Universidad Pontificia Comillas - ICAI-ICADE (reviews)

What I like about this program is that it gives you a complete education in both business and law. It also gives you a better opportunity to achieve your professional goals as well as get a better job.

I am a part of the Comillas Sapiens exchange program and have had an awful experience. My statistics professor should be audited and learn how to structure exams better with an emphasis on correct English. Her questions are convoluted and very hard to understand. Her lectures are rushed and if you ask her a question after class she will just mumble an answer that is inaudible.
Along with this, the university had a Buddy system that groups you with other international students along with native Comillas students who are supposed to introduce you to Madrid and help make you feel like you belong there… this did not happen. My Buddies were awful hosts. The only interactions I saw from them were academic answers, there were no attempts at gathering people together. They did not respond to my question on if there was anyone who wanted a running partner until the day after the school sent out an email about reviewing your Buddies. Honestly embarrassing on the part of the school. I wish I went to a different college to study abroad if I knew about these awful events. I hope the school learns from the review I will make at the end of my semester.

I initially joined University in Spain as part of the Erasmus scheme, meaning after one year that I would have to arrive back to the UK. But it has now been over a year and… I am still in Spain. If that doesn’t sum up how much of a fun and adventurous time I had in Madrid, then I don’t know what will.

Initially it was quite scary; I came from my home university all alone and I didn’t know a single person. I also had a LOT of stress with the whole visa and TIE application. But this was mainly due to the whole Brexit situation and it being a learning curve for both myself and the institutions. It wasn’t long before I settled in and made great friends for life.

As my course was an Erasmus course, there were many other English people who I quickly familiarised myself with – so if you are thinking about doing this course, do not worry if you do not know the language. However, I would say that this did to some extent prevent my from fully emerging with the Spanish culture, as the vast majority of my peer students were not Spanish. Therefore I would recommend living in housing with other Spanish students if you want to learn the language quicker.

This can be quite tricky as the University does not have private accommodation, but as it is situated in Madrid, there are many student housing companies that are very helpful and student appropriate such as Aluni.net.

The University is situated in Moncloa – the heart of Madrid. Full of libraries, work cafes, restaurants bars – you name it. The public transport is state of the art! You can get anywhere in the centre in minutes, and during the night there are also nighttime buses, and the metro does not stop until 1.30am. Every night is a party in Madrid, so be prepared for late nights out and grabbing a power breakfast on the way home.

The teachers in the University were extremely helpful, and although classes were 50% online, I felt that I had 100% support and access to help when needed. They also speak Spanish and English and are special English classes available to Erasmus students like myself. The university also offers a separate diploma called ‘legal studies in Spain’, which is an additional accomplishment. This helps international students like myself to better my opportunities of finding a job in Spain and future career prospects.

Overall, being in Spain and moving to a new country to travel has been the best thing that I have ever done. I have matured and grown as an individual, I have made new friends, I have experienced a new way of life and I have loved every minute of it.

I cannot recommend studying abroad on the Erasmus scheme enough!

I think the program is great in general. What I liked the most is that the level of my classmates was really high, which I think contributed to a greater enriching and learning experience. I also liked that it is a very demanding program, which is something I have confirmed when looking for job opportunities and the opinion that law firms have about the university.