Princess Leonor to begin four-year political science degree at Madrid university
Spain's Princess of Asturias will start classes at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid on 7 September 2026, joining a 40-student cohort following three years of military training.
Transition to university studies
Princess Leonor of Spain will begin her undergraduate degree in Political Science on Monday, 7 September 2026, at the Getafe campus of Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. The four-year degree follows the completion of her three-year military training programme across the army, naval, and air academies, which concluded on 10 July 2026 at the Academia General del Aire y del Espacio in San Javier. Her prior military assignments included training at the Academia Militar General de Zaragoza and a six-month oceanic voyage aboard the naval training vessel Juan Sebastián Elcano from the Escuela Naval de Marín. At 20 years old, she will enter the Faculty of Social and Legal Sciences to study a curriculum covering political theory, law, economics, sociology, and institutional relations.
The academic enrolment marks the next planned phase in her education, which began before age two at the Colegio Santa María de los Rosales and continued through an International Baccalaureate. Author Angie Calero detailed the institutional preparation governing her schedule in a published study.
The heir to the Crown is subject to permanent preparation.
Academic guidelines and classroom rules
University leadership confirmed that the Princess of Asturias will be evaluated under the same institutional standards as any other degree candidate. She will join a first-year cohort of approximately 40 students within an institution that convenes more than 16,000 undergraduate students for the new academic year. Her first semester curriculum includes four mandatory subjects and two elective courses. Faculty members retain standard academic freedom under institutional coexistence regulations, which apply equally to all students. To preserve classroom privacy and prevent unauthorized recording, professors will apply existing university rules that prohibit the use of mobile phones during lectures.
Department of Social Sciences director Pedro Riera confirmed the faculty guidelines for teaching during the term.
Total normality and the authority to prohibit the use of mobile phones or substitutes in class.
- Royal House announces political science degree at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid
- Leonor completes military instruction at San Javier air academy
- First day of undergraduate classes begins at the Getafe campus
- Campus welcome day activities and workshops for new students
- Conclusion of first-semester lectures
- Start of first-semester examination period
Semester schedule and campus integration
Instruction begins on Monday at 09:00, preceded by an informational tour of facilities including the campus library, sports centre, and lecture halls. Welcome activities scheduled for Tuesday, 8 September 2026, feature introductory workshops on equality, ecocosmetics, and interpersonal dynamics, alongside sign language games, chess matches, and a communal meal. Regular classes for the first semester will conclude on 11 December 2026, followed by end-of-term examinations held between 16 December and 22 December 2026 before the holiday break.
The Royal House announced the degree choice in April 2026, confirming that university studies will proceed alongside official state representation and constitutional duties. Unlike her father King Felipe VI, who completed a law degree at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the heir will study political science at the public institution named after her direct ancestor, King Carlos III.
