major museums will also be explored. Students will visit the Prado, Reina Sofia, and Thyssen-Bornemisza Museums as well as important collections throughout Madrid, Toledo and Castille. Spanish masters El Greco, Velasquez, Goya and Picasso will receive focused attention.

• Drawing in Madrid (Metra Mitchell: Art – Maryville)

This course requires observational drawing from original monuments of Spanish art, architecture, culture, and history. Emphasis is on perceptual drawing on-site to develop and apply drawing skills, to allow for creative expression, and to document and enhance the study abroad experience while living in Madrid and experiencing Spanish culture firsthand. Open to new and experienced artists alike.

• Digital Photography (Allison Quellette-Kirby – St. Charles Community College)

This course will begin with instruction in the basics of digital photographic capture while focusing on using the image to concentrate on telling the visual story of Madrid and Spanish culture.  Each day, trips to museums and sights around the city will be explored while completing a variety of directed shooting assignments and discovering ways to use the image to emphasize story, life, memory and place, among other subjects. The achievement of good technical and compositional strategies while developing ways to articulate ideas will be stressed in this field intensive class.  Each student will submit a portfolio of images in the form of book after their return.

(A digital camera with manual capabilities is required.)

• Spanish Language in the Streets (CAPA Staff)

This course will focus on conversational skills for students who have had at least one year of Spanish. Most of the contact hours will be spent in the streets using Spanish to perform specific tasks.

• Spanish 101 - CAPA Staff
• Spanish 201 - CAPA Staff
• Spanish 301 - CAPA Staff

This 3-credit course allows students to prepare for and reflect upon a wide range of both group and individual excursions during their program in Madrid. Students will participate in several day-long excursions in and around Madrid. Additionally, students will select 15 individual excursions in and around Madrid, approved by the program’s head professor at least one month prior to departure for Madrid. These latter 15 locations: (1) could represent a variety of student interests and would be simply used by the student to fulfill the total number of elective credits toward graduation; or (2) may be tied closely to a student’s general education requirements; or (3) may be tied to a student’s major/minor. In the later two classes, the student should also seek prior approval of the list of 15 sites from his/her campus academic advisor if the course is to be used for a student’s general education requirements or major/minor academic program. The selected sites in these cases will relate to the specific discipline(s) of the general education area or the major/minor program.

The student will write two short papers for each excursion, a “before excursion” paper where the student describes the reason for the choice and what he/she expects to find, and an “after excursion” paper where the student reflects on his/her experience. The 15 “before excursion” papers are due prior to arrival in Madrid and the 15 “after excursion” papers are due one month following the end of the Madrid portion of the program. This allows you expanded time beyond your time in Madrid to complete the work.