Drexel in Spain: UP Comillas
As Drexel's first exchange program in Spain, this is a wonderful opportunity for Engineering and IAS students to spend a term or a year studying at a Spanish university. The Universidad Pontificia Comillas ("Comillas") was founded in 1890 by the Society of Jesuits, and is one of their 90 Jesuit Universities around the world. Located in Madrid, Comillas offers students an excellent opportunity for personal, professional and social development.
Madrid, the capital of Spain, is a cosmopolitan city with more than four million inhabitants. It is the site of the Spanish government and is the most important financial and cultural centre in the country. The cultural, leisure and sports offering is rich and varied. It has countless theatres and museums, such as the "El Prado" National Museum and the Queen Sofía Centre for the Arts. Monuments, exhibits, and concert halls dot the city. In Madrid, over 43 parks and emblematic green areas such as the Retiro Park, the "Casa de Campo" Recreational Park or the Sabatini Gardens can also be enjoyed.
- 3.0 minimum GPA
- This program has a SPAN 310 pre-requisite and courses are taught in Spanish.
- International Relations
- Humanities, Social Sciences
- Computer Science
- Electrical Engineering
- Industrial Engineering
- Manufacturing Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
Course Availability
Use the
Course Catalog to search coursework offered at UP Comillas.
- Visit the course schedules page
- Enter the page of the College/Program in which you are interested
- Click on "Timetables" ("Horarios")
- Search for the degree in which you are going to register
- Select the semester and year when the course is offered
Students will need to get courses approved by the appropriate department for each course they plan to take if the course is not on the course equivalency spreadsheet (linked above). For example, if you want to take a course at the University abroad for Drexel credit, its equivalent must be pre-approved by the appropriate department at Drexel.
Course Equivalencies
This
spreadsheet is a historical list of pre-approved courses Drexel students have taken at Comillas before. Students can choose to take courses from this list, but there is no guarantee that these courses will be offered in the future.
Grading
Students are taught and graded by Spanish faculty at Comillas. Grades are noted as "CR/NCR" on their transcript and will NOT affect their GPA. In order to receive CR students must earn a "C" or above at the host institution. Drexel students should plan on taking 30 ECTS credits per semesters which is a full course load at Comillas. They should make sure that the 30 ECTS credits are equal to between 12 and 20 Drexel credits. Thus you will be a full-time student at both Comillas and Drexel.
UP Comillas is a semester-based school. Students are encouraged to view the
UP Comillas academic calendar.
The Engineering School (ICAI) and the Social Sciences/International Relations program have the calendar below:
Fall Only Dates and Itinerary
| Program Start Date |
Early September |
| Program End Date |
Mid December |
Fall/Winter Dates and Itinerary
| Program Start Date |
Early September |
| Program End Date |
Mid May |
Winter Only Dates and Itinerary
| Program Start Date |
Early January |
| Program End Date |
Mid May |
Drexel students will need to either leave their co-op a few weeks early OR arrange for early summer final exams. Students applying for fall/winter must also be prepared to begin their proceeding spring/summer co-op late, at the end of April to avoid visa issues.
LS Oficina de Información y Acogida (The Information, Lodging and Welcome Office) at Comillas will help students arrange housing.
U.S. citizens are required to obtain a student visa for programs lasting longer than 90 days. Non-U.S. citizens should contact the Spanish Consulate to find out if a visa is required for Spain. The process of applying for your Spanish student visa may take 6-8 weeks, so students should plan ahead. Accepted students should contact the
Spanish Consulate for further assistance.
Program Costs
This is a Drexel sponsored program, thus all of your Drexel tuition and financial aid remain the same during your term abroad. For program costs, please consult the budget sheet.
Students who receive Federal Work Study should consider applying for the Study Abroad Online Journalist work study position (after acceptance).
Scholarships
To seek additional funding, review the Scholarship & Funding Opportunities. Remember that scholarship deadlines may be much earlier than study abroad deadlines, so plan accordingly. Students may also want to submit a revised budget to the Financial Aid Office to see if additional funding may be available.
