About the Program
The ESP-Spain program represents an exceptional opportunity for engineering students to gain hands-on international engineering experience even as they also complete a B.A in Spanish in the College of Arts and Sciences. In the fourth year of this five-year program, students will live and work in Spain. They will spend part of the year studying in Valencia and will pursue an internship in the second semester, either in Valencia or in another part of Spain.
How it Works
Students will spend the first half of the year at Polytechnic University of Valencia studying Spanish and Spanish culture intensively. In the spring, students will use their cultural and language skills in an engineering internship in a local Spanish start-up, a biotech lab, or an international company. No Spanish is required to begin the program if one begins in freshman year.
Valencia: a Mediterranean City
Today Valencia is the third largest metropolitan area in Spain and one of the richest and most culturally dynamic cities in the country. Its location right on the Mediterranean coast, its pleasant weather, and its rich green spaces, including Malvarrosa beach and Albufera lagoon have made Valencia into a destination city in both Spain and in Europe.
A Dynamic Area for Start-Ups and Biotech
Spain is strong in biomedical, computer, civil, and chemical engineering. Areas of note are Artificial Intelligence, neuroscience, and materials. Most students will remain in Valencia and in the same housing throughout the year. However, depending on the location of the internship students may need to relocate to another city in Spain at additional expense.
Careers in the U.S. and Global Spanish Community
ESP engineers will not just bring sophisticated technical know-how to their future careers. They will have the global experience and language skills that make them attractive to American companies who need engineers comfortable working with global partners and as well as grooming the extensive network of Spanish-affiliated companies that operate in Europe, the Americas, and beyond.