The Princess Leonor starts this Monday the Degree in Political Science at the Getafe campus of the Carlos III University of Madrid (UC3M), where she will join the classrooms as just another student. With this university stage, she continues her preparation to become a future queen, after having completed her military training in the academies of the three armies over the last three years.
It was at the end of April when the Kings officially communicated the higher studies chosen by the heir to the throne. As expected, and following the path marked by her father, she has opted to pursue her degree at a public Spanish university, after completing the International Baccalaureate in Wales. The decision regarding the degree was made by Princess Leonor herself, with the approval of Felipe VI and Queen Letizia.
The Princess of Asturias has enrolled in the four-year Degree in Political Science and will follow the same curriculum as the rest of the students. She will have to combine this academic training with her institutional commitments, as she has been doing in recent years, although presumably in a still incipient manner during the first years.
At this point, a difference is noted with the itinerary of her father, the current monarch, who studied Law at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) and complemented his training with subjects in Economic Sciences. In the case of the Princess of Asturias, it is not ruled out that she may receive specific classes on certain subjects, especially related to the field of Law, and that later, as the King did, she completes her training with a master's degree, possibly abroad.
NORMALIZE HER PRESENCE ON CAMPUS
The fact that she is taking the same curriculum as her classmates will allow her, upon completing the four years of the degree, to obtain a fully accredited degree. At the same time, it will contribute to normalizing her presence at the university and to her being able to integrate as just another student, in line with what has been attempted during her time at the military training centers in the three armies.
Her access route, however, has not been identical to that of most of her future classmates. Having completed the International Baccalaureate, she was not required to take the EBAU and has obtained one of the places reserved for this type of academic profile.
To achieve this, the eldest daughter of the Reyes had to process an application through the early admission procedure (early admission), a channel through which a reduced percentage of students access Carlos III, of which only two out of ten are Spanish. According to Zarzuela, her candidacy obtained "the favorable resolution of the Evaluation Committee," which assessed the previous studies and the good academic results.
As for the rest of the students with whom she will share a classroom and who have entered through the ordinary route, UC3M has set a cut-off grade of 10.728 in Political Science for this academic year, which represents 1.19 points more than in 2025, when it was set at 9.542.
A DEGREE TO UNDERSTAND CURRENT POLITICS
UC3M expressed its "great joy" upon learning of the future queen's decision to study at "one of the most prestigious public universities" in the country, and assured that it receives this choice "with maximum enthusiasm and a high sense of responsibility."
The Degree in Political Science, which began to be taught in 2008 and offers 30 new admission places each year, "aims to train specialists and professionals prepared to understand and analyze politics in all its complexity, with rigor and depth," explains the institution on its website.
The curriculum "promotes the critical knowledge of students and interest in political analysis in national and international contexts" and directs the degree "towards access to public administration and political analysis as professional outlets," emphasizes UC3M, which indicates that 94.8% of its graduates achieve employment related to their studies in the first year after graduating.
The degree is structured into four courses divided into two semesters, with compulsory subjects and others considered basic training. The latter, among which are subjects such as Fundamentals of Political Science, Theory of Law, Constitutional Law, Public Management and Administration, or Political and Social History, are concentrated mainly in the first year, with some presence in the second.
The compulsory subjects are mainly taught in the second and third years, although there are also some in the first, and include content such as Expression Strategies, World Politics, Political Behavior, Administrative Law, or Humanities.
In the fourth year, students must complete the 48 elective credits provided in the degree and prepare the final degree project. It will be at that moment when Princess Leonor, depending on her interests, can choose from a wide range of 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".
In addition, the program offers the possibility of taking certain subjects in English, including Global Politics, European Politics, Principles of Economics, Humanities, or Interpersonal Professional Skills.