Overview

Location(s)	Alicante, Spain
Term(s)	Semesters only Fall: September-late January  Spring: late January-mid-June
Areas of Study	Biology, Business, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Computer Science, Economics, Engineering, Engineering Technology, Literature, RPTA, Sociology, and Spanish
Housing	Residence hall, homestay, shared apartment
Passport	Required
Visa (for US citizens)	Required for programs 90 days or longer

Eligibility

GPA	2.5
WIU hours completed	12
Student conduct	Good standing
Grad credit	Not Available
Pre-requisite	Varies by course.  See the "Studying at Alicante" tab for more details. Basic Spanish skills strongly recommended
Student Year	Sophomore, Junior, Senior

Exchange programs have very limited enrollments.  Alicante only allows the nomination of two or three students maximum per semester.  It is strongly recommended you choose an alternate program(s) in case this program is filled.

Entry Requirements

Passport:  Required. Must be valid for at least six (6) months after your study abroad program ends.  For information on how to apply for or renew a passport, see Passports 101 .
Current passport processing times are 6-8 weeks.  Plan accordingly to avoid issues obtaining your visa, airine tickets, and other necessary items for travel.  Failure to receive your passport in time can lead to postponement of your program.

Visa:  You must apply for a student visa before entering Spain if you are studying there for 90 days or longer.  Visa requirements can be found on the Consulate of Spain in Chicago website .
Traveling to Spain without your student visa can lead to denied entry, forced removal from your program, and financial consequences.

Health Insurance

It is University policy that you must have international health insurance for the time you are abroad.  Only two options are approved to meet this requirement:
  • WIU Student Health Insurance
  • A supplemental plan (Patriot Travel Medical) from International Medical Group (IMG) .

Health Precautions

COVID-19 - You are REQUIRED to follow the policies of your host school, host country, the CDC and TSA. It is your responsibility to know and understand these policies. If policies change before or during your program, it is your responsbility to comply with the new policies. Failure to do so can result in removal from your program and/or the host country, financial consequences and academic consequences at the host school and WIU.

Walking/mobility/travel - Expect more walking than on-campus.  It is a mixture of urban (pavement/concrete) and natural (grass/dirt) terrain, including uneven/hilly terrain and up/down flights of stairs.  Some historic sites and tourist areas have limited handicapped accessibility.  Sidewalks in these areas can be narrow with uneven surfaces.  

Vaccinations - No vaccinations are required for entry into Spain.  Up to date vaccination recommendations are available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website .

Accessibility - Accessibility and accommodation are very different from that found in the United States.  Please contact Disability Resources for questions on the availability of accommodations for your specific situation.

PLEASE NOTE  It is your responsibility to request accommodation from DR; staff are not legally permitted to inquire about such needs.  Requests should be made as early as possible so there's sufficient time to arrange accommodations in your location. 

Costs (Comparative Table)

last updated 4/30/2025 

Items	WIU	Alicante
Tuition and fees, 12 semester hours, plan Y	5,140	5,140
Commitment Fee	--	75
Health Insurance	816	816
Passport	--	165
Student visa (only for programs 90+ days)	--	180
Housing and meals	Housing: 3,795 Meals: 2,680	Housing: 2,000 Meals: 750
Books and supplies	480	500
Local transportation	840	250
Personal/misc. (phone, laundry, recreation, etc.)	950	2,550
Total	14,701	12,426*

*You are responsible for purchasing your own flights.

Various types of aid are available to help fund your experience.  Check out our Financial Aid and Scholarships pages for more details.

 

Academics

Exchange students at Alicante take 4-5 classes per semester, equaling 12-15 sh at WIU.  An "average" Alicante class is 6 ECTS or roughly 3 WIU semester hours.  You must take at least 24 ECTS to maintain full-time status.  You may not take more than 30 ECTS a semester per Alicante policy.
Courses are graded on a 10 point scale with letter grades of A, B, C, and F. Five (5) points is the minimum to pass a class.

Courses at Alicante are taught in English or Spanish:
English-taught classes are offered in a range of areas of study, allowing you to choose classes for your major, minor, or possibly General Education requirements, all in the same semester.  You can also take a Spanish language course to improve your language skills.
Courses in English

Spanish-taught classes are for students fluent in Spanish (minimum B1 level).  Spanish-taught classes must be from the same academic area as your WIU major/minor.

Terminology
"Subject" - Course or class
"Faculty" - Department or School

Exchange students are eligible to take classes from all areas except Nursing and Medicine.  The "Scientific Diving" class is generally not available to exchange students.

All class requests are subject to approval by the Alicante Faculty during the registration stage.  Individual classes may require proof of pre-requisite coursework. 
Students receive a suggested list of courses when they are accepted by Alicante.  This list includes both English-taught and Spanish-taught courses.  The majority of your courses should be related to your WIU major or minor.

Housing/Meals

The accommodation options at Alicante include off-campus Alicante housing, homestays, and student-arranged apartments.  Off-campus Alicante housing does not offer a meal plan; all meals are your responsibility. 

You must apply for housing arranged by Alicante (off-campus and homestays).  Alicante-arranged housing is not guaranteed.

More information is available on the Alicante accommodation website.