Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School

Today, sports has taken on a dimension that goes beyond the boundaries of the playing field. Is the Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School the best platform for exploring these new fields?

Sports has indeed taken on a new dimension, becoming an activity that goes beyond the playing field. It’s no longer just a spectacle but also an alternative leisure activity, a tool for taking care of and improving health, and a mass phenomenon that attracts advertising and influences the economy.

As a result, a need has arisen for professionals in health, leadership, communications and management in the sports sector. The Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School aims to address these new needs that the sports world is creating in society by training specialists in each sector.

Why is the Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School a unique and pioneering school at the global level?

There is no other university today that is specifically dedicated to training expert professionals in the sports industry with knowledge and skills that are adapted and specific to different areas such as health, management, communications or physical activity.

What do Real Madrid and the Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School have in common?

Both share the common goal of promoting an innovative, cutting-edge educational undertaking and striving for academic excellence, linking all educational areas to one common focal point: sports.

On the other hand, both institutions have a clear international vocation. This is true both in the case of Universidad Europea de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F., which has clearly crossed the frontiers of the world of sports, becoming a mass phenomenon with fans across all five continents and earning the status as one of the brands with the greatest international recognition.

You know Real Madrid like nobody else. First as a star player, and later as a renowned director. How will you draw on your experiences with the club as director of this School?

You could say that I grew up at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and in the Real Madrid environment. During that whole time, I learned a series of codes of action that have been essential all my life. At Real Madrid, we always compete to win. So if we’re working on this project, it’s with success in mind, and, above all, with the goal of maintaining and protecting the club’s image. Because of that, one of our top concerns is ensuring that students and members of our programs are completely satisfied. That’s how I make the most of my experience and apply the club’s principles to day-to-day life at the School.

What are the future plans of the Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School?

One of the school’s upcoming challenges is to continue working on its international expansion. Specifically, we are implementing an ambitious expansion plan that seeks to double the school’s student population over the next five years. For example, this year the School will debut in certain countries in Asia, the US and Latin America. In addition, we want to promote our students’ mobility by offering international experiences that allow them to develop a global perspective on sports. Our students already have the opportunity to go take part in international experiences in the US, England and Germany.

On the other hand, we are are innovating some of the School’s graduate and postgraduate programmes, namely those related to the training disciplines of physical activity, management, communications and health.

At the postgraduate level in particular, innovation will also be reflected by the incorporation of more master’s degrees and programs taught in English and online, allowing students to join our programs from wherever they are in the world.

How does the Real Madrid Football Club contribute to the School?

Real Madrid C.F. is 100% committed to this project. In addition to contributing its experience as a prestigious institution, it also provides its facilities, including Santiago Bernabéu Stadium and its Valdebebas training complex. On top of that, it offers internships at Real Madrid TV and the contributions of its leading professionals, who participate in creating and teaching programs.

Real Madrid Football Club and the Universidad Europea de Madrid are two institutions that are united by the clear goal of having an international impact. Does the Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School also aspire to have an international impact?

The School also has a clear international vocation, which is not only demonstrated by the two institutions backing it but also by the fact that during the years since it was founded, it has established a presence in several countries in Europe, Asia, the US and Latin America.

What are the fundamental pillars of the Universidad Europea - Real Madrid Graduate School?

The School has clearly defined fundamental pillars. First of all, to train leading specialists in disciplines grounded in sports. Second of all, to have an international reach, which is echoed by the two institutions that back the School. And thirdly, to have a professional focus, namely by the participation of prestigious professionals from Real Madrid and Universidad Europea de Madrid in creating and teaching these programs.

Lucia Villegas Rico
International Business Development Manager
E-mail: lucia.villegas@universidadeuropea.es