International Foundation Program

International Foundation Program (Last day June 4th)

Improve your chances of admission to UC3M degrees. International Foundation Program aims to help international students adapt to the Spanish university system, and to facilitate integration by acquiring the basics of Spanish culture and language.

• Duration: 1 year with 60 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System).
• Possibility of access to undergraduate studies.
• Areas: Social Sciences and Humanities | Engineering.
• Languages: Spanish and English.
• Price: 8.500 €.

Each semester is formed by 30 ECTS credits and you can combine the subjects of the curriculum of your choice, as it best suits your interests.
The subjects are divided into 2 blocks:

• Academic subjects: Introductory subjects related to undergraduate and graduate studies.
• Experiential subjects: Courses, workshops, languages and activities that are not related to undergraduate studies. A maximum of 6 ECTS may be taken from this block.

Between these 2 blocks of subjects, the following combinations are possible:

• 4 introductory academic subjects and 1 undergraduate subject. This combination is recommended for access to undergraduate studies after the IFP.
• 5 introductory academic subjects.
• 3 introductory academic subjects, 1 undergraduate subject and 6 ECTS in experiential subjects (language, workshops, etc.).
• 4 introductory academic subjects and 6 ECTS in experiential subjects (language, workshops, etc.).

In addition to the chosen subjects, there will be the complementary courses, which are compulsory subjects taken in the first semester. There are 2 types of complementary courses: Mathematics reinforcement (only for Engineering students) and Oral and Written Expression (for all students). It is not necessary to register for them.

*If you want to enter undergraduate studies after the International Foundation Program, it is important to note the following:

• Each introductory subject is related to Degrees of different areas of knowledge. In the requirements for access to a Bachelor's Degree (paragraph below of Access to a Bachelor's Degree), you can consult which subjects are related to each Degree.
• It is advisable to take and pass, at least, 6 ECTS in undergraduate courses.
• Experiential and complementary subjects are not taken into account for admission to the Bachelor's Degree.

Social Sciences and Humanities Timetable

• Spanish language group
• English language group

Engineering Schedules

• Spanish language group
• English language group

Campus | Getafe

 Study Plan | 60 annual credits | 30 credits will be taken each semester from the subject catalog

Campus | Leganés

Curriculum | 60 annual credits | 30 credits per semester from the course catalog

• Have completed secondary education equivalent in Spain to the level of baccalaureate.
• Have at least B2 level in English or Spanish.

Deadlines

Application for a place for the full 2024/2025 course:

• From October 9th to June 4th

​Prices

• 8.500€

There are two options for payment:

1. One-time payment. The program will be paid in full in a single installment. The payment period will be until September 30th and have to be made by bank transfer. It will be necessary to send the receipt of the transfer.

2. Payment in 4 installments. Payment may be made exclusively by credit card. The payment terms will be as follows:

• 1st deadline: until September 22nd
• 2nd deadline: October 27th
• 3rd deadline: January 19th
• 4th deadline: February 23rd

At the end of the enrollment period you will receive an email with the payment instructions.

Important: according to the university regulations, the cancellation of the enrollment due to the student's resignation will not entail the refund of the fees paid for it and does not exempt the student from the payment of pending fees.

IFP Scholarships Call 2024/25

Carlos III International School of Madrid promotes two scholarships aimed at those students of the International Foundation Program with good academic performance who are in difficult economic situations or in special circumstances that may hinder access to university studies.

Deadline and Amount

• Application deadline: from April 25th to June 28^th.
• Two scholarships in the amount of €8,200 to be used to partially cover tuition fees.

General requirements

• Not to be a resident in Spain.

Academic requirements

• Have completed secondary school studies
• Have a good grade point average in secondary school studies.
• Be formally admitted to the International Foundation Program and have reserved a place.

Financial Requirements

• Do not exceed the income thresholds established in point 2.3 of the terms and conditions of the call for applications.

Situations deserving preferential consideration

Applications from students who document being in vulnerable circumstances as mentioned in point 2.4 of the call will be particularly valued.

Call for candidature (to be published soon)

APPLICATION FORM

Documentation:

1. European or non-European Baccalaureate degree or equivalent.
2. Academic certificate of the last two years of high school.
3. Official language certificate accrediting at least a B2 level, depending on the language in which the student wishes to study the program:
   - English: TOEFL or IELTS (this requirement will not be required if the native language is English).
   - Spanish: SIELE (this requirement will not be required if the native language is Spanish).
4. Passport or identity card.

The documents attached to the application must be submitted in Spanish or English. If not, they must be accompanied by the corresponding official translation, which can be done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Interpretation and Language Office, by UNESCO, or any official organization recognized by the Spanish State, by any official representation of the Spanish State abroad, by diplomatic or consular presentation in Spain from the country of origin, or by a duly authorized or registered sworn translator.

Apply Online

1. Get your login password.

In order to access the application form for visiting students, you must register to obtain the access password.

• Register and get your password

If you have any problems registering, it is because you may have some kind of previous relationship with Universidad Carlos III. If you have forgotten your password change it here: Change your password

2. Apply for a vacancy.

Access the application with the Passport or DNI number and the password you obtained in step 1. We recommend that you have the files with the documentation ready to upload them to the application. In order to access the application for visiting students, you must register to obtain the access password..

• Access to the application form

Admission

Applications are reviewed as they arrive. It is necessary to study the documentation and, once it is complete, the response to the admission is usually given within approximately one month.
Admission is conditional upon payment of €300 as a reservation fee. This amount will be deducted from the total price of the program at the time of enrollment.

General Information

Each semester consists of 30 ECTS credits, and you can combine subjects from the study program according to your interests. The subjects are divided into 2 blocks:

• Academic subjects: Introductory subjects related to undergraduate studies and Bachelor's Degree subjects.
• Experiential subjects: Courses, workshops, languages, and activities unrelated to undergraduate studies. A maximum of 6 ECTS credits can be taken from this block.

Among these 2 subject blocks, the following combinations are possible:

• 4 introductory academic subjects and 1 undergraduate subject. This combination is recommended for accessing Bachelor's Degree studies after the International Foundation Program.
• 5 introductory academic subjects.
• 3 introductory academic subjects, 1 Bachelor's Degree subject, and 6 ECTS credits in experiential subjects (languages, workshops, etc.).
• 4 introductory academic subjects and 6 ECTS credits in experiential subjects (languages, workshops, etc.).

In addition to the chosen subjects, mandatory supplementary courses will be added, which are taken in the first semester. There are 2 types of supplementary courses: Refresh Maths (only for Engineering students) and Writting and Communication (for all students). It is not necessary to enroll in them.

If you want to pursue undergraduate studies after the International Foundation Program, it is important to consider the following:

• Each introductory subject is related to undergraduate degrees in different knowledge areas. You can check which subjects are related to each degree in the access requirements for the undergraduate program.
• It is advisable to take and pass at least 6 ECTS credits in Bachelor's Degree subjects.
• Experiential subjects and supplementary courses are not considered for Bachelor's Degree admission.
• Consult all the undergraduate admission requirements here.

Instructions for enrolment: 2^nd semester  23/24

1. Select the introductory academic subjects of the 2^nd semester.

• Deadline: December 12t^h.
• ACCESS TO THE ENROLMENT OF ACADEMIC SUBJECTS. Enter your student number (e.g. 100123456) and the password you chose for the e-mail. AFTER LOGGING IN, CLICK ON "GESTIÓN DE PREMATRÍCULA".
• Social Sciences and Humanities schedules: Spanish group and English group
• Engineering schedules: Spanish group and English group

2. Select experiential subjects (languages, workshops, etc.) for the 2^nd semester.

• Deadline: December 12t^h.
• The experiential subjects are optional, it is not mandatory to choose them and they are not taken into account for admission to the Bachelor's Degree.
• If you choose to take experiential subjects, you must choose 6 ECTS credits from the subjects on offer.
• COMPLETE THE REGISTRATION FORM FOR EXPERIENTIAL SUBJECTS.

3. Select the Bachelor's degree course

You will be able to choose 6 undergraduate credits for the 2nd semester.

Check the course offer (from December 19th).

• Check the timetables, classrooms and places available for the subjects you want to take.
• We recommend that you take advantage of this period to plan your semester timetable. Check the timetable of the introductory subjects on the Aula Global student portal to avoid overlaps.
• ACCESS THE APPLICATION (available from December 19th). Enter your student number (e.g. 100123456) and the password you chose for your email. AFTER LOGGING IN, CLICK ON "GESTIÓN DE PREMATRÍCULA".

Course selection (from January 24th at 1pm until February 5th).

• You can select any group with free places when you enter the application.
• We recommend that you have previously checked the timetable to avoid overlaps between subjects.
• ACCESS TO THE APPLICATION (available from August 30th). Enter your user ID (e.g. 100123456) and the password you chose for your email. AFTER ACCESSING, CLICK ON "GESTIÓN DE PREMATRÍCULA".

Students of the International Foundation Program will be able to access UC3M undergraduate studies after completing the program as long as they meet the established requirements.

Graduate offerings for IFP students

The degrees can be taught in 3 language modalities:

• Spanish: groups in Spanish only.
• English: groups in English only.
• Bilingual: at least 50% of the subjects of the Degree are taught in English.

Requirements

1. To have a certified high school education:

• For students with a non-European Baccalaureate Degree: To have the homologation of the Baccalaureate Degree by the Spanish Ministry of Education or to have applied for it.. More information about the homologation of the Spanish Ministry of Education.
• For students with a European Union High School Diploma: they must provide the credential for access to university studies issued by the Universidad Nacional de Estudios a Distancia (UNED) through its UNED assis service. More information about UNED assis.

2. Proof of a B2 level or higher by means of an official language certificate. Depending on the language of the degree you wish to access, the following certificates can be presented:

3. Pass at least 42 ECTS in academic subjects of the International Foundation Program.

4. Have obtained, at least, an average grade of 6.

Criteria for Selection

Applications will be evaluated individually and admission to one or the other Grade will depend on the following scale:

1. The average grade* obtained in the International Foundation Program will have a weight of 80%. Only grades obtained in academic subjects will be taken into account. Grades obtained in the experiential subjects are excluded from the calculation of this average grade.

2. The average grade* obtained in 2 of the subjects of the International Foundation Program that are basic for the Degree to which the student wants to accede, will have a weight of 10%.

• For Engineering Degrees: Introduction to Algebra, Introduction to Physics, Introduction to Calculus, Introduction to Chemistry and Introduction to Programming.
• For Degrees in Economics, Business Administration, Finance and Accounting, Statistics and Business, International Studies and Business and Technology: Introduction to Mathematics, Introduction to Statistics, Introduction to Economics, Introduction to Business Administration.
• For Degrees in Political Science, Law, Labor Relations, Sociology, Information and Digital Content Management, History and Politics, and Tourism: Introduction to Law, Introduction to Political Science, Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Business Administration. Political Science, Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Philosophy, History of Spain, Introduction to Mathematics, Introduction to Economics, Introduction to Statistics.
• For Degrees in Audiovisual Communication, Journalism, Humanities and Cultural Studies: History of Spain, Communication, Introduction to Philosophy, Introduction to Mathematics, Introduction to Economics, Introduction to Artistic Creation I.

3. The passing of at least 6 credits in undergraduate courses will have a value of 10%.

* The average grade is calculated taking into account all academic subjects, both passed and failed.

Request

In the application it is necessary to indicate 3 studies in order of priority. The indicated degrees must be offered by UC3M.

*The following are not eligible to apply: Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics and Double Degrees.

• Only one application per student may be recorded.

Application deadline: December 4th to 15th.

Documentation to be submitted:
Homologation of the non-European baccalaureate degree or UNED credential. If you do not have the document yet, you can submit the copy of the application for homologation or submit it at a later date.

• ACCESS TO THE APPLICATION FORM

If you are a student with a disability or with specific educational support needs, please enroll in our program before the following dates:

• full course and first term: July 15, 2023
• and for the second term: December 15, 2023.

*We will not be able to guarantee the full implementation of the necessary support if you apply after the deadline.