The Complutense University of Madrid, in Spanish Universidad Complutense de Madrid, is a prestigious Spanish university, located in Madrid.
Its origins lie in the middle ages, when King Sancho IV of Castile created the Studium General on May 20, 1293. In 1499, Pope Alexander VI granted the request of one of its former pupils, Cardinal Cisneros, to convert it into a full university; this was named the Universitas Complutensis, after Complutum, which was the Latin name of Alcalá de Henares, where it was located.
In 1836 the university was moved to Madrid, with the name of Universidad Central de Madrid. In 1970 the university returned to its original name. When, later, the people of Alcalá succeded in reestablishing a university in the old buildings, they had to name it Universidad de Alcalá de Henares.
The Universidad Complutense is the largest university in Spain having, at the end of 2003, more than 98,000 students, with nearly 9,500 workers, of which nearly 6000 are involved in teaching duties.
The campus is spread over a large area with faculties in both Moncloa and around the Somosaguas area, spanning in total over 36,000 acres including the university gardens. The university's extensive administrative centre is ultimately governed by the Chancellor. UCM is made up of university colleges located on two separate campuses situated in the Ciudad Universitaria:
Complutense Campus in Moncloa (central Madrid) Complutense Campus in Somosaguas (south Madrid)
The university offers a wide variety of degrees and courses, ranging from Humanities and Arts to the Sciences. "More importantly, the University receives a large number of international students and sends a similar number to Europe. The Complutense University of Madrid has a wide network of international connections, including the Real Colegio Complutense at Harvard, the Colegio de Altos Estudios Europeos "Miguel Servet" in Paris and the University of California Center at Complutense, and international chairs together with a very intensive participation in European Programs".
