University

University Prep Spanish

Everything you need to pass the entrance interview, write academic essays and thrive in your first semester at a Spanish-speaking university.

Intermediate 4.9 rating 3 months 30 lessons

About the Course

University Prep Spanish bridges the gap between conversational fluency and the formal, academic register that admissions committees and lecturers expect. You will practise the exact tasks you will face at university: motivation letters, oral defences, note-taking from lectures and structured argumentation.

What you’ll learn

Write a persuasive carta de motivación and academic CV in Spanish.
Take structured notes from fast, lecture-style Spanish audio.
Defend an argument orally in a mock admissions interview.
Master the formal register: connectors, passive voice and nominalisation.
Read and summarise academic articles and set texts.
Reference sources and avoid calques from your native language.
Handle enrolment, tutorías and student-services vocabulary with confidence.

Course program

7 modules · 30 lessons

Module 1El discurso académico 5 lessons

Formal vs informal registerRecognise academic tone in Spanish texts.
Connectors of argumentLinking ideas with sin embargo and por tanto.
NominalisationTurning verbs into noun phrases for formality.
The academic passiveSe-passive and ser-passive in essays.
Hedging & precisionMatizar your claims like a scholar.

Module 2Carta de motivación 4 lessons

Anatomy of a motivation letterStructure and committee expectations.
Persuasive openingsHooking an admissions committee in one line.
Showcasing your profileDescribing achievements without arrogance.
Closing and call to actionA confident, memorable final paragraph.

Module 3Apuntes de clase 4 lessons

Lecture listeningFollowing fast, academic Spanish.
Abbreviation systemsNote-taking shorthand in Spanish.
Signposting languageSpotting a lecturer’s hidden structure.
From notes to summaryCondensing a full lecture into a page.

Module 4El ensayo académico 5 lessons

Thesis statementsFraming a clear central argument.
Paragraph architectureFrom topic sentence to evidence.
Citing sourcesIntroducing and referencing quotations.
Counter-argumentConceding and rebutting opposing views.
Editing for cohesionPolishing a finished essay.

Module 5La entrevista de admisión 4 lessons

Common interview questionsPreparing model answers in advance.
Talking about your goalsFuture plans and ambitions in Spanish.
Defending your choiceWhy this programme and why now.
Mock interviewRecorded practice with expert feedback.

Module 6Textos y fuentes 4 lessons

Reading dense articlesStrategies for academic texts.
Summarising sourcesParaphrasing without plagiarism.
Referencing conventionsAPA-style citing in Spanish.
Building a bibliographyOrganising and formatting sources.

Module 7Vida universitaria 4 lessons

Enrolment vocabularyMatrícula and student services.
Tutorías & office hoursEmailing professors correctly.
Library & researchFinding and requesting resources.
Campus lifeClubs, housing and daily routines.

Your teacher

Elena Márquez Ríos

Academic Spanish coach, 12 years preparing students for Spanish universities

Elena holds a Master’s in Applied Linguistics from the Universidad de Salamanca and has spent twelve years preparing international students for Spanish-speaking universities. She has coached hundreds of applicants through motivation letters and oral defences, and knows exactly what admissions panels look for. Her classes are structured, warm and relentlessly practical.

Student reviews

Marta K.

“The motivation-letter module got me an interview at my first-choice university in Madrid.”

Daniel R.

“I finally understand the academic register — my essays read like a native’s now.”

Priya S.

“The mock admissions interview was nerve-wracking in the best way. So worth it.”

Ask a question about this course

Our team usually replies within one working day.

Who is this for

Students planning to study at a university in Spain or Latin America.
B1 learners who need to reach a solid academic B2 quickly.
Anyone facing a Spanish-language admissions interview or motivation letter.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to already speak Spanish?

Yes, a solid B1 is recommended. The course lifts you into the academic B2 register rather than teaching the basics.

Will this prepare me for a specific interview?

The interview module uses the real question types admissions panels ask, with recorded mock sessions and expert feedback.

Is the certificate recognised by universities?

It is a course completion certificate. It documents your study hours but does not replace an official DELE or SIELE exam.

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