Duke in Madrid Signature Courses

Students will select two Duke signature courses from the following options. These courses will be taught at the Duke in Madrid downtown center. Signature courses are for Duke credit with Duke numbers, full curricular code eligibility, and final grades that count in the GPA. 

SPANISH 414A / VMS 414A 
Ficciones Urbanas e Imaginarios Colectivos: Madrid a través de la Literatura y el Cine
Urban Fiction and Collective Imagination: Madrid Through Literature and Film
(CCI, CZ, FL, ALP), 1.0 credit
(FALL)

This course offers a panoramic look at some of the most important, contemporary artistic and cultural expressions and how they represent Madrid. While looking at historical, social and artistic contexts, we will spend time reflecting and engaging in debates about issues that have been shaping the dynamics of modern cities such as multiculturalism, migration and the role of women. Also, we will look for a way to position Madrid in the face of global questions about Hispanic culture and how it is perceived in other countries.

Instructor: Dr. Patricia Esteban

SPANISH 419A / CINE 419A / VMS 419A
Sacar Los Cuervos, Dar Los Ojos: Spanish Cinema from the Transition to the Present
(ALP, CCI, FL), 1.0 credit
(FALL/SPRING)

This course provides an overview of Spanish cinema, from transition to our present days. Having undergone dramatic transformation in past years, Spanish film offers privileged area to study main features, novelties, contradictions, and tensions. Analyzes two chronological phases: the mid 70s to late 80s, characterized by intense cinematic negotiation with immediate past that unveils cracks and the violence of normalizing erasure proposed from the political institutions; and the 90s until the present, a period marked by Spanish film's entrance in the global market, with its identitarian reassessment and emphasis in new pressing issues such as immigration, memory, and gender violence.

Instructor: Dr. Marcos Canteli

SPANISH 343A / VMS 278A
Decentering Spanish Otherness: Visual Culture and Coloniality in Contemporary Spain
(ALP, CZ, CCI, FL), 1.0 credit
(FALL)

This course proposes the study of visual culture in Spain from the nineteenth century to the present day from decolonial and postcolonial perspectives. It will analyze the history and cultural legacies of Spanish colonialism through photography, film, illustration and art from a transdisciplinary point of view, with special emphasis on cultural studies, visual studies and visual anthropology.

Instructor: Dr. Ines Plasencia

SPANISH 345A / GLHLTH 350A
Movilidad, Salud, y Sistemas Sanitarios
Mobility, Health, and Healthcare Systems
(SS, FL), 1.0 credit
(FALL)

What do we mean when we talk about “access to health?” In this course, this particular question is the focus point of a comparative study of global health in which projects and experiences in Spain (Madrid) will be chosen and studied in light of other European and North American projects and experiences.  

We will explore this relation drawing in contemporary situations and in diverse contexts, paying special attention to processes in which diverse mental experiences and human capacities are turned into social inequalities, and what is the role of mental health and disability studies in such injustices. We explore what the social components of health are, and how the axis of inequality (class, race, gender) are affecting the health of individuals and groups of population.

Course taught in Spanish by Professor Fernando Alonso

ENVIRON 144A / SPANISH 344A
La España Ecológica
The Ecological Side of Spain: How Climate, Biology and Territory Define Our Society
(SS, FL), 1.0 credit
(FALL/SPRING)

This course aims to give us a perspective that combines the geography, biology, anthropology, and sociology in a joint vision of Spain as a natural space, and how this configuration is reflected in diverse creative environments: the cinema, literature, photography, or art from both the past and present. Ecology, territory, the rural world, primary economic activity, and nature will guide us in our journey through Spain that, acknowledging its biogeographical and climatic plurality and its decisive character in the landscape and its human uses, will take us from the paleolithic paintings in northwest Cantabria and their intimacy with nature to diverse stops in the Spanish context and the interaction of these stops with the environment and society.

Instructor: Ignacio Fernández Rocafort

SPANISH 420A / LIT 420A 
Thinking Language: Poetics from Here and There
(ALP, FL), 1.0 credit
(FALL)

This course provides an overview of current Spanish and Transatlantic poetry, with special attention to poetics (i.e. how poetry thinks the world while it thinks itself). Following critical interventions of authors like Gertrude Stein or Octavio Paz, and poems and reflections of contemporary authors like Antonio Gamoneda, Olvido Garca Valds, or Eduardo Miln, course considers theoretical issues such as subjectivity, poetrys relation to thought, its formal, or the question about reality. Also explores the possibilities of language to serve as a powerful tool of resistance and memory. Students will have the opportunity to meet and converse with some of these poets.

Instructor: Dr. Marcos Canteli

CULANTH 416A / SPANISH 416A
Cultural Lab: Walk, Think, Experiment Now
(ALP, FL), 1.0 credit
(SPRING)

The course parts from the present, from what is happening culture-wise today, to offer the student a wider perspective on cultural systems and creative processes in our recent history.  The majority of the class sessions will take place outside of the classroom and will have a participative character. One of the central concepts of this course is transversality, which will allow the student to organize more dynamic and active comprehension networks than what is usually offered by courses in this field of study.  Nevertheless, students will always have a base point from which to focus their direction of study related to the modules incorporated into the course: art, literature, architecture, politics, creation, theatre, and technology.

Instructor: Dr. Teresa Soto

SPANISH 390A / RELIGION 390A
Cultures in Contact: Christianity, Judaism and Islam in Medieval Spain and Now
(ALP, FL, CZ, CCI) 1.0 credit
(FALL)

Contact, love, conflict and misunderstanding are familiar identifiers contemporary societies use to label and interrogate interactions. How do we approach each other? How is contact established? What does it mean to be “in contact”?  In this course we will explore the idea of contact thought Christianity, Judaism and Islam in their long development in the Iberian Peninsula, from the Medieval Ages until now, paying special attention to the beginning of modernity where the society was undergoing convulsive change, and where their consequences are still relevant today.

Instructor: Teresa Soto

UC3M Courses

All courses offered by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) will convey to the Duke transcript as transfer credits, provided the U.S. equivalent of a C- or higher is earned in the course. For these courses only, letter grades will not appear on the Duke transcript and will not count in the Duke GPA. 

• Cursos de Estudios Hispanicos (CEH): Duke in Madrid students may enroll in only one Cursos de Estudios Hispánicos (CEH) - (Hispanic studies) course at UC3M unless electing to take two Grado courses. The CEH courses include other U.S. and international students and are all taught on the Getafe Campus. 
   
• Grado Courses: All Duke in Madrid students will be required to take at least one, ideally two, Grado courses (regular university courses) at UC3M. Students may take two engineering or computer science courses in English if desired, otherwise all Grado courses must be taken in Spanish.

With the exception of engineering courses, UC3M Grado courses are taught on the Getafe Campus. Engineering courses are taught on the UC3M Leganés Campus, about a 20-minute bus ride from the UC3M Getafe campus. Grado courses include Spanish students.

View Courses

This list of UC3M courses is not meant to be a definitive list of course offerings, but it can give you a good idea of what may be offered, as well as how courses normally count at Duke. Actual course offerings are announced at the beginning of the semester. The list shows the Duke equivalent department(s) and number(s) for each course approved. Curricular codes are also included.

If a course is not listed, it is important that you follow these steps to get courses approved by the Duke departments for transfer credit. This information must be officially recorded by the GEO in the GEO Approved Course Database in order for proper credit to be awarded. Please make sure any course approvals by Duke departments are forwarded to the GEO.

Duke University has no control over the course offerings at the UC3M in a given semester, so students should not arrive in Madrid absolutely determined to take a specific course mentioned on the approved list. Availability of the course is subject to UC3M's final course offerings for the semester. 

THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT A GIVEN COURSE WILL BE OFFERED BY UC3M OR THAT IT WILL FIT INTO YOUR COURSE SCHEDULE.

U3CM Courses
 

The list of approved UC3M courses for transfer credit can also be found in the GEO Approved Course Database. If a course cannot be approved at Duke in a certain department, you will find that information in the database as well.

Spanish Majors and Minors

Duke Spanish majors: All courses may be counted toward the major, provided they meet departmental criteria for the major. Credit distribution may vary according to students' needs, with a maximum of three courses counting toward the core course requirement (must have designated Spanish number) and remaining course(s) counting as related courses. Courses must be eligible for Spanish/related credit in order to count toward the major. For students remaining a second semester, two additional courses may be counted as core courses; the rest may be counted as related courses.

Duke Spanish minors: A maximum of two courses with designated Spanish numbers may be counted, provided they meet departmental criteria for the Spanish minor.

Please see the Duke University Undergraduate Bulletin for details on the Spanish major and minor or talk to the Director of Undergraduate Studies of the Department of Romance Studies to clarify if courses will count towards the major or minor.

Galicia

Our Galicia trip will broaden our cultural and linguistic knowledge, offering an Atlantic perspective of deep singularities and global connections. The group will tour the city of Santiago de Compostela, end of the “Camino De Santiago”, as a historical and cultural nodal point, but we will also explore Galicia’s rural settings or the dramatic cliffs of San Andrés de Teixido, allowing ourselves to immerse in the vast folklore and long prevailing traditions of the region. The group will stay at Casa Alvarella, an ecologically-designed rural guest house located in Las Fragas do Eume Natural Park. 

Andalucia: Sevilla and Cádiz

There are no doubts that Andalucía is one of Spain’s most iconic, magical destinations. This semester, DIM will visit two cities, Sevilla and Cádiz. Seville, or Sevilla in Spanish, is one of the largest Spanish, and capital city of Andalucía. The city of Seville is famous worldwide for its culture, monuments, traditions and artistic heritage. Our trip to Andalucía will also include a visit to the ancient city of Cádiz, founded by the Phoenicians and official port of trade with the Americas during the 16th century. The group will spend a total of four days/three nights traveling across southern Spain, including guided visits to the Cathedral and Giralda, the magnificent Alcázar (filming location for Game of Thrones), or a Flamenco workshop in Seville; and the historical Old Town of Cádiz with its giant trees allegedly brought to Cádiz by Christopher Columbus from the New World. Travel will be mainly by train.

Sevilla

Seville, or Sevilla in Spanish, is one of the largest cities in Spain and serves as the capital of Andalucía. The city is famous worldwide for its culture, monuments, traditions, and artistic heritage. Sevilla is home to Real Alcázar, a palace compound founded in the early Middle Ages (and a filming location for Game of Thrones) but with renovations and modifications reflecting many of Spain’s artistic periods. 

Granada

Granada is considered one of the most charismatic cities in the world. In Granada, the group will visit the Cathedral, built on the site of an early mosque and known for its blend of Gothic and Renaissance styles. Granada is also the site of the Alhambra, the most visited monument in Spain and one of the most famous and best-preserved palaces of the historic Islamic world. 

Northern Spain/Basque Country

We will also familiarize ourselves with Green Spain, visiting the Basque Country, surrounded by mountains and the fierce Cantabrian Sea. The field trip to Northern Spain consists of 3 days/2 nights and includes guided tours of the elegant and culturally charged city of San Sebastian (home to the International Film Festival and the San Sebastian Jazz Festival, for instance) and surrounding areas. The program participants will stay in a downtown hotel in San Sebastian.

Toledo

The group will spend the day in the hilltop city of Toledo where it will tour sites related to the three religions that once coexisted in Spain. Transportation will be by bus from Madrid.

Segovia

The group will spend the day on guided tours of Segovia's highlights, including the Roman Aqueduct, Alcazar, and the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso. Transportation will be by bus from Madrid. 

Program-sponsored activities 

Examples of DIM-sponsored activities available each semester include the following:

• City tours and walking tours to Madrid’s neighborhoods
• Museum visits to Museo del Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia
• Visits to avant-garde cultural spaces such as Casa Encendida, Matadero, Circulo de Bellas Artes, CaixaForum
• Academic conferences and cultural workshops
• Spanish films and theater outings
• Flamenco show
• Culinary events
• Conversation exchange with university students

Fall 2024

• Arrival: August 27, 2024 (if departing from the US, you will have to depart August 26th to arrive in Spain on the 27th) 
• Departure: December 21, 2024*

*The departure date is driven by the final exam schedule, which you will receive during orientation.

Flights

You will make your own travel arrangements to and from the program site. You are expected to arrive on the arrival date cited above, which usually means departing the U.S. one day prior.

All students must stay for scheduled final exams. Students may not request an early exam date, and all papers must be turned into instructors  before the student's departure from Spain.

Once you have a flight itinerary, log in to MyGlobalEd to update your travel registry.

Housing Before/After

You will need to make your own housing arrangements if you will be arriving before the program start date or leaving later than the program end date.

Spring 2025

• Arrival: January 16, 2025 (if departing from the US, you will have to depart January 15th to arrive in Spain on the 16th) 
• Departure: June 4, 2025*

*The departure date is driven by the final exam schedule, which you will receive during orientation.

Flights

You will make your own travel arrangements to and from the program site. You are expected to arrive on the arrival date cited above, which usually means departing the U.S. one day prior.

All students must stay for scheduled final exams. Students may not request an early exam date, and all papers must be turned into instructors before the student's departure from Spain.

Once you have a flight itinerary, log in to MyExperientialEd to update your travel itinerary.

Housing Before/After

You will need to make your own housing arrangements if you will be arriving before the program start date or leaving later than the program end date.