About
Compultense University of Madrid (UCM) is a public research university located in Madrid. Founded in Alcalá in 1293 (before relocating to Madrid in 1836), it is one of the oldest operating universities in the world. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid.
Consult UCM on QS World Rankings to learn more about their current world ranking and academic reputation in different subject areas.
Location
Situated in the heart of the city, UCM is ideally located and offers a wide range of activities not only to students and staff, but also to the greater Madrid community. Madrid is a cosmopolitan city that combines the most modern infrastructures with a large cultural and artistic heritage. The towns of Aranjuez, Alcalá de Henares and San Lorenzo del Escorial in the region of Madrid are also all home to cultural treasures that have been awarded the World Heritage status. If you’re looking to catch a break from the bustle of city life, Madrid is located close to breathtaking natural scenery such as the Sierra de Guadarrama mountains. Art and culture are also fundamental to Madrid life. The city has 73 museums that cover every field of human knowledge.
Level of competitiveness
Less competitive
The level of competitiveness (Less competitive * / Competitive ** / Very competitive ***) refers to one's chances of being allocated an exchange space at this partner. This is an approximation determined by the number of applications received for this destination during the last academic year versus the total number of exchange spaces available to Queen Mary students.
Language of Instruction
The language of instruction is Spanish. Students who complete an exchange at UCM Madrid are required to be fluent in Spanish due to the intensive nature of the course. You must prove your language proficiency in the online application, please visit this page to view the language certificates required by the faculties of UCM.
UCM offers a free Spanish Language Course for levels under C1 to students who apply for it. However, the free Spanish course offered by UCM is not considered a method to certify or justify knowledge in the Spanish language.
The procedure is below:
- The student must apply for the Spanish Language Course by checking the corresponding box in the Application Form.
- Students who have applied for the course, must take a compulsory level test that will be held at UCM approximately the first week of September (for 1st semester/Full year students) and around the first week February for 2nd semester students. The exact date and place will be provided well in advance to each student by e-mail. Please, bear this course in mind for accommodation arrangements.
- The intensive language course will be developed along the month of September (for first semester or full year students) and February (for second semester students). This course is previous to the beginning of the Year/Semester. As mentioned above, this free course will be offered for levels under B-2 (B-2 included).
Visit UCM's language requirements page for more information.
Academic Calendar
Please click here to view UCM's academic calendar.
Courses
Compultense University of Madrid provides information on courses here, and FAQs related to academics on this page. You can view UCM's grading system here.
Credits
Students must enrol on a full courseload: 30 ECTS per semester / 60 ECTS for the full academic year (equivalent to 60 Queen Mary credits per semester / 120 Queen Mary credits for the full academic year).
Find out more about credit transfer and grade conversion.
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Accommodation
Compultense University of Madrid offers five halls of residence. Click here to go on a virtual tour of the residences. UCM also gives guidance about private accommodation options here.
Cost of living
Compultense University of Madrid provides information on the cost of living as a student here. You can find more general, up-to-date information about the cost of living in Madrid here.
Please consult the estimated minimum and maximum cost of living figures for this destination country available in our “Estimated Costs of Living” document available on our Finance page.
Student life
UCM offers every student multiple opportunities to get involved in cultural activities and pursue a variety of hobbies and interests. The Vice-Rector for Extra-Curricular Activities organizes an array of activities, visit their page to find out more.
Click here to discover more about student life at UCM.
