Hi everyone.

I hold both US and UK citizenship.  I currently reside in the States.  My wife and kids are American born and raised.  We have developed a fondness for Spain and we are currently looking into eventual permanent retirement in Andalusia.

The ten year plan is such, because it would be exellent timing for us.  In 10 years, I will be ready for retirement, and my kids (they are twins) will have just completed high school.  I would like to make the permenent move to coincide with them starting their undergraduate degree programs in Spain.  This problem is, their basic “tourist” level of Spanish will not be anywhere near a level needed to enter into a traditional Spanish university.  Therefore, I need to find out if I can get them into an English-speaking university, where they would do their entire 4-year undergrad program.  By the time they graduate, their Spanish skills will have increased to the point where employment would be achieavable, due to their overall imersion in the culture. 

So my question is, are there English-speaking undergrad programs in Spain, and if so, how widespread are they?  I’m guessing that Barcelona and Madrid are well covered, but it would be great if such programs existed in Granada or Seville.  I’ve done all kinds of online searching, but I can only find programs that offer the one semester exchange type stuff.

If this plan turns into do-able, then I’d like to purchase a place soon, and let it out during the 10 years, keeping a couple of weeks for us to visit each year.

First off, they’ll have to take selectividad to get into a Spanish university. And to get a good grade on that, they’ll have to speak some pretty darn good Spanish. They might make you “homologar” the kids high school diplomas.

I really don’t even know how to begin to reply to this…

NealR2000 - 13 July 2010 12:34 AM

Hi everyone.

I hold both US and UK citizenship.  I currently reside in the States.  My wife and kids are American born and raised.  We have developed a fondness for Spain and we are currently looking into eventual permanent retirement in Andalusia.

.

first things first,
get your kids UK passports

NealR2000 - 13 July 2010 12:34 AM

Hi everyone.

The ten year plan is such, because it would be exellent timing for us.  In 10 years, I will be ready for retirement, and my kids (they are twins) will have just completed high school.  I would like to make the permenent move to coincide with them starting their undergraduate degree programs in Spain.  This problem is, their basic “tourist” level of Spanish will not be anywhere near a level needed to enter into a traditional Spanish university.  Therefore, I need to find out if I can get them into an English-speaking university, where they would do their entire 4-year undergrad program.  By the time they graduate, their Spanish skills will have increased to the point where employment would be achieavable, due to their overall imersion in the culture. 
.

NealR2000,

it is going to be pretty hard for your kids to start university in spain with tourist level spanish let alone getting into one.
my suggestion would be to send them to school here for a year when they are around 11 or earlier to pick up the language and get fluency without much pressure on studies.

you can go back to the states after and return every year for a period of time so they won’t forget the language.
and instead of sending them to start university, send them a little just before, they can take senior high school (bachillerato) here and so they can prepare for the university entrance exams.  and their entry would be just depend on getting enough entrance score for the degree they want to take. you avoid red tape this way.

I’m not looking to get them into a regular Spanish university.  To do so would be disasterous, based upon their inability to speak, read, and write Spanish.

My question was whether there are English-speaking universities in Spain.

universities all over spain do have over sea students that study for 4 r 6 months off the year here need get on there webside look what there offtering are ask you loacl universities in Usa as would have some Info aswell .
List of universities in Spain link blow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_universities_in_Spain

NealR2000 - 13 July 2010 07:24 PM

I’m not looking to get them into a regular Spanish university.  To do so would be disasterous, based upon their inability to speak, read, and write Spanish.

My question was whether there are English-speaking universities in Spain.

Don’t underestimate those kids! 😊 the semester abroad swaps are challenging at first (all in Spanish) but after a few months the students are practically fluent. If you got them into intensive Spanish classes for a summer I’m sure they’d be fine. 😉

NealR2000 - 13 July 2010 07:24 PM

I’m not looking to get them into a regular Spanish university.  To do so would be disasterous, based upon their inability to speak, read, and write Spanish.

My question was whether there are English-speaking universities in Spain.

Are there Spanish speaking universities in the UK?

halydia - 14 July 2010 12:40 AM

Are there Spanish speaking universities in the UK?

I’d guess not, but there are Spanish speaking programs at universities in the US.

The Expatriator - 14 July 2010 12:42 AM

halydia - 14 July 2010 12:40 AM

Are there Spanish speaking universities in the UK?

I’d guess not, but there are Spanish speaking programs at universities in the US.

Programs, yes, but I worry about someone looking for English speaking universities in Spain, where things like selectividad and administration issues will likely have to be done in Spanish.

nealr2000

american universities have campuses in madrid
check out this link

http://spain.slu.edu/academics/graduation/graduation_requirements_&_eligibility.html

http://www.schiller.edu/campuses/madrid-spain