Program Reviews

I had an amazing time with NYU Sydney. The classes were really thoughtful and interesting and the teachers were all very knowledgable about what they were teaching. The staff for student life were some of the nicest people I have ever met and they always had new, free oppurtunities to explore Sydney and the surrounding areas. The weather was really beautiful aImost every day and the beaches were easily accessible through public transportation. I loved my time there and would recommend it to everyone.

I had the most incredible semester abroad at NYU Florence and would jump at the chance to go back. The campus is beautiful, the classes are manageable, the staff is extremely friendly, and the living quarters are comfortable and conducive to forming a community. And Florence itself is an incredible city with art, culture, amazing food, and such easy access to endless travel options! Highly recommend!!

By saying to take advantage of every day, I don't mean to pressure you in any way. Speaking from experience, I didn't really notice my surroundings until it was a bit too late. During my time at NYU Paris I didn't really realize the amazing opportunity I had in my hands; I was living in Paris, one of the most stunning cities in the world yet at the moment I couldn't really appreciate my experience well enough. Do not over stress yourself with your courses, try to get your work done early so that you can take advantage of where you are and to explore the city, meet new people, hang out with your friends at a cute cafe you discovered last week or just sit in the park and read a book. Just live in the moment and don't forget how many people would kill to be in your position.

I'm an NYU junior studying politics, development, and Spanish. So far I have spent one complete semester at NYU Madrid and have just started my second. In my experience, the academics at this campus have been exceptional. First, the class size is usually less than 15 - I have had one class with about 20 students, but this was by far one of the most popular on campus. The small class size allows you to get to know the professors and other students much better than in some large classes at main campus. This is especially helpful if your professors are Spaniards, since they can help you with the city and culture. There is a large range of classes here: Spanish history and culture, business, human rights and international law, urban studies, migration studies, and more. My top class so far has been Migrations & Cultural Diversity. I have been surprised by the quality of the classes here; they've been my favorite of my time as an undergraduate. Many require some form of research about/in the city, which helps you get to know the culture. The student life and academic support staff are as a whole very knowledgeable and helpful, especially with navigating classes and the new city. They also can connect you easily with medical help (including some great mental health options) and have a network of professionals in many fields.

NYU Madrid offers two housing options: a student residence and a homestay. I spent my first semester in the residence, which is centrally located in the Malasana neighborhood, very safe, modern, clean, and has a rooftop area with seats/tables/ping pong. The guest policy is pretty strict, but overall it's a good place to live. I don't have personal experience with a homestay, but all of my friends in homestays have had positive experiences. The only complaints are that some have curfews at night, and many have conservative/traditional hosts.

The city itself is a great place to spend a semester. Madrid's nightlife has a big reputation, and it lives up to it, if that's what you're interested in. There's also great bars, concert venues, museums, and cafés for more relaxed options. The public transit is incredible, so much better than New York. Twenty euros a month gets you access to the subway (which is fast, on time, and clean) and the bus system (same), as well as the light rail network which can bring you to towns as far as an hour away from Madrid. Great for day trips. My advice would be to take advantage of the transit system and go to new neighborhoods/towns as often as possible. It is as a whole safe, but some students (including friends of mine) have had things such as phones and laptops stolen from bars and public transportation. Americans are targets in any city, so be careful to keep your things close. Some of my POC friends have had troubles with racist remarks, stares, and other disrespectful behavior from Spaniards. It's a much less diverse city than New York.

If you're interested in interning, Madrid is a pretty accessible city for that. There are many agencies that help American students find internship placements, and work culture as a whole here is pretty relaxed and welcoming. I'll be interning and doing research at an organization of/for LGBTI refugees this semester, a placement I found through an agency.

Overall I'd recommend this program to anyone who wants to get better at their Spanish, live in a city that's of and connected to Europe as a whole, and study in a country with a really unique and fascinating history.

Cobblestone streets and pizza on every corner, it’s essentially a semester long vacation with some take home work. Best experience I’ve had so far. Try something new it’s really worth the time and the money. You won’t regrret this and grow as a person and a student as well. Great time all in all I would recommended this to everyone throughout my life one of the best opprutnties available to you right now so just take it and run with it you’ll be alright haha

NYU Madrid has a small campus so everyone gets to know each other, which is super helpful if you want to make close friends. The dorm is beautiful, modern and is located in one of the best neighborhoods in Madrid. I also like how NYU Madrid offer classes on Monday through Thursday only, so everyone has Fridays off to travel. Therefore, I was able to explore Europe in various ways within one semester. The faculty and staff of the school are very friendly and helpful. I truly think going to Madrid has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in college.

My semester abroad in Madrid has definitely been my best semester thus far at NYU. In addition to loving Madrid and Spain in general, I loved how small the group was. With roughly 100 students, it was really easy to get to know everyone and a lot less overwhelming than at the New York campus. All of my professors were amazing and I know that my Spanish has improved so much.
But the most rewarding experience for me was volunteering with t-oigo, an organization that pairs English-speaking students with Spanish children with hearing impairments in order to help the children practice speaking English. I heard about it through the NYU Madrid Student Life and I'm so glad that I joined. I was paired with a 5 year-old boy and became so close to not only him but his entire family. They have even invited me back to visit them. I truly feel like I have a family back in Madrid and I am so grateful for that.

I was hesitant on going to Prague but it’s honestly one of the best decisions I’ve made! While most classes met only once a week, they were still challenging, relevant and interesting. Traveling is so easily done - buses, trains and flights were cheap and easy to access and the location of Prague made it so easy to travel to places I never expected to go. As for living in Prague, it was a strange adjustment but the NYU staff made it so easy and a few weeks in, you’ll begin to love the culture of Prague.

Study abroad in Florence, why not? It doesn't hurt and you can only gain. Well technically it hurt for me because I got hit by a mo-ped while walking to school one day, so definitely BE CAREFUL. But aside from that, there are lots of museums to go to. Class trips are a thing, so if you don't want to spend money on all the important landmarks in Florence, just check your syllabus. The view is nice, mountains plentiful, sunsets beautiful, as you might expect in a Tuscan landscape. Of course everything in Europe is in relative close proximity to each other, but I suggest taking some weekends off, as in stay, enjoy the street music, the restaurants, discover secret local hang outs, or just climb up one of their many hills and enjoy the view. One thing to note is that everyone's study abroad experience is different, and you don't really know what your experience is going to be like until you leave.

I absolutely loved my time in Sydney. The faculty are all great, and I did so many fun things outside of class. Australia was always a dream of mine and it definitely lived up to my expectations. The program is smaller than other ones, but as someone who is a bit shy I liked it. I think I spoke to everyone at least once. Surry hills was probably my favorite part of sydney. It is great for shopping and just walking around!