Princess Leonor will begin the Degree in Political Science at the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M) starting next academic year, after completing her three years of military training as future captain general of the Armed Forces. This was communicated by Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Letizia through an official statement.
“Their Majesties the King and Queen announce that Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias will pursue a Degree in Political Science at the Universidad Carlos III of Madrid. The academic program has a duration of four years and will begin in the third quarter of 2026,” reads the official statement issued by Zarzuela.
The heiress to the throne will study at the Getafe (Madrid) campus and, just as her father did in his day, has opted for a public university for her university stage. Felipe VI, then Prince of Asturias, studied Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM).
Unlike what happened with the current monarch, whose career was complemented by subjects in Economic Sciences, in the case of Princess Leonor, it is planned that she will follow the ordinary curriculum of the Political Science degree entirely, identical to that of her classmates. Sources from Zarzuela emphasize that the decision was made by the Princess herself, in agreement with her parents.
Leonor de Borbón has opted for the same branch of knowledge as her sister, Infanta Sofía. However, the younger of the King's daughters is studying Political Science and International Relations at Forward College, a private center linked to the University of London with campuses in Lisbon, Paris, and Berlin.
An accredited university degree and in Spain
In the case of the Princess of Asturias, the Royal Household has wanted her first university degree to be developed at a Spanish institution. It is not ruled out, however, that after finishing her degree she may continue her education with a master's degree abroad, following the precedent of Felipe VI, who studied a master's degree in International Relations at Georgetown University (Washington) after completing his bachelor's degree.
The fact that she follows the same curriculum as the rest of the students will allow her, at the end of the four years, to obtain a fully accredited degree. Furthermore, this academic normalization seeks to facilitate her integration into university life and allow her to function as just another student, in line with what was already done during her time in the military academies of the three armies.
“The Princess of Asturias has successfully completed the selection process that applies to students who have completed their baccalaureate studies abroad and has obtained a favorable resolution from the Evaluation Committee in the admission process,” Zarzuela specified in her statement.
Having completed the International Baccalaureate at UWC Atlantic College in Wales, the Princess is not required to take the EBAU, as is the case with most students studying in Spain. Her admission is processed through a specific procedure for those in her same academic situation.
To enter UC3M, the eldest daughter of the Kings has had to participate in the early admission process, through which approximately 8% of new students at Carlos III, about 300 students per year, access, of whom only 20% are of Spanish nationality.
Studies and institutional agenda of the heiress
Once the unknown about the university career of the one who is destined to be the future queen has been cleared up, Zarzuela has explained that “Princess Leonor will combine this period of her higher education, in accordance with the corresponding university calendar, with her institutional commitments as heir to the Crown, just as she has done during the period of high school and the three years in military academies”.
The King's House has also reported that Felipe VI has informed the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, "of this new period of academic training" for the Princess of Asturias. On this occasion, coordination with the Executive was not necessary, unlike what happened with her military training, which was organized together with the Ministry of Defense.
A degree to understand and analyze politics
According to UC3M details on its website, the Degree in Political Science, taught since 2008 and with 30 places per course, "aims to train specialists and professionals prepared to understand and analyze politics in all its complexity, with rigor and depth".
The curriculum “promotes critical knowledge of students and interest in political analysis in national and international contexts” and the degree focuses “on access to public administration and political analysis as professional outlets,” specifies the university, which indicates that 94.8% of its graduates find employment related to their studies in the first year after graduating.
The degree has a duration of four academic years, divided into two semesters each, in which compulsory subjects are combined with subjects considered basic training.
Among the latter are included, especially in the first year and partially in the second, subjects such as Fundamentals of Political Science, Theory of Law, Constitutional Law, Public Management and Administration, or Political and Social History.
The compulsory subjects are concentrated mainly in the second and third year, although some are already taught from the first year, and include contents such as Expression Strategies, World Politics, Political Behavior, Administrative Law or Humanities.
In the fourth year, students must complete the 48 optional credits provided for in the program and prepare the final degree project. It will be in this phase when Princess Leonor, according to her preferences, will be able to choose between subjects such as Fundamental Rights and their Guarantees; Politics and Gender; Immigration, Multiculturalism and Human Rights; Conflict and Violence or Climate Change and Social Transformation.
Likewise, UC3M offers the possibility of taking certain subjects in English, including World Politics, European Politics, Principles of Economics, Humanities, or Interpersonal Professional Skills.