CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Madrid, Spain

My first semester in college I was granted the opportunity to study abroad in Madrid. My program, part of the University of Massachusetts, was organized through the CEA CAPA office. All of my classes were taken in said office, and so, I was able to personally get to know many of those who allow CAPA to function so well. Every single person who ran our program was amazing, generous, and available at a moment's notice. Apart from the education, the experiences were amazing. CAPA took us on a variety of amazing cultural outings that furthered our enjoyment in the country. Overall, my experience was amazing.

Madrid is such a BEAUTIFUL city with so many fun things to do, museums to visit, history to learn about, and surrounded by so many other great cities. I would recommend this trip to college students looking to have a fun time and learn about a different culture. Madrid is a centralized city and for future students, I recommend you visit all around Spain to Segovia, Toledo, Seville, Barcelona, and more. I also recommend you reach out to other students in your classes to hear different perspectives from students from different countries and have friends to explore the city with.

Going abroad with CEA CAPA is very easy and a great decision for all. The staff supports you all the way from the time you start your application until you check out of your apartment and fly back home. There’s always someone you can talk to for help and any issue I’ve had has been resolved quickly. The location and quality of our apartment was great; we could walk outside and go to many nice restaurants, and a main train station was only 5 minutes away by walk. The university was a long nearly 1 hour commute, but going to the center of the city only took about 10-15 minutes. Madrid is large and there’s many places to explore, and it’s a easy place to travel from to other cities or countries.

My name is Niesha, I'm studying social and behavioral sciences I studied abroad with CEA CAPA for my first ever semester during Fall 2024!! As you may imagine studying abroad is a big step to take but I'm so glad I took it. Honestly, I had some difficulties adjusting but the CEA CAPA team was extremely accommodating as they helped overcome challenges academically, culturally, mentally and socially. I loved my experience and I would definitely go again so I recommend everyone to study abroad at least once.

I loves my experience studying abroad in Madrid. I felt that I had amazing support from my professors and CEACAPA staff. I love how safe and clean Madrid is and how welcoming the community is. Our residence hall was also really great compared to dorms in the US (except for the food). I highly recommend students to choose Madrid as their study abroad destination since they will have so much fun. Although there may be a language barrier you can survive knowing no Spanish. I was really excited to learn the customs of Madrid.

My experience in Madrid was so incredibly special. CEA CAPA made me feel so at home and supported throughout the entire process. I even made friends from all across the world and it opened my eyes.

The experience, also, further enhanced my ability to navigate cultural differences, as I immersed myself in a local community in Northern Madrid and overcame language barriers by continuing my education in Spanish at the international university, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid with Spanish students.

Studying abroad in Madrid forever changed my life and will be something I NEVER stop talking about. I experienced so much growth personally and professionally as I navigated a completely new city, country, and continent. CEA CAPA had such fun classes - Fundamental Aspects of Spanish Art left me with knowledge of hundreds of classic paintings and art techniques. My graffiti class allowed me to be artistic and explore the city! I also learned Spanish from scratch after having only studied Japanese in high school. I felt so well supported in my academics, housing, health, and social life with CEA!

My study abroad experience in Madrid with CEA CAPA was nothing short of extraordinary. It's a bold choice–to leave behind the culture, familiarity, and support of your home university. Since CEA CAPA took care of almost all the logistics of getting me to Madrid and helping me enroll in classes, I was able to focus on adjusting to my surroundings and meeting new people. There was a thorough and engaging orientation process, which was extremely helpful at the beginning of the program. Unlike other programs, CEA CAPA had students there a whole week before classes started, which was great for adjusting to the time zone and exploring the city! CEA CAPA held many fun excursions and activities throughout the course of the program, such as attending a flamenco performance, eating a traditional tapas dining experience, and taking a weekend trip to Seville! After talking with other students, I learned that many other study abroad programs didn't include the perks that I experienced with CEA CAPA. Not to mention, the staff on-site were extremely kind and helpful. I'd highly recommend this program to any students looking to study abroad in Spain.