Participants must attend all pre-departure orientation sessions held during the semester prior to departure. Make up sessions are not available. During these sessions items such as safety, visas, host family, classes and excursions will be discussed.

In general, electricity in Spain is 220V as opposed to 110V in the U.S. Also the cycles are different; there are 50 cycles in Europe versus 60 cycles in the U.S. Any appliance that has a heating element will burn up quickly unless it is manufactured to accommodate 220V. Small appliances (hair dryers, curling irons, clocks, fans) are available in Sevilla for about the same cost as the U.S. and are made for the Spanish electricity.

Computers are generally not a problem since most power supplies indicate 100-240V or some combination thereof. Plug adaptors are readily available in Sevilla for less than $2.00 equivalent. At The Center, WiFi is available and there are a number of extra internet lines to connect to laptops.

Students must arrive in Sevilla in time to begin the in-country orientation. Each student is responsible for making individual flight arrangements.

All students take 15 hours during the semester program. Courses offered are regular Texas Tech catalog classes taught by Texas Tech or consortium faculty. Students receive a letter grade posted onto their Texas Tech transcript. Review the course information to determine what classes will be available:

• Engineering Classes in Sevilla (fall and spring semesters)
• Spanish Classes in Sevilla (fall and spring semesters)
• Architecture Classes in Sevilla (fall and spring semesters)
• Summer Classes in Sevilla

Course offerings may change semester-to-semester, depending on the faculty teaching at The Center. 

Students must secure a passport on their own. Students in Lubbock can make use of the Passport Application Acceptance Office located in the International Cultural Center. 

Group excursions are an integral part of the classes taught at The Center in Sevilla. Students travel on a chartered bus with faculty and staff. Parents and friends are invited to join students on the excursions and pay at cost upon arrival (with prior notification, depending on available space).

Students who will study in Spain for longer than 90 days must obtain a Spanish Student Visa. The Sevilla Coordinator will help with the required application during a visa workshop. 

If you, family, or friends arrive in Madrid and need to continue to Sevilla, there are two recommended means of transport, air and train.

Air: Look for flights between Barajas International Airport (MAD) and Sevilla (SVQ).

Train: As you arrive at the airport in Madrid, you will clear customs and immigration and then claim luggage. At this point, take a taxi to Atocha train station for the high speed train called the AVE.

AVE tickets may be purchased ahead of time at www.renfe.es or at the ticket counter at Atocha train station. The credit card you use to purchase your ticket online must be presented when you pick up your ticket in Madrid.

The taxi will leave you at the third floor of Atocha train station. You will need to go downstairs on the moving ramp to locate the ticket counters for the AVE. To board the train, pass through security on the second floor and begin boarding 30 minutes prior to departure. The train station has no porters to help with luggage. The train ride from Madrid to Sevilla is approximately 2½ hours at 180 mph through the Spanish countryside.

Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and other credit cards are widely used in Spain. Students should notify bank and credit card companies prior to departure that they will be in Spain. Failure to do this could cause the credit card company to assume someone has stolen the card and delay transactions. ATMs in Spain are widely available. Students should make certain their bank card is in the Pulse or Cirrus network. A reasonable fee is assessed for each withdrawal. Students are advised to plan withdrawals so they minimize fees. Expect a foreign transaction fee that will vary depending on your bank, usually one-three percent. Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee.

Weather in Sevilla is very similar to Lubbock, although a bit more humid. The summers (July and August specifically) are very hot and the winter is very cold, although it rarely snows. Although temperatures are similar, central heat and air is not very prevalent in Spain; therefore indoor temperatures tend to be cooler in winter and warmer in summer. For current weather information check www.weather.com.

While a student at The Center in Sevilla, plan to receive correspondence at The Center's address:

The Texas Tech University Center in Sevilla
Calle Recaredo, #44
41003 Sevilla, Spain

Please be sure mail is not sent to you in Sevilla after you've completed the program. We often get mail for students from previous semesters!

The official International Student ID Card is the ISIC Card. Students should apply for the ISIC Card online. The cost is roughly $28.00. Please allow 3-4 weeks for ISIC card processing.

Group health and accident insurance is provided as part of the program fees.

Students should monitor the fluctuation of the $US and the €Euro. For current rates log onto www.xe.com.

Yes. We highly recommend having a Spanish cell phone or SIM card.  Although wifi is good to communicate back home, there are times when you need to have a Spanish number to communicate locally, especially in the case of an emergency.

Cell phone options will be presented in the two day in-country orientation. However, your basic options will be:

• Use you U.S. smartphone with a Spanish sim card. To do so your phone must be unlocked. Check with your provider for more information on unlocking your smartphone.
• Buy a cheap go-phone with no data plan for calls and texts only.
• Buy a Spanish smartphone in Sevilla.