Program Reviews

My study abroad this Spring was more than I thought it could be. I felt challenged, welcome, and supported. The university planned great trips that held incredible value to me, and the staff seemed to understand all of my concerns whenever I had questions. The small class size made me feel like I was a part of a team during my block classes, and the teachers were as excited to work with me as I was with them. I especially appreciated the format and scheduling of the semester - exploring Spain was so convenient! And my host family, wow. Anytime I left their home I felt like I was missing out on a fantastic opportunity to interact with the most authentic form of day-to-day Spanish culture. My plan is to come back and complete the Master's program, because I loved this place and this experience so much. Thank you Alcalá de Henares!

I studied abroad in the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares during the Spring 2019 semester. I completed the program in under 90 days so that I did not have to apply for a Spanish visa, which was very convenient. Those three months were the best of my life. The UAH program is run by passionate, hardworking, and always-available professionals who are there to explain how life in Spain works for all the newcomers and what to expect from UAH. The program sets students up with local housing, requires that local families provide meals for students, and ensures that the weekly schedule allows time for students to travel on the weekends. These things make life easier for students; they do not have to worry about cooking, finding housing, or shirking studies to travel and experience Spain. An introduction to Spain class is required for all students, which teaches students about Spain's culture, history, politics, current issues, and anything else imaginable. This class makes life in Spain easier; students have a better and more complete understanding of the place that they call home for three months. Added to this, the Universidad itself is simply gorgeous and is a place of historical importance. Alcalá was the perfect location to see life and geography of central Spain, travel quickly to Madrid, and travel from Madrid to other places in Spain or Europe during weekends in order to see more of the world. It is difficult to describe, but life in those three months is more different than any other time of life that I have experienced; students quickly and steadfastly bond because they are all foreigners in Spain and want to have some kind of support group and friend group while there, students can travel to wherever their budget allows during the three- or four-day weekends and see places they normally would never see, students can get an intimate look at how families in Spain live and eat, and essentially, students can make a completely new life for themselves starting from day 1 and live to the utmost while still working towards their college degrees. Making the scary choice to study abroad was the best thing I have ever done, and I fell so in love with Alcalá, the UAH, Madrid, and Spain as a whole while I was there. A huge thank you goes out to UCM and UAH coordinators who made this program possible for me and for many others; you have changed our lives in a very real way and given us so many new experiences. (In addition, everyone at the UAH who directs students when they need medical attention, have any issue with their housing, or just have questions about Spain deserve all the thanks. Everyone was so wonderful!)

For those looking to possibly enroll in this program: I would recommend that students are fairly mature and independent before making the choice to study abroad for three months and also that they have a medium level of competency in Spanish, since they will be staying with Spanish families that do not know English and also traveling to other parts of Spain, maybe independently. Some students that I was with did not have any knowledge of Spanish and struggled to converse with their host families, but by the end of the trip, they were fairly competent in everyday phrases, which was amazing. Those issues can be avoided by simply learning the essentials before heading to Spain. I largely decided to study abroad because I study Spanish in university and knew that living among the language would increase my fluency. I was caught off guard, however, by just how quickly one learns a language being surrounded by it, and how drastically my confidence and ability with Spanish increased. I loved being able to use Spanish so much more frequently, learning new vocabulary by seeing it on signs or hearing people speak, and watching local news. Being fairly independent is important because, of course, students will be an ocean and, seemingly, a world away from their families, friends, and home cultures. The ability to adapt and be open to new people, new ways of life, and new experiences is essential and will enrich students' lives so much. Also, if you quickly make friends with other students in your program, you have buddies to travel with (and share lodging costs with) every weekend! If you are looking to enroll in this program and have a passion for Spain or Spanish language, this is a perfect program for you. I hope you fall in love with it like I and all the students with me did! I cannot explain how much of an effect this study abroad experience has had on all of us (we still stay in touch and reunite when we can) and will continue to have on us. Our memories of this experience are so, so amazing. A million thanks to everyone involved.

My experience was unique in that I became almost fluent in Spanish during my stay. I minored in Spanish during undergrad, but I was completely unaware of my capabilities until I was immersed in the language in Spain. Staying in a host home had its pros and cons, but I took the opportunity to speak as much Spanish as I could with my host family (who did not speak any English), and I was very surprised at how much I learned at OU and was able to apply abroad! We traveled and saw beautiful cities and parts of Spain that I did not know existed. Ibiza was my favorite; a group of us traveled there on our long weekend. The food in Spain is different but delicious, and fútbol is a huge part of the culture I thoroughly enjoyed. Being in Madrid during the Champions league final was exhilarating!

I would recommend this program if you're wanting to experience all of what Spain has to offer. Friendly people, amazing food, major history. Alcala is close to urban Madrid (quick train ride away) and still a Spanish-speaking, authentic town with the full experience you're looking for. In this program you'll get to learn about the Spanish culture in many facets--mine involved working with a refugee camp, documenting the movement stopping violence against women, and studying the history and present day effects of the slave trade from Africa to Europe (traveled to Portugal & Morocco). Madrid is also the best location to travel to other major cities and countries as it is in central Spain. The staff at Universidad de Alcala is the friendliest!

I really enjoyed this MA program and would recommend it to anyone interested in teaching. The staff was very helpful with visa paperwork and responding to questions/concerns from the very beginning. I liked the variety of classes we studied for the MA in Bilingual and Multicultural Education and had some very memorable professors. Advising and support is provided throughout the program, and the staff does its best to help students adjust to their teaching practicum and works with students and schools to find the best possible solutions. I’m now working in the US in the ESL field at the university level and am so grateful to the continuing support I’ve received from the UAH-IF administration. This MA is special because it gives you the opportunity to work, study, and live abroad in an incredible place!

Truly has been a wonderfull experience. I will others about it and might come to experience the same I did. I will do it again and again if I had to do it again. I felt in love with Alcala, specially the university and the city of Madrid. Great school, great food, great people. I love Madrid, almost everything about. I am going to leave Madrid on sunday for England with tears in my eyes, but I will come back soon. I wish next time I come to Spain to travel more. I did a lot of travel but that was not enough. I have been almost all over. From Sevilla to Barcelona, from Barcelona to Madrid, from Madrid to Toledo last from friday with school. I have been to Valladolid, to many museum and touristics sites. I have enjoyed every bit of it. Bye..

I did the Bilingual education masters in 2016 and it was a fantastic experience on both personal and professional levels. First of all, the campus is gorgeous, with centuries-old classrooms and flower-filled courtyards and cute little nooks to get your studying done. The application and visa process can be intimidating but they have an awesome helpful support staff to guide you through the process. The program itself packs in a huge amount of knowledge in a short amount of time, so be ready to study hard, but the instructors are skilled educators that make the process fun. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to advance their teaching career with an MA in a setting that can't be beat. Plus, you have an opportunity to meet like-minded fellow educators, and I for one met some lifelong friends through the program. Oh yeah and the staff rocks.

I wasn't entirely sure of what to expect when I enrolled in the Master's in Teaching Program at Instituto Franklin. The program seemed almost too good to be true, with its location in the idyllic small city of Alcala de Henares, the low cost of tuition, and a very practical course of study that combined weekly classes with a practicum as a teaching assistant at a local bilingual school.
However, Instituto Franklin not only delivered upon what it promised, but it guided me forward as I was able to build from the program's offerings and use the skills I worked on in the classroom to become more adept as a teacher and better equipped with the tools to set my career in motion. Each course is taught by a professor with a unique perspective and background in a particular area of education, and they were all very hands-on, candid, and active in mentoring us through the process of completing the program. Even for the most intimidating aspects of higher education, such as preparing thesis research or final projects, we were provided a great deal of support from the faculty and also permitted to explore a wide range of topics in accordance with our particular interests. I was able to live and teach in Alcala de Henares throughout my time at Instituto Franklin, and it is a wonderful, energetic place full of historic landmarks, great restaurants, beautiful parks, and I always felt safe at any hour walking through the streets of town. For anyone wanting to spend time abroad (especially in Spain!) while embarking upon a career in teaching, I highly recommend Instituto Franklin.

I am studying to be a language teacher in the United States, so this experience was very valuable to me. I still need a teaching degree from here to teach here but the degree I earned while in Spain was an invaluable addition to my resume. The classroom experience was also great. There is a difference between American and Spanish schools but I gained experience teaching and leading children. It was also interesting to see the difference in between teaching English and Spanish. I actually learned a lot about English! I loved using my Spanish to communicate and even had the time to make many trips to the local book store. Alcala is also a beautiful city with a lot to see and do! Madrid isn't too far either and the museums are amazing! I highly recommend this program as it can add to any resume and is an experience you won't always be able to have!

For me, the teach and learn program, and specifically the bilingual and multicultural education master, was an overall great experience. The year is certainly very intense and requires balancing many different things (teaching full time in a new city while studying and working with the masters program), but I would say it’s well worth it all in the end. I appreciate having been able to participate, and I learned and lot and had fun doing it. :)
To speak to more specific points, I found it useful to be able to have a well rounded approach to bilingual education as this is where my future work seems to be oriented now, but I would imagine that for most people, even those not necessarily interested in language or teaching, the program of study could be approached in a way that’s not overwhelmingly deep or outside of the common person’s interest. Personally, I found that the classes sparked an even greater interest in the field of language and will probably serve as the starting off point to a deeper dive into the field, but again, I imagine anyone could find interest and useful material in this masters program. It’s well balanced and IMPORTANTLY, the professors and faculty were there to answer questions and provide support at all steps along the way.