Picture yourself waking up to the majestic views of the Picos de Europa mountains, as you embark on a transformative journey in Spain. The Temple in Spain program is based at the University of Oviedo in the northern province of Asturias, a vibrant and picturesque region bordered by mountains to the south and the Cantabrian Sea to the north. Removed from the heavy tourism of many other Spanish regions and cities, you can have a truly immersive experience in this off-the-beaten-path location.  

Temple in Spain offers both language immersion options and courses taught in English! 

Established in 2003, Temple in Spain offers a range of experiences to learn—whether you are new to learning Spanish, are looking to advance your language skills, or Spanish is your first language, you can study in Spain during the spring semester or summer alongside local and/or other international students! 

The program welcomes participation from qualified students matriculated at U.S. colleges and universities.

About Temple in Spain

Administration

Temple in Spain is led by Resident Director Dr. Jaime Durán, a native of Oviedo and faculty member of Temple's Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Dr. Durán studied as an undergraduate at the University of Oviedo and obtained his PhD in Spanish literature and culture from Temple. As Director, Dr. Durán is responsible for overseeing and facilitating all aspects of the program on-site, including orientation, academics, program activities and excursions, and student services and support.

Academics

Temple in Spain is hosted at the University of Oviedo, one of the top public universities in Spain. The university has approximately 21,000 students enrolled in 38 departments, and 17 faculties and schools on seven campuses throughout Oviedo and in the nearby cities of Gijón and Mieres (view our galleries of UniOvi campuses). The university boasts a commitment to international excellence and regional research, among other highlights. As a Temple in Spain program participant, you will be able to take advantage of that academic excellence and choose from a range of experiences to learn alongside local and international students, while being supported by Temple University faculty member and Program Director, Dr. Jaime Durán. 

You can choose to focus on full language immersion or take English-taught courses while beginning or improving your Spanish language skills. Your English-taught courses will be offered by University of Oviedo faculty in their degree programs (or by visiting Temple faculty in the summer). You will take your Spanish courses with Dr. Durán or faculty in the La Casa de las lenguas, University of Oviedo's center dedicated to language learning.

Take a look at the term overviews below to learn more about the academic programs for semester and summer; and talk to your academic advisor about how courses on this program could fit in with Temple's Spanish major, minor and certificates.

Location & Facilities

All program participants, with the exception of electrical engineering students, will be based in Oviedo. Electrical engineering students will be based in Gijón, where the University of Oviedo's engineering campus is located.

View University of Oviedo in a larger map

Why Asturias?

  • Lively and modern, the cities of Oviedo and Gijón also boast impressive old-town centers, museums, libraries and significant historic sites.
  • Oviedo and Gijón are large enough to host a full calendar of events (including festivals, museum exhibits, concerts, and sporting events), yet small enough to learn your way around quickly and see familiar faces regularly.
  • Offers a wonderful setting to develop and refine your language skills. With relatively few tourists, including English-speaking visitors, you will be able to truly immerse yourself in the language and culture of northern Spain.
  • Named Spain's "Natural Paradise," Asturias is full of awe-inspiring natural vistas and endless opportunities for getting out into nature, with the easily accessible Cantabrian Sea and beaches to the north and the Picos de Europa national park to the south.
  • Affordable transportation within cities and the broader region, and to other destinations in Spain and Europe.
  • Students often enjoy the very social atmosphere, with people of all ages enjoying local events and nightlife.

Read student blogs about studying at Temple in Spain.

Housing

The Temple in Spain program offers housing in a student residence or homestay. View our galleries.

Activities and Excursions

Temple-organized events 

Resident Director Dr. Jaime Durán welcomes students to Madrid at the start of the program for a multi-day orientation within Madrid and to surrounding towns. The group then travels together to Oviedo.

Dr. Durán organizes group dinners throughout the program and, in addition, the program include a weekend excursion to Picos de Europa, a mountain range to the south of Oviedo and the second most visited national park in Spain.

University of Oviedo Activities

In addition to academic courses, the university’s Casa de las Lenguas offers cultural programming and organized leisure activities, enabling you to acquire in-depth knowledge of Spanish and Asturian culture and strengthen your Spanish language proficiency outside of a formal classroom setting.

  • The summer program includes two weekend day trips.
  • The semester program includes a language partner conversation exchange, a film series, and some day trips. In addition, the immersion program in the spring includes a one-week non-credit enrichment workshop which, in the past, has included themes such as cartoon design, cooking, dance, digital journalism, photography, photojournalism, radio broadcasting and storytelling.
Faculty & On-site Support

Dr. Durán, a native of Oviedo and Temple faculty member, serves as the program director and supports students 24/7. He teaches a course during the semester and in the summer, as do visiting faculty members from Temple's Main Campus. Your other courses are taught by University of Oviedo faculty members.

Health & Safety

Staying healthy and safe abroad requires good planning and strong support. Review our health and safety page for important steps to prepare to study abroad, and details about international travel medical insurance and assistance provided by Temple.  

Contact

For more information, contact:

Spring Semester Overview

During the spring semester, you can choose to focus on language and cultural immersion; or you can study any level of Spanish, complete Intellectual Heritage II, and enroll in courses taught in English in your discipline.

Expand upon each of the links below to view more details about this term.

Academic Program

LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION

  • Spanish and English

COURSE LOAD

  • 4-5 courses, 12-18 credit hours
  • Non-Temple students: verify the minimum number of credit hours required by your home institution

PROGRAM OPTIONS

1. Spanish and Cultural Immersion

  • Spanish language and literature (intermediate through advanced); for students with 4 semesters of university-level Spanish, or equivalent.
  • Credit-bearing internship available
  • Combined with homestay to immerse you more completely in language and culture

2. Business, Liberal Arts, Spanish and STEM

  • Spanish at any level, beginner through advanced
  • Intellectual Heritage II
  • Courses in your discipline taught in English: business, computer science, economics, engineering, English literature.

Additional options available for students with advanced Spanish language.

Learn more about the academic program.

Program Dates

The spring program runs from early January to late-May/early June. Future program dates will be announced as soon as they are available. 

Program participants are required to be present for the entire length of the program, from the official arrival date through the program end date.

Program Costs

Program Deposit

Students will pay a non-refundable program deposit of $400 within 2 weeks of acceptance to the program, or 2 weeks after the application deadline, whichever is earlier. This non-refundable deposit is credited to your program fees as a prepayment. 

Tuition and Fees 

Temple students pay their usual rate by school/college and residency.

Non-Temple students pay the non-matriculated student rate based on residency. For the 2023-24 academic year, PA residents are charged $8,988 and non-PA residents are charged $16,188 for a full-time courseload of 12-18 credits.*Non-Temple students: your program costs may vary depending on your home institution's billing model. Please check with your study abroad office about your school's billing policies.

All students pay:

  • University Services Fee
  • Spain Program Fee, estimated at $5300, which includes the cost of housing, orientation, and some activities

For complete details about billable costs and estimate for non-billable expenses, such as airfare, meals, and personal expenses, view the program cost sheet.

View detailed program costs.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Education Abroad offers competitive, need-based scholarships for this program. Learn more about scholarships and financial aid.

Summer Overview

During the summer, you can choose to focus on language and cultural immersion; or you can study any level of Spanish along with additional courses taught in English. Expand upon each of the links below to view more details about this term.

Academic Program

Language of Instruction

  • Spanish and English

Course Load

  • 2 courses, 6-7 credit hours

Course Offerings

  • Spanish language and literature
  • Special offerings by Temple faculty in a variety of disciplines (taught in English), which rotate each year.

Learn more about the academic program.

Program Dates

Tentative Program Dates

 Summer 2025
Departure from U.S.June 23
Arrival in MadridJune 24
Orientation in MadridJune 24-June 29

Group travel to Oviedo

June 29
Classes beginJune 30

Last day of classes

July 25
Last night in housingJuly 25
Program concludesJuly 26
Program Costs

Program Deposit

Students will pay a non-refundable program deposit of $400 within 2 weeks of acceptance to the program, or 2 weeks after the application deadline, whichever is earlier. This non-refundable deposit is credited to your program fees as a prepayment. 

Tuition and Fees 

Temple students pay their usual per-credit rate by school/college and residency.

Non-Temple students pay the non-matriculated student rate based on residency. For the 2023-24 academic year, PA residents are charged $749 per credit and non-PA residents are charged $1,349 per credit.

All students pay:

  • University Services Fee
  • Spain Program Fee, estimated at $2,500, which includes the cost of housing, orientation, and some activities

For complete details about billable costs and estimate for non-billable expenses, such as airfare, meals, and personal expenses, view the program cost sheet.

View detailed program costs.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Education Abroad offers competitive, need-based scholarships for this program. Learn more about scholarships and financial aid.

Program Photos

View our photo galleries for an up-close view of Oviedo's campuses, residence halls, and more.

Follow the Temple in Spain Instagram for live updates and an up-close view of the student experience!

View this profile on Instagram

Templespain (@templespain) • Instagram photos and videos

Eligibility Requirements

Temple programs are open to qualified students matriculated at any U.S. or Canadian college or university.

You are eligible to apply if you meet the following requirements.

Are enrolled fulltime and will have completed 2 semesters before studying abroad
  • You are enrolled as a full-time matriculated student at the time of application as well as during the semester prior to studying abroad.
  • You will have completed at least two (2) semesters of college-level study by the program start.
Are in good academic standing and meet minimum GPA requirement for the program

You meet minimum cumulative GPA requirement, on a 4.0 scale from all colleges/universities attended. The requirement varies by program:

  • Temple Semester Programs: 2.75 (Rome Internships: 3.0)
  • Temple Summer Programs: 2.5
  • Exchange Programs: 2.75
  • External Programs: 2.5

You remain in good academic standing from the time of application until the start of your term abroad; students on academic warning are not eligible to participate.

Have a valid passport

You will need a passport, valid well beyond the length of your program, by the application deadline.

View deadlines and validity requirements for your host country.

Are in good disciplinary standing

You must be in good disciplinary standing at the time of application and remain so through the start of your term abroad. Students who have been found responsible for a code of conduct violation and will not be in good disciplinary standing (including disciplinary probation) may submit a petition for review.

Meet the minimum age requirement

You are at least 18 years old at the time of application.

Make sure you meet the prerequisites for all courses you hope to take on the program.

For the spring semester Language and Cultural Immersion option, you will be required to have successfully completed four (4) semesters of university-level Spanish.

Application Requirements

The standard application requirements pertain to all students applying to Temple programs.

    All Temple in Spain applicants are encouraged to meet with a program manager before submitting their application. 

    Admissions Timeline

    • Admissions is rolling (early applications encouraged).
    • Once you submit your application, you should expect a decision within two (2) weeks.