Note: This course listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The courses, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development. Courses may be cancelled due to insufficient enrollment.
CIEE Study Center Syllabi
To view the most recent syllabi for courses taught by CIEE at our Study Centers, visit our syllabi site.
Required CIEE Intensive Language Courses
Semester students take Comprehensive Advanced Spanish Review during the intensive session. Academic year students take the Language Independent Study during their second semester.
INDE 3003 ALLA
Language Independent Study
Students in the Liberal Arts program for a full academic year are required to take an Independent Study course during their second semester. In the past, topics have been related to such language areas as Spanish Phonetics and Phonology. Students meet with the CIEE Resident Director to discuss their area of study.
SPAN 3502 ALLA
Comprehensive Advanced Spanish Review
This course consists of 45 hours of intensive language review in which students analyze different aspects of the more common language structures in order to achieve a solid foundation. This review is intended to be a good starting point before regular classes begin. Students also develop culturally appropriate skills for real, everyday life situations in Spain. Some activities take place in the local communities.
Required CIEE Semester Language Course
Students must choose one of the two offered courses according to their language level and in conjunction with their home school Spanish advisor.
SPAN 3014 ALLA
Advanced Spanish II: Proficiency in Spanish
This course is designed to meet the needs of students who, having reached the advanced level of Spanish, need to further their skills in all four competences: listening comprehension, oral production, reading comprehension, and writing production. The course makes use of a variety of contemporary registers, from the very colloquial to the more stylish ones. Special attention is given to the more complex structures used in everyday life in real Spanish. The purpose of this course is to provide students the necessary tools to produce statements in any of the varieties of language that a native speaker uses in particular social contexts.
SPAN 3010 ALLA
Advanced Spanish Composition and Creative Writing
(This course is recommended for students with six semesters of College-level Spanish or equivalent.) Students achieve creative and innovative writing skills through the study of analytical, literary, and critical texts. Coursework focuses on stylistic variations while concentrating on other essential and interrelated writing elements, such as content, intention, and metaphors.
CIEE Semester Language Electives
Students may choose to take additional language courses as electives. Language courses should be chosen in conjunction with their home school Spanish advisor.
SPAN 3008 ALLA
Applied Spanish Linguistics and Principles of Teaching
This course is specially designed for education majors, Spanish majors, and those planning to pursue graduate study. Students explore the basic psychological processes of second language acquisition and how they inform best teaching practices. Students apply their skills to the teaching of Spanish in a variety of contexts. This course includes visits to different Spanish teaching classes as well as practical teaching sessions in public schools in Alicante.
SPAN 3011 ALLA
Advanced Conversational Spanish: Registers and Colloquial Uses
This course is specifically designed to provide advanced students broader oral communicative competence. Students focus on the different language registers in order to understand and produce statements in any of the varieties of language that a speaker uses in particular social contexts.
SPAN 3012 ALLA
Spanish for the Health Professional
This course is designed to provide students with specific vocabulary, expressions, communicative strategies, and special constructions on health issues. Students learn the necessary tools to interact with Spanish speakers in health-related areas. To accomplish this, some grammar topics are reviewed so that health professionals and patients can make themselves understood in health-related situations. Their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills are improved as well. Also discussed are the cultural differences in the health profession between Spain and the U.S. in terms of labor and social situations. Texts at the student’s level, DVDs with subtitles in Spanish, and a guided visit to the Hospital General Universitario de Alicante provide students a deeper insight into the health profession in Spain.
CIEE Content Courses—in Spanish
AHIS 3001 ALLA
The Spanish Tradition in Art
This survey course covers Spain’s major contributions to the history of Western art from the Renaissance to the present. Emphasis rests primarily on painting and architecture, especially on the fundamental Spanish masters. Students learn how to analyze a painting from the formal and thematic approach and apply these methods to masterpieces of Spanish art. The course includes visits to the cities of Murcia and Orihuela as well as different museums in order for students to gain a better understanding of the arts in Spain and in the Comunidad Valenciana in particular.
ANTH 3002 ALLA
Social Anthropology of Spain and its People
The aim of this course is for students to analyze the different social and cultural diversity components within Spanish society. Students are exposed to the most important components related to the Iberian Peninsula as well as to the different cultural groups and their ways of social life. In this course, students not only understand the complexity, diversity, and most recent socio-cultural reality from a global perspective, but also from a regional and local perspective.
BUSI 3002 ALLA
Human Resources, E-market, and Marketing inside Spanish Business and Management
In this course students will acquire a global perspective of Spanish e-market/marketing as well as recognize Spanish marketing/e-market strategies. Students will adapt marketing concepts to practical cases studies by identifying national differences among countries and create marketing plans taking into account the importance of cultural awareness in the Spanish/European market and the relationship between local and global markets. Moreover students will understand the impacts of integration on a company from a managerial and business perspective. Managers have to learn to “e-manage,” as opposed to simply “manage,” in order to survive in this digital environment.
CLST 3001 ALLA
Seminar on Living and Learning in Alicante
The CIEE Seminar on Living and Learning in Alicante is designed to improve students’ intercultural communication and competence while studying abroad by considering how Spaniards are different from and similar to themselves and others. The course offers opportunities, both in and outside the classroom, to develop insights and the skills necessary to interact effectively and appropriately, and to gain a better understanding and appreciation of the cultural richness of Spain. Contact hours: 25. Recommended credit: 2 semester hours/3 quarter hours
COMM 3001 ALLA
Communication and Society: Comparative Analysis of the Media
This course introduces a comparative analysis of the media both in Spain and the United States. Students study the history, structure, and characteristics of the media, gaining an understanding of the differences and similarities of the media between Spain and the U.S and a better knowledge of their societies
HISP 3005 ALLA
The Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage: Religion, History, and Culture
The Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route that runs from the Pyrenees to the Cathedral of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in the Northwest corner of Spain, is a fundamental part of Spanish culture and history. Originally a spiritual journey for devout Catholics, the pilgrimage now attracts people from many cultures and religions and has developed international significance. The approach to this course is interdisciplinary, encompassing the role of the Camino in Spanish history, art, architecture, and literature. The course emphasizes different aspects of popular culture such as gastronomy, music, legends, and traditions, helping students acquire a further knowledge of Spanish culture. Students are evaluated on an interactive travel journal, a seminar-length paper, and two short tests covering the major themes of the seminar. Students may choose to participate on a five to seven day optional trip for an additional fee paid on site.
HISP 3006 ALLA
Mediterranean Gastronomy and Wine Industry in Spanish Culture
This survey course covers an overview of the importance of the Mediterranean diet in Spanish life. Upon completion of this course, students understand Spanish topography and its effects on Mediterranean gastronomy and the wine industry in Spain. Students cover important aspects such as industry breakdown, the integration of Spain in the EU and its repercussions on agriculture and fisheries, the history of food and wine and its importance in the Mediterranean area, an overview of Spanish gastronomy, and wine production. Students in this class must participate in local excursions to different emblematic locations such as the Mercado Central and wineries in the province of Alicante, and to participate in gastronomic workshops.
HISP 3007 ALLA/SOCI 3002 ALLA
Spain through its Popular Culture
The aim of this course is to gain a better knowledge of Spain through Spanish popular culture, very well known by its native people, but sometimes difficult to understand by foreign students. The course explores present Spain by studying different aspects of the popular culture such as music, cinema, literature, comics, television, commercials, press, and entertainment. There is a triple approach: descriptive, analytic, and comparative with the U.S. All topics are illustrated with appropriate audiovisual materials.Students in this class must participate in local excursions to social and cultural emblematic locations in Alicante.
HIST 3005 ALLA
A Journey through Time: Present-Day Spain’s Historic Past
The historic events that took place in Spain during the 20th century have greatly marked the personality of present-day Spain. Historic milestones, such as the Civil War, the Franco Dictatorship, the transition to Democracy, and Spain’s acceptance into the European Union have sculpted Spain’s identity. A profound understanding of these concepts is essential in order to fully understand Spain in the 21st century. In this course, we propose a historical investigation of the past and the present, which in turn helps us discern the future. We analyze the political, economic, social, and ideological keys to these diverse historic moments, and establish a relationship between the equivalent aspects we find in present-day Spain—all from a global and cosmopolitan perspective. Students in this class must participate in local excursions to the historical emblematic locations in Alicante.
HIST 3006 ALLA
Three Cultures in Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims
This course studies the racial, cultural, and religious relations between Christians, Jews, and Muslims up to the unification of Spain to then focus on learning and understanding the current Spain as a modern nation. Students will analyse Spanish culture by exploring the Arab World and Islam, the European western Christianity, and the Jewish Diaspora. Present time vs. tradition, geopolitics and Euro Mediterranean relations, the role played by Spain as a joining bridge within these three major religions, as well as cultural and politic communities in Modern Society. Class lectures are complemented with visits to cultural and historical sites around the ancient town of Alicante and its province.
INRE 3004 ALLA/HISP 3008 ALLA
The Political Construction of the European Union
This course examines the key historical events leading to the founding and development of the European Union. It also examines and analyzes how the European Union developed with a special emphasis on institutions and relations with Spain
LITT 3005 ALLA/CINE 3001 ALLA
Literature and Film: Two Genres in One
This course emphasizes the similarities between these two creative genres. The literary text, the script, and the visual text form a unity that, when well done, creates another piece of art. In this course, students view some of the most well-known and most representative films produced by the Spanish film industry in the last 20 years. They also read the literary texts on which some of these films are based and which are becoming classics in Spanish literary history. Students analyze and critique the films and literary texts with the goal of increasing their knowledge of contemporary Spanish culture and recent history. The aim of this course is not only to teach students how to analyze a film, but to show them how cinema can be enjoyable and didactic at the same time. This course also includes visits to La Ciudad de la Luz filming center as well as television studios and mediacenters.
LITT 3007 ALLA
Spanish Literature: Women in Contemporary Spain
In this course students explore contemporary themes in Spanish literature with professors who are experts in the field. Through reading critical and literary texts, students explore the theme of women in Spanish literature and as writers of texts. The course examines selected prose, novels, short stories, and memoirs by important Spanish women writers since the mid-19th century. Students explore themes of gender, such as relationships, sexuality, women and nature, women and politics, women and creativity, and myths of femaleness.
INSH 3003 ALLA
Internship
Academic year students may apply for an internship for credit while in Alicante. Internships are typically with non-governmental and non-profit organizations. Students meet regularly with an academic advisor, maintain a journal, and present a final project and presentation addressing the outcomes of their work experience and relevance to current issues in the field. Recommended credit: 3 semester hours/4.5 quarter hours.
Total hours:135-160.
POLI 3004 ALLA
Legal and Political Structure of Modern Spain
This course examines the evolution of Spanish politics during the 20th century. Students are introduced to the Spanish political system, the Constitutional Monarchy (the Spanish constitution, the three levels of power, the operational Justice Courts, and the relations between the Spanish Government and the Autonomous Regions), the political parties, political campaigning, the electoral system, the role of communications and politics, and Spain’s role in Europe. Students in this class must participate in local excursions to the City Hall, Court House, and other emblematic locations in Alicante.
POLI 3005 ALLA/INRE 3003 ALLA
International Relations in the 21st Century
The aim of this course is to analyze the geo-political landscape of the world and take a contemporary pulse of the world as it is today. It focuses on the multi-polar world that is being constructed since the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the new century. This course attempts to interpret and construct a basic framework of the contemporary world order. It also covers the enduring problems of globalization, regionalism, nationalism and statehood, international migration, development and inequality environmental degradation, natural resource depletion, and war and global security. Finally, students learn to analyze and understand core issues and concepts in the contemporary international system.
PSYC 3001 ALLA
Fundamentals of Personality
This course studies and analyzes personality, with its features and characteristics, and behavior and temper, which are all subject to psychological studies. This knowledge gives us tools to understand both our own, and other individual’s behavior, and it increases our emotional intelligence and social skills.
Universidad de Alicante Courses
All Liberal Arts students must take at least one Universidad de Alicante course. Although UA official final exams take place in mid-January for the fall semester and early June for the spring, Liberal Arts students’ final exams can generally be arranged for mid-December for the fall semester and late May for the spring semester. However, CIEE can neither facilitate nor guarantee this for all University courses. In order to choose from the widest range of University courses, students must plan to stay until the official end of the University semester.
CIEE students meet with resident staff upon arrival to discuss and select University of Alicante courses.
The following is a selection of subject areas. Students are advised that the Universidad de Alicante may cancel courses due to limited enrollment and that some other courses may overlap. For this reason students should have at least two or three alternate courses approved. Students can explore Universidad de Alicante course offerings at www.ua.es . Please note that the Universidad de Alicante offers semester and year-long courses. Students interested in beginning or continuing their study of a foreign language are eligible to participate and are placed based on the results of a Universidad de Alicante placement exam.
- Arts and Humanities: Arabic and Islamic Studies, English, French, History, Humanities, Spanish, Translation/Interpretation
- Engineering and Architecture: Architecture, Building Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Multimedia Engineering, Sound and Image Engineering
- Health Sciences: Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Nursing, Optics and Optometry
- Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Marine Studies, Mathematics
- Social Sciences and Law Studies: Business Administration and Management, Criminology, Economics, Geography and Territory Organization, Labour Relations and Human Resources, Law, Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, Pre-school Specialty, Primary School Specialty, Public Management and Administration, Publicity and Public Relations, Social Work, Sociology, Tourism
Universidad de Alicante Courses taken by former students
Following is a selection of Universidad de Alicante courses, taught in Spanish, which former CIEE participants have taken. Please check with resident staff for availability. Updated class lists and website information may be found on the Universidad de Alicante website at www.ua.es.
Fall
Business Communication Marketing
Colloquial Spanish
Communication and Written Media
Elementary Psychology
European Union Countries
Foreign Trade: European Union
Fundamentals of Psychology for Social Work
History of the United States
Immunology
International Economics
Introduction to Latin American Literature
Introduction to Public Relations
Linguistics applied to Translation
Marketing for Commercial Communication
Modern History of Spain
Modern History of Spain II: Bourbouns
Professional Spanish
Psychology of Women
Sociology of the Art
Social Politics
Spanish Medieval History
Spanish Medieval Literature
Spanish Economy in the European Union
Women Psychology
Spring
Audiovisual Communication Techniques
Business Spanish
Contemporary Latin American Literature II
Developmental Psychology for Social Work
Educational Psychology
Environmental Law
History of America in the Modern World
History of Arts
History of Contemporary Europe
History of Contemporary Spain
History of Spanish Theatre: 20th Century
Individual Sports II
Internationalization Strategies
International Marketing
Introduction to Latin-American Literature
Introduction to International Relations
Islamic Material Civilization
The Human Body as a Mean of Expression and Communication
Nutrition, Health, and Sports
Pragmatics and Discourse Analysis
Principles of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Principles of Sport
Philosophy of Law and the State
Principles of Nutrition and Food Science
Psychology, Health, and Sport Activities
Relaxation and Emotional Self-Control
Sexual Behavior and Emotional Self-Control
Social Anthropology of Spanish Villages
Social Change Processes
Social Psychology
Sociology of Arts
Sociology of Contemporary Culture and the Arts
Sociology of Education
Spanish and the World Economy
Systems of Cities and Regional Areas in Spain
Teaching Spanish Language and Literature in Pre-School Education
Theory and Sociology of Law
Vocal and Auditory Training
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