Established in 1499, the Universitat de Valencia is one of the oldest universities in Europe. Serving nearly 60,000 students, the university is spread across three campuses and offers classes in over 90 departments including the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences.
Many students come to Valencia seeking fluency in Spanish. Since this is a full-immersion program, participants should attain a minimum of two years' Spanish language study before departure, although completing Spanish through Spanish 303 is recommended. Students who lack the confidence necessary to study in their majors in Spanish could consider pursuing a Spanish minor while at Valencia and focus entirely on language study. Ample course work is available in the field of Spanish language, linguistics, literature and theater. Course work and the academic structure can be quite challeging at Valencia. As such, only advanced students with language fluency should consider this exchange.
The University also offers free, non-credit classes in Catalan for students interested in learning Valencian Spanish.
Founded in 137 BC, the city of Valencia is located on the Mediterranean coast about
190 miles east of Madrid and 240 miles south of Barcelona. With a
population of close to 800,000, Valencia is Spain's third largest city and a lively
center for today's youth culture who make up over 10% of the total city's population.
Boasting a unique blend of old and new, Valencia will charm visitors with all its
benefits of urban life in a coastal environment including excellent beaches, nightlife,
and ample architectural gems from the Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and Modern periods.
The city and the university offer many cultural and recreational activities including musical performances, museums, and sports. Perhaps what Valencia is best known for, however, is Las Fallas, a celebration held each year in mid-March. The entire city participates and the fallas, gigantic wood and plaster models, are built in the streets. On the final night of the celebration, the fallas are set ablaze amid a fireworks display and large street-fair.
Valencia is a vibrant city with much to offer students and is within very easy access of both Madrid and Barcelona through its excellent public transportation system.
Fall Semester: Mid-September to late January
Spring Semester: Early February to mid-July
Academic Year: Mid-September to mid-July
Please see the 2018-19 Academic Calendar for specific dates
Spanish
15 semester units/30 ECT units (European Credit Transfer system). Typically this equates to 4-5 classes/semester.
The European Credit Transfer system is calculated in a 2:1 ratio. For example, a 6 ECT unit class will count as 3 CSU semester units.
There is no Housing Office at the University of Valencia, however, two on-campus living-learning communities have been built in recent years. On-campus housing is limited and can be very costly. The two residence halls available are: Damia Bonet Hall of Residence and Rector Pesset Hall of Residence.
There are also many accommodation services to help visiting students find shared flats or homestays for a small fee. A few recommended by the university are:
The C.A.D.E. service of the University of Valencia also provides lists of shared flats offered by other university students. You can contact them upon arrival at the following address:
Aulario III (Behind Colegio Mayor Luis Vives)
Avda. Menendez Y Palayo, s/n- 46010 Valencia
Tel. 34-96-386-47-71
Otherwise we suggest arriving to campus one to two weeks prior to your program start date to consult with ads for accommodation in weekly newspapers like Trajin, El Baul, etc. and/or check the notice boards on campus.
For Fall Semester/Year Study*: March 15
For Spring Semester Study: October 1
*Please note: Fall semester exams can go through the end of January. There is no guarantee students can move exams up to attend Spring term at CSUSM. Plan accordingly.
