Information for term Language + Culture
Application deadline, and cost information.
Overview
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Follow our Travels:
Unique Experiences
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Join a host family
at their Barcelona home and soak up the Spanish language and local customs.
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Connect with Spanish students
in a language exchange that helps you practice all you’re learning.
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Experience life in a cosmopolitan university
city that’s rooted in ancient tradition and reaching forward to the future.
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UNESCO World Heritage Sites
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beaches
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universities
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Location & Culture
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Your Destination
Culture, sport, fashion, finance, media, entertainment – Barcelona is brimming with it all. The largest city on the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is home to 1.6 million in the city proper and 4.5 million in the broader metro area. It is edged with a river on either side and backed by the Serra de Collserola mountains to the west. A walk through the city reveals 2,000 years of history at every turn, including Roman ruins, 19th-century modernista architecture, ultramodern showpieces, and the Gothic buildings of the Old Town.
Castilian Spanish and Catalan are both official languages. Catalan is regularly used in all aspects of life, but not imposed. Taxi drivers, shopkeepers, professors, host families – all speak clear Castilian when Spanish speakers are present. Students don’t need to speak Catalan, but learning a few words can open doors to making friends.
The Culture
EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
- Get to know Spanish students with conversation exchanges.
- See Barcelona from new heights with a hike and excursion to Collserola.
- See for yourself why landmarks like Museu Picasso and Gaudi’s artworks engender awe from visitors around the world.
- Explore beyond Barcelona, with highlights that could include Roman ruins in the coastal city Tarragona, the medieval town of Girona, the Dalí museum in Figueres, among others.
INTERNSHIP
Students can opt for internships to gain practical, real-world work experience at NGOs, schools, publishing companies, marketing agencies, businesses, and more. Internships include weekly classroom components that enrich the experience.
Program Blogs
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Daily Life
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HOUSING
Homestays. Live with a Spanish-speaking family - with or without another CIEE student - and immerse yourself in the city’s language and culture. Each student has his/her own room and weekly laundry service. Homestays are located in Barcelona, no more than 30 minutes from the CIEE Site by public transportation.
Residence Halls. Students live with other Spanish and international students. Residence halls include single rooms with shared kitchens and common areas.
Apartments. Apartments may have double or single rooms. They have shared kitchens and laundry facilities. Students live with other CIEE students.
Housing is tight in Barcelona. If we can’t accommodate your first housing choice, we’ll let you know before you arrive. All housing is within a 30-minute commute to CIEE. -
MEALS
Homestay students have breakfast and dinner with their host families, and are responsible for lunch. Meals are not included at residence halls or apartments.
Barcelona, Spain Where You'll Study
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CIEE SITE
Near Barcelona’s main square, Plaza Catalunya.
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UNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA
CIEE students attend class at the Ciutadella Vila Olimpica Campus.
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C
Getting Around
Students use public transportation to get from their lodgings to CIEE – no more than a 30-minute ride.
Academics
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Students with 0-3 prior semesters of Spanish can dramatically increase their language proficiency while taking coursework in English across subject areas at CIEE Barcelona and Universitat Pompeu Fabra’s Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS).
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) is a highly-ranked public university in Barcelona created in 1990 by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. It is known for its small class sizes and international outlook and offers degrees in fields ranging from business to social sciences. CIEE students attend classes at the Ciutadella Vila Olímpica Campus. Language courses are taught by experienced professors who specialize in teaching Spanish as a second language.
CIEE Barcelona is located near Barcelona’s main square, Plaza de Catalunya. CIEE courses are taught by local university faculty members.
As of the Spring 2021 semester, Universitat Pompeu Fabra courses formerly known as “Hispanic and European Studies Program (HESP)” courses will be recorded as “Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS)” courses, a change in designation instituted by the university.
GPA
3.0
Language Prerequisites
Enter as a junior or senior 0-3 semesters of college-level Spanish (or equivalent)
Program Requirements
Students enroll in four classes per semester:
- One required UPF host institution Spanish language course (6 credits)
- Two CIEE elective courses or one CIEE elective course and an internship
- One UPF BaPIS elective course
PROGRAM CREDIT
Total credit: 15 U.S. semester/22.5 quarter credits
Course Credit
- CIEE courses: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours
- CIEE Internship: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 15 seminar hours, 100 internship placement hours
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS)host institution courses: 3 U.S. semester/4.5 quarter credits; 45 contact hours, unless otherwise noted
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) host institution language course: 6 U.S. semester/9 quarter credits; 90 contact hours
Academic Culture
Courses are academically challenging, and involve daily reading and homework assignments, and attendance at lectures and field trips. Students are responsible for knowing dates of exams and assignments. Dates are firm and attendance is required. As students gain proficiency in Spanish, our staff encourages them to use their skills with local students, host families, and people they meet.
Class Format
UPF- BaPIS classes include no more than 35 students, and they include other local and international students; UPF language classes include 10-15 students, and they include other international students. CIEE courses typically include 10-25 students and are only for CIEE students. Classrooms are comfortable and equipped with current technology.
Grading
In CIEE, UPF BaPIS and UPF language courses, students are evaluated based on class participation, in-class activities, homework assignments, exams, papers, and oral presentations. UPF professors grade on a 10-point scale, and points are converted to letter grades.
Language of Instruction
Spanish and English
Courses
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- CIEE courses are taught in English
- Once a student starts internship hours, they may not drop the internship and add another CIEE class
- UPF host institution Spanish language courses meet for 8 hours per week and are 6 U.S. credits
- UPF BaPIS courses are taught in English for local and international students
Fall 2021 Courses and syllabi will be available here in January 2021.
Host Institution Courses
Click to OpenUNIVERSITAT POMPEU FABRA (UPF)
UPF Required Language Courses
Language courses are 6 U.S. credits, meet for 8 hours per week, and are taught at UPF.
- Beginning Spanish Language
- Pre-Intermediate Spanish Language
- (Prerequisite: one semester of college-level Spanish, or the equivalent)
- Intermediate Spanish Language
- (Prerequisite: two or three semesters college-level Spanish, or the equivalent)
UPF Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS) Courses
Course offerings may vary from semester to semester. Courses are taught in English and are 3 U.S. credits.
Syllabi for the courses listed below can be found online.
Here is a sample of BaPIS courses in English:
- Analytics for Social Good
- Anthropocene – How People Are Transforming the Planet
- Art, Mind and the Brain
- Barcelona the City and its History
- Building a Brain
- Contemporary Spanish Art
- Ethics in a Globalization and Sustainability Context
- From Hipocrates to Personalized Medicine: Healthcare Adapted to Societal Changes
- Gender-based Violence and International Protection of Human Rights
- Global Marketing and Culture of FC Barcelona
- Great Ideas that Have Shaped our World: From the Axial Age to the Robot Revolution
- Innovation and the Law. How Technology Changes the Legal System
- LGTB+: Exploring Identities and Diversity
- Stardom Wars: Controversies on Creativity and Authorship in Spanish Cinema
- The Collectivity Revolution
- The Jews in Spain: History, Heritage and Memory
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 canceled due to insufficient enrollment.
Scholarships
Click to OpenScholarships & Grants
CIEE offers more than $8 million in scholarships and grants annually to help students like you make your study abroad dream a reality.
Students who apply to this program are eligible for the following scholarships and grants:
- Ping Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- Global Access Initiative (GAIN) Grants
- CIEE Gilman Go Global Grant
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application. Learn more at the Scholarships & Grants section of our website.
See more scholarship infoDates & Fees
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You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE, because our high-quality programs include everything from excursions to insurance. There are no hidden charges, and no disappointing surprises when you arrive.
Program |
Application Due |
Start Date |
End Date |
Fees & Housing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2021 15 weeks | Apr 1, 2021 | Sep 2, 2021* | Dec 17, 2021* |
*Dates for this program are provided as tentative dates. Please consult with your study abroad advisor to confirm dates before purchasing your flights.
To help you budget, keep in mind that students are responsible for the cost of international airfare, local transportation, books and supplies, visas, and personal expenses. In addition, your college or university may charge additional fees for study abroad, or may require you to receive a transcript via CIEE's School of Record, which carries an additional fee of $500.
Looking for funding?
What's Included
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Get Started
Here's what you need to do to take the next steps:-
1
START AN APPLICATION
Apply Now
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CONNECT WITH YOUR CAMPUS STUDY ABROAD OFFICE
Share your plans and confirm you're on track to meet all required steps to go abroad. -
3
Contact Us
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.
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