Unlike many European universities, the UC3M functions entirely on the semester system (cuatrimestres or sistema cuatrimestral). The first semester runs from early September to December, with exams in January; the second, from early January to early June. In this section we provide information that will help students determine how to adjust their schedule according to their curricular and personal needs.
The Spanish Academic Calendar at a Glance:
| Term | Classes Begin | Classes End | Final Assessment | |
| Fall | CEH | Sep (early) | Nov. (late) | December |
| Grado | Sep (early) | Dec | By special arrangement, when classes end or by fax (but any special arrangements need to be worked out before the end of registration) | |
| CH | Sep (late) | Dec | When course ends | |
| Spring | CEH | Jan (late) | April (late) | April (after last class) |
| Grado | Jan (late) | May (early) | Late May (sometimes early June), as stipulated on the UC3M schedule | |
| CH | February | Apr – May | When course ends | |
Final Exams – Grado: Fall Term
Final exams for Spanish students are held in January. VWM participants enrolled in grado courses at UC3M will take their final exams before our program departure date in December. However, students enrolled at Universidad Complutense negotiate their exam date with their professors. Some professors may be willing to move a final exam up to the last week of classes, before our program departure. Students may otherwise request the final exam by fax. In such cases, the exam is faxed to the study abroad officer on the student’s home campus, to be completed and returned to Madrid by email/fax. The date for such an exam is stipulated by the professor.
Final Exams – Grado: Spring Term
VWM participants enrolled in regular UC3M and UCM courses are expected to take their final exam in Spain, during the official UC3M exam period. Some professors may be willing to give an exam as soon as classes end, but this must be arranged by the student at the beginning of the term and should by no means be considered a sure thing.
Negotiating a Change of Schedule for the Final Exam
Students must work out the details—the exam or final paper date, the procedure in the event the exam is to be proctored and faxed from the U.S.–with their professor at the beginning of the semester before the end of the registration period (or take another course if an adequate alternative is not authorized by the professor). They are required to communicate this information to the program staff during the course registration period.
Final Exams – CEH
The CEH publishes grades for its courses toward the end of each semester (January, May). For timely recording of grades (and indeed for regular communication by professors over the course of the term), it is essential that you ensure your Aula Global account is up and running as early as possible in the semester. See the Assistant Director (Pepa Eizaguirre) about this.
Posting Grades
For regular courses (CHs and Cursos de grado), Spanish faculty report grades unofficially on the bulletin boards and the web, soon after the exams (or final papers) are graded. Grades for regular UC3M courses are reported officially to the program office in mid-March and late June.
Students also have access to their grades through their UC3M computer accounts, through the Aula Global. Grades are converted and reported to the home campus soon thereafter. As a general rule, official transcripts are available as follows:
| Fall Term | Spring Term | |
| CEH | January | June |
| Grado/CHs | March | July |
Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Madrid 