The story of Spain is a story of empire, conquistadors, inquisition—and also the story of Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, Dalí, Almodóvar, and Penelope Cruz. It has been written by its many peoples: Iberians, Celts, Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Goths, Moors, Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Today’s democratically-elected socialist leaders govern diverse and autonomous regions. After years of isolationism, Spain is again thinking globally, from the World Exposition in Sevilla to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. CIEE gives you a chance to live your own story on a CIEE program.
But which? Spain’s cities stretch out before you. The spectacle and spirit of Sevilla. Teeming Madrid, capital of galácticos and gatos. Alcalá de Henares, home to harmonious streets, noble buildings, and the birthplace of Cervantes. Post-millenial Barcelona, more modernista than ever. Engaging Alicante, a sun-drenched Mediterranean citadel. Palma de Mallorca, well-loved pearl of the Balearic Islands. How should you think about studying in Spain? CIEE programs are designed to help you get the most out of your experience, and we’ll help you find one that’s right for you.
begin, improve, or perfect your Spanish skills
Of course, the first thing to consider is your knowledge of Spanish. Whether you’ve never said hola before, or have been speaking Spanish for years, you have program choices—and no matter which you choose, you’ll end up much more comfortable with the language than when you started. Here is an overview of your options:
Alicante, for absolute beginner to advanced speakers
Learn Spanish on the sun-drenched Mediterranean coast amidst palm trees, castles, and high-rises. Focus on Spanish culture or liberal arts with courses taught in English or Spanish.
Barcelona, for absolute beginner to advanced speakers
Reinvent yourself while studying language, humanities, business, architecture, design, or contemporary culture in a city with a proud identity and a passion for both debating the past and inventing the future.
Sevilla, for absolute beginner to advanced speakers
Come to Andalusia, alive with Christian, Jewish, and Muslim influences and iconic Spanish traditions like flamenco and bullfighting to study language, liberal arts, business, or education.
Alcalá de Henares , for high intermediate to advanced speakers
Become part of the life of a small, historic city 19 miles northeast of Madrid. Study Spanish language and literature or liberal arts and have neighbors that are Spaniards, not tourists.
Madrid, for advanced speakers
Study and work alongside Spanish peers, enrolling directly in university courses and seminars, and participating in an internship if you like. After class, adopt the energetic pace of the Madrileños and experience all the capital has to offer.
Palma de Mallorca, for advanced speakers
Travel to the Mediterranean to learn about the business of leisure at the epicenter of Spanish tourism through university courses, company visits, and internships. Or you can continue your humanities or social sciences studies by enrolling directly in the university.
continue your liberal arts education en Español
If your Spanish skills are intermediate to advanced, your options are many. Take a combination of CIEE language, CIEE elective courses, and host university electives and courses for your major (that you'll take in Spanish, alongside Spanish students). CIEE offers flexible, liberal arts-based programs like these at every location, and you can enroll directly in univesity courses on any program if your language skills are up for it.
Advanced programs—which require you to enroll directly at the university for more of your courses—are available in Barcelona and Sevilla. For these programs, you’ll need the advanced language skills that make that possible. In Barcelona, choose your studies from fields that include anthropology, art history, education, history, international relations, philosophy, political science, and psychology. In Sevilla, you can select courses in a wide range of subjects including business, engineering, management, math, science, and social sciences.
explore the intersection of design and architecture
Architecture or design majors can continue those studies in Barcelona, a city fast becoming a showcase for both. Our program focuses on the collaborative, interdisciplinary, symbiotic nature of architecture, design, and art history. Let yourself be influenced by your new environment—its colors, its history, its values—and design with a new perspective.
study business, Spanish-style
If you’re enticed by the idea of learning how international, multinational, and Spanish business works, choose one of our business-focused programs. On our Business and Culture program in Barcelona, you can follow a course of study that includes business, economics, finance, management, and marketing. In the European tourist mecca of Palma de Mallorca, you can study hotel management, tourism, business, or economics—while interning in a tourism company or organization. In Sevilla, CIEE offers two business programs. International Business and Culture is for beginning to intermediate Spanish students; Business and Society requires the equivalent of five or more semesters of Spanish, because on that program you’ll take regular university courses in Spanish and intern in a major Spanish or multinational company for credit. In Madrid, you can study business, management, or economics and gain real-world experience with a for-credit internship in the arts, government, media, or teaching.
Company visits to local Spanish companies are a part of all our business programs. In Sevilla, you might see Cruzcampo, Gonzalez Byass, el Corte Ingles, Oleoestepa, Fasa-Renault, Danone, or Isla Magica; in Barcelona, you might do a field visit to the Cavas Codorniu winery, the Port, the Stock Exchange, City Hall, MANGO, or La Vanguardia newspaper. In Palma de Mallorca, you’ll visit sites representative of mass tourism, rural eco-tourism, or overdevelopment.
make Spain your home for the semester
Enrolling directly in classes with Spanish students is a great start, but our programs offer even more ways to immerse yourself in Spain and amongst the Spanish. In some programs, you will be housed in a homestay with a Spanish family; in others, you’ll live in residencias with other Spanish students. Interest groups are a way for you to find people drawn to the same subjects within your program. Conversation exchanges between you and native Spanish students give you the chance to practice what you’re learning in class. CIEE Guardian Angels are Spanish students who mentor CIEE students
in Barcelona. You can become involved in the community by working with local and international humanitarian associations, schools, children, or the elderly.
Explore what options are available on the programs you’re interested in, and seek out these opportunities every chance you get. You will see yourself slowly become part of Spain...and Spain become part of you.