Students have the chance this summer to participate in a six-week study abroad program in Madrid, Spain, and earn transferable college credit while exploring the city’s culture, language and history.

The program lasts from June 23 to July 14 and costs $3,230, excluding airfare, tuition fees and meals. This year, a grant from the El Camino College Foundation lowered the price by $670.

Four courses offered in the program include Spanish 1, Elementary Spanish; Spanish 52A, Spanish for Native Speakers; Ethnic Studies 5, Chicano Culture; and History 154, A History of Mexico.

“I would say for a lot of people, this has been a life-changing experience,” social science professor Xocoyotzin Herrera said. “Students are exposed to a lot of the artwork and historical sites of Spain.”

Led by Herrera and Spanish and dance professor Argelia Andrade, the program also partners with Accent Global Learning, a London-based organization that works with U.S. colleges for study abroad programs in Europe.

Taking two courses over the six weeks is encouraged to balance coursework and extracurricular activities.

Coursework being completed online on Canvas will have some assignments that will push students to engage with the culture, such as observing historical monuments and visiting museums.

“Out of all the programs that I’ve been a part of, this one has been the most successful,” Andrade said.

Classes are held Monday through Thursday, with Mondays and Thursdays being class excursions throughout Madrid.

Program expenses cover apartments for student residences throughout Madrid and studies at the Accent Study Center.

“Some of our students haven’t lived on their own yet, so when they go to Spain, they’ll have their own apartment,” Christina Gold, dean of behavioral and social sciences, said.

Students are allowed to travel outside of Madrid on weekends, as long as they have notified the program leaders.

The first three weeks are spent abroad, where students focus on academics while participating in class excursions.

For the last three weeks, students can either stay in Europe and continue their studies in Europe or return home and complete their coursework online.

“They’re learning not just about the culture, they’re getting immersed in Spanish culture and learning about what it means to live with people different from themselves,” Gold said.

Applications for the program are due Tuesday, April 15.