International Foundation Program

International Foundation Program. Call for application for the 25/26 academic year is now open

At UC3M, we offer higher education in an environment of excellence, where the admission cut off grades rank among the highest in Spain. The International Foundation Program is an opportunity for those who want to become part of our community. The program's objective is to prepare international students to adapt to the demanding standards of the Spanish university system, particularly at UC3M, while facilitating their integration by acquiring the foundations 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 €.

The program is divided into two semesters:

• 1st semester: from September to December
• 2nd semester: from late January to June

Each semester, you can take introductory courses related to the degree you wish to study, 6 ECTS (1 course) from undergraduate studies, and, optionally, the necessary training to pass the entrance exam to Spanish universities.

To be admitted to undergraduate studies at UC3M after completing the International Foundation Program, you must meet specific requirements. Be sure to check the "Access to a Bachelor's Degree after IFP" section below for details.

The program's content is regularly updated to adapt to changes in the landscape and educational needs.

Campus | Getafe

 Study Plan | 60 annual credits | 30 credits will be taken each semester.

The program's content is regularly updated to adapt to changes in the landscape and educational needs.

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

From 23 October 2024 to 3 June 2025.

​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, 2024, by bank transfer or credit/debit card (Visa-MasterCard). It will be necessary to send the receipt of the transfer.
2. Payment in 4 installments. Payment may be made exclusively by credit/debit card (Visa-MasterCard).

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 2025/26

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: COMING SOON.
• 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 (COMING SOON).

APPLICATION FORM (COOMING SOON).

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.

The information will be available soon.

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 for the 2025/2026 academic year

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. Students from educational systems outside the European Union or without an agreement* must pass the new competency test established by law for university entrance in Spain.
*Educational systems exempt from the competency test: educational systems from EU countries, International Baccalaureate (IB), European Baccalaureate (EB), educational systems from countries with reciprocity agreements (Colombia, United Kingdom, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Andorra, and China).

3. Proof of a B2 CEFR 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:

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

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

Requirements for the 2024/2025 academic year

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 CEFR 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

The International Student Admissions Committee will decide the suitability of each student for the requested degree program. Applications are evaluated individually, and an access score is calculated based on the following criteria:

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.

Application for students enrolled in the International Foundation Program during the 24/25 academic year

In the application, it is necessary to indicate 3 Bachelor’s degree programs in order of preference from the UC3M's IFP study options:

• Only one application per student.
• The selected Bachelor’s programs must be part of the IFP degree offerings. Double degrees and degrees with special characteristics, such as the Degree in Sciences, the Degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, the Degree in Science, Technology, and Humanities, and degrees from the Guardia Civil University Center, are not available.

Required documentation:

• Homologation of the non-European high school diploma or UNED credential. If you do not have the document yet, you can submit a copy of the homologation application or submit it at a later date.

Application period: from November 7 to November 14.

• ACCESS THE APPLICATION FORM (UC3M user ID and password required).

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.