Spain Internship: Language and Culture Assistant

The Spain internship programs provide a unique cultural and educational experience designed to help advanced students acquire professional and cultural competencies in the field of education that will allow them to prepare for life after the university. Spanish and English teaching majors are especially encouraged to apply.

This internship provides an opportunity to work hand in hand with K–12 students in Madrid and surrounding areas as well as the experience of teaching in a different country and learning about their educational system. More information about this experience can be found at https://www.educacionyfp.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-programas/convocatorias-eeuu/nalcap.html.

Interested? Click here to leave your contact information for the directors!

More Information

Courses

Students must register for 12 credit hours during winter semester from the following courses:

SPAN 399R—Academic Internship (3–6 credit hours)
SPAN 395R—Contemporary Culture (3 credit hours)

Additional course options through BYU Online may be considered with the approval of the program director and ISP.

Students may not take any other courses on this program, including BYU Online courses, without approval by the program director and ISP.

Cost

$3,400–3,600

Includes Latter-day Saint undergraduate tuition (increased cost for graduate and non–Latter-day Saint students) and international insurance coverage.

Does not include airfare, housing, meals, visa fees or personal expenses.

This is a paid internship, and participants will receive at least 800 Euros per month.

Funding Sources

Regular BYU tuition scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Insured Student Loans may be applied to study abroad programs.

Students who submit the financial aid section of the ISP application and who have a current FAFSA form on file at the Financial Aid Office (A-41 ASB) will be considered for a Study Abroad scholarship.

Academic departments and colleges may assist with scholarships and grants.

The College of Humanities offers international internship grants to majors and minors within the college.

Private grants and scholarships outside of BYU may also assist (see kennedy.byu.edu/scholarships).

Preparation

Applicants will be evaluated by the faculty advisor upon application to the program and must have completed SPAN 321 before participating in the program.

Prior to departure, students completing an internship are required to enroll in HCOLL 396R, Humanities Leadership and Professional Development, during the second block of fall 2024. This course will help prepare students to make the most of the internship experience. Part-time BYU students will need to pay an additional tuition fee for enrolling in the prep class.

Spouses also need to be credit-bearing participants on the program; they must apply online and take the preparation course.

Students should plan to be in Spain (or country of internship) for the complete duration of the program and refrain from scheduling late arrivals or early departures. Internships must last approximately 16 weeks.

Students must meet all country- and program-specific COVID and health requirements for travel.

International study programs are physically, emotionally, and mentally taxing and you must be in good health to participate. These programs often take place in international locations that do not have the same level of safety and services in terms of transportation, living conditions, residential accommodations, food, public behavior, and policing that you may be used to on campus. If you have further questions or concerns on this, please see our travel policy.

Housing

Students are responsible for finding housing through approved housing options. The program director can provide guidance in finding appropriate options, including www.aluni.net.

BYU policy prohibits students from asking Latter-day Saint families to provide accommodations.

Travel

Students are responsible for purchasing their own airfare to and from the program sites. Airline reservations must be made through BYU Travel. Students should contact a BYU Travel agent.

BYU Travel
280 HRCB
(801) 422-6293
travel@byu.edu

Application Process

BYU welcomes students from any university to apply to participate on our study abroad programs. However, internships and direct enrollment programs are limited to BYU Provo students.

Students must be junior status by the time of the internship.

Students must submit a CV and letter of intent to director Scott M. Alvord.

Students must be 18 years-of-age or older to participate.

Complete the online application here. A nonrefundable $35 application fee is required; applicants will be interviewed once the application is complete.

Students will be notified via e-mail of their acceptance into the program.

The first payment is due upon acceptance; please refer to the Payment Information page.

Application Deadline: 1 April 2025 (contact Dr. Alvord for possible extensions)

Program Adjustments

International Study Programs (ISP) reserves the right to cancel this program, revise its offerings, or make any adjustments to the preliminary cost.

If it becomes necessary for ISP to cancel a program, all program payments made to BYU ISP will be refunded to the student’s BYU Financial account.

ISP is the only office authorized to cancel any of its programs.

Faculty

Scott M. Alvord, faculty director of the program and the internship coordinator for the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, is a professor of Hispanic linguistics and Chair of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. He has directed programs in Spain, Mexico, and Portugal several times.

(801) 422-7546
salvord@byu.edu
https://scott-alvord.youcanbook.me/

Barbara Bonyata
3190 JFSB
(801) 422-2838
barbara_bonyata@byu.edu

Contact Us

International Study Programs
101 HRCB
(801) 422-3686
isp@byu.edu

ISP Student Handbook

To see the student handbook, click here.

Payment Schedule

To see the payment schedule, click here.

Spain Internship: Language and Culture Assistant

Contact Us

PDF

FAQ

More Information

Courses

Cost

Funding Sources

Preparation

Housing

Travel

Application Process

Program Adjustments

Faculty

Contact Us

ISP Student Handbook

Payment Schedule