Post Madrid Program Internship

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 2025 through mid-December 2025.

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 introduced new legislation that will likely restrict the variety of internship possibilities, which will 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

* 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 all students.

*** Visa costs for U.S. citizens is $160 and $94 for other nationalities. Additional costs (photos, travel to Chicago, etc.) are estimated to be between $200-$400. Visa-related fees maybe covered via your financial aid package (Please include visa costs on your budget worksheets for the program in order to request this from Student Financial Aid. (Please note that including it on the budget worksheet does not guarantee an increase in aid by the amount of the visa, but it will be considered for OCS scholarships when determining need.) They may also be covered by other sources. If you have special circumstances related to the visa fees, please contact Professor Palmar Alvarex-Blanco. 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.) 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.
3. If selected by Carleton, you will be asked to submit the following documents to CGRS (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

Internship Application Form

Recommendation Form