Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M) was established by an Act of the Spanish Parliament on 5 May 1989, within the framework of the University Reform Act of 1983.
From the outset it was intended to be a relatively small, innovative, public university, providing teaching of the highest quality and focused primarily on research. UC3M is included in the QS Top 50 Under 50, a ranking of the world’s top 50 universities established within the last 50 years. The UC3M has 17.898 students, being similar in size to some of the major European universities, such as Paris II, Uppsala, Maastricht, Tilburg, Cambridge and Oxford. 18% of students at UC3M are foreign. Here you can see a promotional video of UC3M.
Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a sovereign state and a member state of the European Union. Spain is a democracy organized in the form of a parliamentary government under a constitutional monarchy. It is a developed country with the 13th largest economy in the world. Widely known for Flamenco music and dance, bull-fights, fantastic beaches and lots of sunshine, Spain has to offer much more than that. It is – and has been for thousands of
years – one of the cultural centers of Europe. It has beautiful cities and towns, offering really old monuments as well as futuristic architecture. Its various regions are all different one to each other, geographically, climatically and even in personality. It is a fascinating country to know and to know more about it.
Madrid is a Cosmopolitan City, business center, home of Public Central Administration, of the
Government of the country and the Spanish Parliament as well as the habitual residence of
the monarch. It is the most important city in the financial and industrial sectors; the latter
concentrated in the southern outskirts, where one can find important textile, food and
metallurgic industries, among others. The city is cosmopolitan and multi-ethnical with its
more than 3 million inhabitants, to which one must add more than 1 million floating
population. Madrid’s extensive and beautifully maintained parks and gardens –like the Retiro park, formerly the recreational estate to the Spanish monarchs, the Casa de Campo and the Juan Carlos I park– offer inhabitants and visitors the chance to enjoy the sunshine, stroll, row on its lakes or feed the squirrels, in one of the greenest capitals in Europe. Madrid is also characterized by its intense cultural and artistic activity as well as a vibrant nightlife. In Madrid you will find all kind of interesting things to do and to see, whatever your interests are. The city has a wide offer for tourism, culture, business and for ludic activities with excellent facilities and services.
During your stay at UC3M you will want to find the type of housing that best you: sharing a flat, residing in a university dorm, or living with a host family.
The capital has a rich historic, artistic and cultural heritage; it is home to some of the best art
museums in the world. Additionally, the Madrid Community region includes historic
municipalities such as Alcala de Henares, Aranjuez, or El Escorial, and it is very near the
monumental cities of Segovia and Toledo. Madrid is served by Spain’s high-speed train service,
which means that Seville, Cordoba and Toledo can be visited very quickly. Closer to Madrid and allowing to have some rest from the busy city life, there is Montejo – a picturesque beech forest in the river bed of Jarama River where you can take long walks in peaceful surroundings. Also not far from the capital you’ll find La Pedriza.