Founded in 1542, Universidad de Zaragoza has over 35,000 students among three different campuses. The university offers courses in Spanish Literature, Geography, Archaeology, Chemistry, History, and Engineering among many others. The city of Zaragoza is a multicultural modern and ancient city with over 700,000 inhabitant and over 2,000 years of history. Students are able to explore the many museums, theaters, restaurants, and parks the city has to offer.
Application cycles are open one semester at a time. Applications for the fall/academic year will open around December 1 of the year prior and applications for spring/calendar year will open around July 1 of the year prior.
Click through the brochure tabs to learn more about this program.
Eligibility
In order to participate in this program, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:
- Students must have completed at least 45 credits at the time of departure.
- For students applying for fall or academic year programs, this total does not include summer coursework that has yet to be completed.
- Students must have a minimum 2.5 GPA at the time of application and departure.
- Students planning to study abroad in the last semester of their senior year should discuss this with their GEO program administrator and major advisor as this may affect their ability to graduate on time.
- Recent transfer students cannot study abroad their first semester (not including summer) at Mason.
- Students are required to have taken SPAN 309 or equivalent prior to departure.
Courses Available
Exchange students can enroll in any undergraduate course offered by Universidad de Zaragoza. All courses are taught in Spanish.
Course Equivalency and Plan of Study
The Global Education Office has a
Course Evaluation and Registration System (CERS), which you will use to complete the steps needed to evaluate your courses abroad, and see how they will count at Mason. This database is accessible whether you have already applied, or are just beginning to think about studying abroad. Look at the courses in the database. You are by no means limited to these courses. The database shows courses that have already been evaluated. You can request equivalency for any course not yet evaluated, through CERS.
You are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to look at this institution’s courses ahead of time to see how they will match up to your Mason degree requirements. Talk to your academic advisor about what courses you will need to receive credit for during your time abroad to stay on-track for your degree. When looking at courses keep in mind that course schedules can change. We recommend having twice as many courses approved as necessary.
Academic Calendar
The fall semester at Zaragoza technically goes until early February. Therefore, students will need to speak to their professors about scheduling their exams earlier to ensure they can return to Mason on time for the spring semester here.
Credit Conversion
Students are expected to take a full-time course load during their time at Universidad de Zaragoza. A full-time course load is 30 ECTS units. A typical course is worth 6 ECTS credits.
This will allow you to transfer between 12-16 credits back to Mason per semester.
Grade Conversion
When transferring courses back to Mason, the credits will transfer but the grade will not. However, you must receive the equivalent of a "C" or above in order to transfer your credit back. Refer to the table below regarding how grades are converted at Universidad de Zaragoza.
| Universidad de Zaragoza Grade |
Mason Grade |
| 9 - 10 (sobresaliente) |
A |
| 7 - 8.99 (notable) |
B+ |
| 6 - 6.99 (Bien) |
B |
| 5 - 5.99 (Aprobado) |
C |
| 0 - 4.99 (suspenso) |
F |
Spanish professors rarely award a 10; students generally receive grades between 6 and 8. Spanish universities are severe in their grading in comparison to the United States.
Global Understanding
Students participating in this study abroad program will automatically fulfill the Mason Global Understanding core requirement.
Housing
Universidad de Zaragoza has residence halls for students on campus but most students opt to rent apartments off campus with other international students.
Program Cost
This is a Bilateral Exchange Program. Students are enrolled as regular students at the partner university, pay Mason tuition to Mason, and pay room and board abroad. Students can use the budget sheets located at the top of this page to see what GEO estimates as expenses.
Program Payments
As this is a Bilateral Exchange Program, students will pay for their tuition as they normally do in PatriotWeb.
Application Fee: A non-refundable application fee of $200 for Mason students. This fee is paid online through the MasonAbroad application system.
Administrative Fee: A non-refundable administrative fee of $300 (for semester length programs) or $500 (for year-long programs) must be received in order to confirm your enrollment in the program. This fee is paid online through the MasonAbroad application system.
Financial Aid: Students using financial aid are encouraged to talk to their counselor regarding how their financial aid can transfer to their program.
Scholarships
GEO offers a number of need- and merit-based scholarships. All Mason students are welcome to apply:
Scholarships
Application Deadline:
Fall/Academic Year: Early April*
Spring/Calendar Year: Late October-Early November*
*See the bottom of this page for the exact deadlines for the upcoming term(s).
Visa Information
Once accepted into a program, it will be your responsibility to apply for a student visa and/or residence permit (if required, based on your citizenship). You will receive details on this with your acceptance letter. Do not apply for a visa until after you have been officially accepted.
Application requirements:*
Application fee: $200 for Mason students.
Official Transcripts: An official copy of your Mason transcript is required as well as copies of official transcripts from any other college or university you have attended.
Passport Status: If you do not have a valid passport, you should begin applying for one now.
Signature Documents: Read and electronically "sign" the documents.
Questionnaires: Read and complete the documents according to the instructions.
*Additional paperwork may be required for this program and can be viewed inside your application.
Application instructions: