Area studies typically examine the development of a particular population or region. While other, similar interdisciplinary studies, such as gender, disability, and ethnic, may have some part in course discussions, these are not considered area studies.

Spain, officially the Kingdom of Spain, is a sovereign state and a member state of the European Union. It is located on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. Spanish universities regulate access to their own degrees and they fix the academic fees. They can also offer unofficial postgraduate degrees. The capital city Madrid has possibly the largest number of bars per capita of any European city and a very active nightlife.

Graduate certificate programs intend to confer professional credentials on students who wish to advance their careers. These programs might be particularly useful to students wishing to pursue postgraduate studies or professionals who wish to secure more credibility.