University of Extremadura

The University of Extremadura (UEx) is a public university in the south-western Spanish region, which it is named after. It was founded in 1973 and is based across four campuses: Badajoz, Cácares, Plasencia and Mérida.

Around 24,000 students attend undergraduate and postgraduate courses, in addition to 8,000 pursuing doctoral studies or other courses. There are 1,500 academic staff members.

Cácares and Mérida are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Mérida’s Roman past is well preserved, with sights including an ancient theatre, an amphitheatre and a triumphal arch. The UEx campus is 800 metres from the historic centre. Cácares, also a walled city, has a large student population, with plenty of bars and live music venues.

Badajoz is the largest town in Extremadura. It was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century and retains a lot of Moorish architecture. It is extremely close to the border with Portugal and has been subject to several historical disputes about which country it belongs to.

The Plasencia campus is located in a 19th century building in the walled market city. Students sampling local cuisine may be pointed to migas, breadcrumbs with Spanish sausage and bacon. Lying beyond Plasencia’s walls are a series of beautiful valleys.

Extremadura is part of the G9 group of universities, working in partnership with Cantabria, Castilla le Mancha, Balearic Islands, The Rioja, Navarre, Oviedo, Basque Country and Saragossa.

The university organises cultural and activity courses, including ones in dance, theatre, choreography, debate and photography. Students can pay to attend at a reduced rate. It also has a Spanish as a foreign language institute where non-native speakers at the university can gain certificates.