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The University of Vigo is an amazing place to spend a semester or year abroad! It offers excellent service to international students, strong academic programs, several land and aquatic sports, and countless social activities. Vigo is located on the Atlantic coast and has an oceanic climate, beautiful beaches, and an active port. The city is a great size for an exchange student because it is big enough to have plenty of culture, entertainment, and recreation, yet small enough to manage.
- Vigo is located on 20 miles of Atlantic coastline and has beautiful beaches and excellent water sports facilities.
- The Universidade de Vigo's strongest programs are Telecommunication Engineering, Marine Science, Biology, Business Administration, Translation/ Interpretation, and Spanish.
- ISEP students are paired with Spanish student volunteers to pick them up from the airport and orient then in their first week.
- The International Relations Office plans excursions, parties, and film screenings for international students.
“I absolutely loved studying in Vigo, Spain! The people are incredibly welcoming and have a passion for life. The city is beautiful and there are so many things to do and see. I can’t wait to return!" - Susan Lorbecki, Spring 2005 ISEP Participant from Southwest Missouri State University
About Universidade de Vigo |
The Universidade de Vigo is a modern public university located in Galicia, Spain’s northwest corner. Established in 1990, it is committed to the principles of equity, solidarity, democracy, and freedom. Last year, there were over 27,000 students studying in 46 degree programs. Strong programs include telecommunication engineering, marine science, biology, business administration, law, translation/ interpretation, and Spanish.
The Universidade de Vigo is a great place for an ISEP student because international students receive individual attention from the ISEP coordinator. Each international student is assigned a Spanish student volunteer who will pick them up from the airport, show them around campus, and orient them during their first few days. The university has many clubs and sports that ISEP students are welcome to join, including a conversation club where students are matched with a Vigo student to practice Spanish and help their partner practice English.
Vigo is located on the coast and is just minutes away from several beautiful beaches. It enjoys a temperate oceanic climate with mild temperatures year round. Summers are warm and pleasant, while winters are rainy. It is the largest city in the autonomous region of Galicia with a population of about 300,000.
Galicia’s Two Official Languages
Vigo is located in Galicia—one of Spain's autonomous regions—where two languages are spoken. Both Spanish and Galician are the official languages. About ninety percent of courses at the university are taught in Spanish.
Galician is a romance language that bears resemblance to Portuguese and Spanish. Students with a high command of Spanish can understand quite a bit of written Galician and spoken Galician. Courses in Galician are available for international students at the university’s language center.
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Former ISEP students have been pleased with the professors at Vigo for their flexibility and sensitivity to the special needs of international students. The University of Vigo is particularly strong in Telecommunication Engineering, Marine Science, Biology, Business Administration, Translation/ Interpretation, and Spanish. ISEP students at Vigo most often take courses in Spanish literature (philology) and business. While Universidade de Vigo has two satellite campuses, students must choose courses from the Vigo campuses.
The Universidade de Vigo offers courses in the following colleges (faculdades):
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Marine Science
- Business
- Business law
- Economics
- Business administration
- Engineering
- Industrial
- Mining
- Telecommunications (with specialties in systems or sound and image)
- Technical industrial (with specialties in electricity, industrial electricity, mechanics or industrial chemistry)
- Nursing
- Education
- Early childhood
- Primary
- Philology and Translation/ Interpretation
- English
- Spanish
- Galician
- Complementary subjects: French, German and Portuguese
Academic Calendar
Fall semester: late September to late January
Spring semester: mid-February to late June
Students may request a semester or full-year placement. Students requesting to be placed for fall semester must note that the calendar may not be compatible with their home university calendar in order to return in time for spring semester courses.
Library and Computer Labs
The university's library has a main library and each faculty has its own library and computer lab. All ISEP students have access to libraries and computer labs.
Course Information
To access course information, go to Course Links
After the page loads, click on Planes de Estudios de 1° y 2° ciclo and then click on por campus. At the top of the page you will see all the departments in the Vigo campus. Remember to only choose courses from the Vigo campus. Under each department, all the majors within it are listed. Click on the icon next to each major in order to see the list of courses.
Language Requirement
Students will enroll in regular university courses with Spanish students. Students must be approaching fluency level in order to study in Vigo or any site in Spain (except the ISEP-direct program in Murcia). Non-native speakers must be in their third year of college-level Spanish and preferably have successfully completed courses at the literature level before departure.
Language Support Courses
Students can enroll in intensive Spanish courses at the university's language center. The language center also offers courses in Galician, Portuguese, French, German, and English. Courses at the language center are not included in ISEP benefits; however, there are reduced fees for ISEP students.
“The school itself has a good environment and there are lots of opportunities to immerse oneself in the Spanish culture as well as get to know people from different countries." - Julie Aguilar, Spring 2005 ISEP participant from Elmhurst College
Student Life
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Housing and Meals
Students live in shared apartments in the city center with other ISEP or international students. Students are given vouchers for meals in the university cafeterias and stipends for weekend meals.
Apartments are in the city center, just a short walk from shopping, restaurants, and nightlife. Apartments are furnished and many have scenic views of Vigo's port.
Support
The Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales (known on campus as the ORI) is the resource office for ISEP students and will assist students upon arrival. The ORI holds an orientation and official reception for international students. They organize visits to Santiago de Compostela, A Coruña, Ribeira Sacra, Portonovo, Santa María de Oia, and Valença do Minho in Portugal. They also plan parties and film screenings for international students.
Sports and Recreation
The university has its own sport facilities, which can be booked by university members. A fitness room can be found at the university sport hall in Vigo, along with a counseling sport service and an indoor swimming pool. The sport service at the university promotes and sponsors sport and leisure activities for the university community. More than 7,500 people register each year to participate in all different activities organized by this service including:
- Classes
Swimming, dancing lessons, chess, yoga, horse riding, sport referees, tai-chi, five-a-side football or golf - Sport activities
Beginner or basic levels courses in areas such as aerobics, badminton, yoga, judo, karate, kick-boxing, fitness, squash, tae-kwon-do, tai-chi, tennis, archery and triathlon - Leisure and outdoor activities
These activities are carried out from March to June: mountain biking, archery, bungie jumping, golfing, horseback riding, climbing or rappelling. Hiking is popular and there are important cultural and natural sites in the area. - Water activities
Within a short bus ride, students can go to the seaside for rafting, sailing, surfing, body boarding, windsurfing, diving courses, and sea-kayak routes - University leagues
There are university leagues for basketball, handball, football, five-a-side football, tennis, table tennis, and volley ball. Around 4,500 university members participate in different teams that play in all campuses. Competitions are held for tennis, squash, table tennis, badminton, and archery. Professional sports include badminton, rugby, chess, squash, triathlon, archery, tennis, basketball, table tennis, and water polo
“The ISEP students in our building built a special bond. We coined it Real World Vigo and indeed it was. From Oregon to North Carolina to Puerto Rico, we were quite the diverse group." - Lauren Koeppel, Spring 2003 ISEP Participant from the University of Wisconsin—La Crosse
About Vigo, Spain!  |
Vigo, known as the “Gateway to the Atlantic,” is the largest city in northeastern Spain with a population of about 300,000. It is located on a 20 mile long estuary and boasts beautiful beaches and outstanding water sports facilities. Spring and summer are quite warm and sunny, while fall and winter are rainy. Major industries include fishing, shipbuilding, and the manufacture of Citroën cars.
Travel
Vigo is well connected to the rest of Spain via highway, air, and train. ISEP students usually arrive into Madrid and then take a plane, train, or bus to Vigo. For travel within Vigo, students rely on the dependable public bus system or taxis.
Links About Vigo
Vigo - Wikipedia
History
www.vigo.org
www.vigonet.com