EXCHANGE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF GRANADA

 

SECTION A: GENERAL INFORMACION ABOUT THE PROGRAM

                        Description

                        Responsibilities

                        Compensation

                        Approximate dates

                        Living arrangements

 

SECTION B: HOW TO APPLY

 

SECTION C: THINGS TO DO (UPON ACCEPTANCE)

                        Materials and documents

                        Visa

                       

SECTION D: THINGS TO DO (ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN GRANADA)

                        Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales (paperwork)

 

SECTION E: THE CITY OF GRANADA

                       

 

SECTION F: CONTACT INFORMATION

                        UD: Granada Liaison

                        Granada: Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales

 

SECTION G: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How to get to Granada (flights, airports, buses, etc)

Weather

                        What to pack

 

 

 

SECTION A: GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM IN GRANADA

 

Each Spring semester, the University of Delaware sends one second year graduate student of Hispanic Literature or Foreign Language Pedagogy to the University of Granada in Granada, Spain as part of the existing exchange program between these two universities.  While in Granada, the graduate students from UD are responsible for teaching English classes in the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras and have the opportunity to enroll as students in courses of their choice (although these credits do not transfer to the University of DE).  This program is an excellent opportunity for graduate students from Delaware, allowing them to improve their skills in Spanish and at the same time acquire experience in teaching English, while living in one of the most beautiful and diverse cities in Spain.  Below, please find more specific information about the program including: responsibilities, living arrangements, the city of Granada, requirements, how to apply, etc. 

 

Description/responsibilities:

 

Teaching English:

The exchange student’s main responsibility while in Granada is to teach for the Departamento de Filología Inglesa in the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras of the Universidad de Granada.  Teaching responsibilities vary from semester to semester based on the needs of the Department, but typically the graduate student teaches English classes to Students of the University of Granada.  

 

Compensation: 

 

In return for teaching these English courses, the exchange student from Delaware is compensated by the following:

-      A salary from the University of Granada in Euros: payment will be determined and communicated to the exchange student prior to his/her arrival in Granada.

-           Free enrollment in University of Granada courses.

 

Approximate dates:

The exchange program follows the Spanish University schedule.  In the Spring, the student will leave in the first or second week of February and return in July.  The student typically arrives in Granada several days before the beginning of classes to meet with people in the Department and to get settled into the residence.  In the Spring, there are a pair of long weekends and a one week break during Holy Week.  Below are tentative dates of the Universidad de Granada’s academic calendar:

Feb. 15th – Late June: spring semester 

 

Living Arrangements-

The University of Granada will make every effort to find housing for the visiting students, but the students are ultimately responsible for the arrangements and costs of their stay in Granada.

 

SECTION B: HOW TO APPLY

Each Spring semester, the Granada Liaison, currently Professor Jesús Botello, will send out an invitation via e-mail to all Spanish graduate students.  Potential applicants must write a letter in Spanish to the Graduate Student Faculty explaining their interest in the exchange program and stating why they feel they should be chosen.

 *Keep in mind when you apply that the program in Granada is separate from the graduate program in Delaware. While you will be able to take classes as an auditor, you will not receive credit for these courses.  For funded students, the semester abroad does not count against your four semesters of funding at UD, but it does mean that you will need 2 and ½ years to finish the MA.  Your plan of study will look something like this:

                                   1st year Fall: UD, funded (1)

                                   1st year Spring: UD, funded (2)

                                    2nd year Fall: UD, funded (3)

                                   2nd year Spring: Granada exchange

                                   3rd year Fall: UD, funded, comprehensive exams. (4)

 

If time is an issue in your completion of the MA, this will be of particular importance to you.

 

 

SECTION C: THINGS TO DO (UPON ACCEPTANCE)

 

Near the end of the first semester, the selected students will receive official notification of their acceptance into the program.  At this point and in the months that follow, they will need to prepare and receive various materials in preparation for their trip.

-          Copy of your résumé or C.V. in Spanish.  You will need to prepare this, which will be given to the Liaison and then sent to Granada for their records.

-          Receive and sign a contract from the Granada Liaison that outlines your responsibilities in Granada.

-          Receive a fax from the Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales of the Universidad de Granada that tells you the official dates of your stay in Granada and the official terms of your contract.

-          Plane ticket.  When you know the official days that you will need to be in Spain and when you will need to return to the United States, begin to look for flights (this part of your trip is not covered by the program, you are responsible for buying your own ticket).

 

-          **VISA REQUIREMENTS.  Since you will be in Spain for a period of longer than 90 days, you will need to apply for a STUDENT VISA.  This process can be slightly complicated and requires several forms and other materials, so be sure to start early in its preparation.

 

For exact instructions on how to apply for a student visa for Spain, go to the website of the Spanish Embassy: www.spainemb.org and find the Consulate that applies to you based on your state of residence.  On the Consulate web pages you will find a copy of the application form, deadlines, fees, and a list of different materials you must present to solicit the Visa.

 

 

SECTION D: THINGS TO DO (ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN GRANADA)

Relaciones Internacionales: Complejo Universitario Triunfo.  (in front of “Hospital Real”: name of a building that houses university offices, not a hospital). 

    1. Can either walk-in or call to make an appointment. (Address and contact info below)
    2. University ID card (you will need passport photos) -- Give Rosa Morillas your pictures and she will make your ID for you, which you will be asked to come back for.  This ID functions as your library card, a form of identification that will get you student discounts on entrance fees to monuments, museums etc.
    3. Paycheck -- You will need to get a few signatures for your paycheck but where you have to go and who you have to see may change each semester, so best to let those at this office give you the specifics... just know to leave yourself some time to go to two different offices found close by Relaciones Internacionales.  It may take a couple of weeks for your documents to be processed, and therefore you may be paid a few weeks after you arrive there, so plan to have some money available for those first weeks.

 

SECTION E: THE CITY OF GRANADA

                       

The following is a link to the Ayuntamiento de Granada’s Tourism web page:  http://www.granadatur.com/principal2.htm

 

Here you will find lots of invaluable information about the city, how to get around, what to do there, etc.  The following is some general information about some things you will find on this site.

1.                            Maps.  Look for a city walking map and a map of the bus system.  Buses in Granada are a very convenient way to get around. 

2.                            Bono Turístico.  This is a great way to see the city as a tourist.  The bono is a pass that gives you entrance into all the most important tourist attractions of Granada (including the Alhambra) and 10 bus rides at a discounted price.  The bono costs approx. 20 euros and is good for one week, at the time you choose.  Bonos can be purchased at any branch of the Caja General de Granada.  It’s a great deal, especially if you have friends or family coming to visit you.

 

Calling (and emailing) home:  One important part of being away is keeping in touch with those you’ve left behind.  In Granada you will find several stores (look in Plaza Nueva) that sell phone cards for calls to the United States.  There are several different ones, and they change frequently, but a couple good ones are called EuroHours and EuroTel.  These cards give you about 230 minutes of calls to the US for 6 euros.  You can use these cards from pay phones on the street.  Another very convenient way of keeping in touch is via email.  The office you will share at the University has internet access.  In addition, there are several “internet cafés” in Granada where you can check email, etc. for about 1 euro per hour.

 

Here are some pictures of the city of Granada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SECTION F:  CONTACT INFORMATION

 

- Dr. Jesús Botello

  Granada Liaison

  224 Jastak-Burgess Hall

  (302) 831-6111

  jbotello@udel.edu

 

- Rosa Morillas Sánchez

  Directora de Relaciones Internacionales con América del Norte y Asia

  Cuesta del Hospicio, s/n

  GRANADA 18071

  España

  rmorilla@ugr.es

 

 

 

SECTION G: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 

How to get to Granada-  From the US: it is recommended to fly from either Philadelphia or Newark NJ.  There are various websites to search plane tickets but some suggestions follow:

 

www.orbitz.com Good rates for students

www.studentuniverse.com

www.expedia.com

 

The majority of the affordable flights from Philadelphia ($450-550 depending on season and Euro conversion) will not be direct, requiring you to change planes in either London or ParisNewark NJ, however, does offer some direct affordable flights ($450-$550 depending on season and Euro conversion) to Madrid.  You cannot fly directly to Granada but instead would have to find a flight to Madrid or Malaga and then get to Granada with public transportation.

 

Getting to Granada from Malaga

 

From the airport, you can either take a cab to the bus station or take the “Tren de cercanias” to the train station.  The bus station is directly in front of the train station.  Once at the bus station, you will simply take a bus to Granada.  Once in Granada, you can take another cab to your residence. 

 

Getting to Granada from Madrid

 

From the airport, one can gain access to the subway.  You will need to buy a ticket at the entrance to the subway which costs approximately 1.50 Euros.  Once in the subway, you will take a look at the map and find the way to “Avenida de America”.  It is a very easy system and easily maneuverable.  Once at “Avenida de America”, you are at the bus station.  There is a bus every hour for Granada.  Once you arrive in Granada, you can take another cab to your residence. 

 

The weather- September could be pretty warm, in the 80s... October and November start to get chilly, 50's 60's.  December, January and February can be a bit colder 40's and sometimes 30's.  March, April and May, much like in DE, tend to have a lot of rain and could get a cold spell or a warm spell.  Summer is characterized by a dry heat.  It is important to remember to just back a range of clothing.  

 

What to pack- In terms of clothing, as seen above, the weather is basically like the mid-Atlantic states in the US... it would be best to take a mixture of heavy and light clothes.
    Other things to bring:  electricity converter 

Medical insurance-  be sure to speak with your insurance provider to find out what is covered and how an international claim would be dealt with.

Money- it is recommended that you do not travel with too much cash but rather traveler’s checks.  With your passport, you will be able to go to any bank in
Granada to cash these.  Also, your *ATM/Check card will work at most ATMs in Granada, you will just have to make sure that if it is just an ATM card, that one of the symbols on the back (Cirrus, Plus etc) match one of the symbols at the ATM from which you are trying to make a withdrawal.  If you’d like to check the conversion rate between the Dollar and the Euro, you can go to: www.oanda.com/convert/classic?user=rentors  

*IF you are planning to use your ATM/Check card in Spain, BE SURE to call your bank before you leave the US to tell them the dates you will be out of the country so as to insure that they do not block your card.