In collaboration with partner institutions in Madrid, the Spanish Department, OCS, and the Center for Global and Regional Studies (CGRS) are offering a number of four-week internships that will take place after the Madrid program, from (approximately) mid-November 2024 through mid-December 2024.

These internships are custom placements within authentic Spanish work/research environments. Slots are available on a competitive basis, with applications to be evaluated by an OCS-related committee.

Internship placement areas

Please note that the Spanish government has recently introduced new legislation that will likely restrict the variety of internship possibilities going forward, and this may require flexibility from you as we work through this new context. Nonetheless, we expect to find internships with non-profits, research laboratories, and small businesses of many different types. All of these will give you a sense of a Spanish workplace and provide you with opportunities for language acquisition and immersion.

Estimated costs

DescriptionAmount
Estimated living costs (includes room, board, local transportation.)*$1000
Internship placement fee – guaranteed by Carleton**$800
Visa and visa-related additional costs (incl. postage and photos)***$383-$583
Medical, security, and travel assistance coverage through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) provided by Carleton$0
Total$2,183-$2,383

* Estimated living costs are based on homestay costs, converted to dollars. Actual costs may be more or less depending on living arrangements you choose.

** This fee will be covered by the program for students who do not receive other internship funding; however, if you apply for other internship funds, you must include this fee in your budget.

*** Visa costs for U.S. citizens is $183. Additional costs (photos, travel to Chicago, etc.) are estimated to be between $200-$400. Visa-related fees may by covered via your financial aid package (requiring separate request to Student Financial Aid) or by other sources. If you have special circumstances related to the visa fees, please contact Professor Humberto Huergo. Some small costs (express mail envelopes, etc.) may not be covered by Carleton.

Funding: As indicated in the Estimated Costs, Carleton is providing considerable resources for various expenses. The CGRS will provide some support for living expenses based on financial need. (OCS, however, has no funding available to cover your living costs or your loss of wages.) Limited funding may be available through other sources. The Career Center may also provide funding to support your internship; see here. Applicants should be creative in seeking their own funding. Most applicants will likely need to cover at least some of their own living costs. Moreover, because of the need to make travel arrangements and start the visa process early, most successful applicants will need to commit to the internship before funding decisions are made.  

  1. Fill out the online application. Be sure to give your referee (person filling out your recommendation) at least a week to complete his or her recommendation.
  2. The review committee will notify you by early May about the status of your application. (If your application for a Madrid Program internship is not successful, that has no effect on other internship applications you might wish to make—for example, domestic internships via the Career Center.)
  3. If selected by Carleton, you will be asked to submit the following documents to the Program Director (who will forward them to the internship matchmaker):
    • CV in English and in Spanish
    • Latest transcript (scan is sufficient)
    • Cover letter with introduction and work interests as well as details on your background and preparation (past work or internship experience, practical training, course work)
    • Other documents, as relevant
  4. Note that many documents (including the online filling out of forms) will be requested by OCS to move the visa process forward.

Timely completion of all requested steps is crucial. If you miss deadlines, you will be responsible for any additional costs. You may also put your visa in jeopardy, and thus forfeit your internship.

Specific placements will be determined once on site and will be supervised by Carleton faculty and/or local staff. 

Expected Timeline for Post Madrid Program Internships

DateActivity
April 24Application deadline
end of AprilNotification of application decision
 MayMeet (in person or via Skype) with internship matchmaker
 VariesFellowship application deadlines
 June 30Visa application, as directed by OCS