Liberal Arts
The charming and historic city of Barcelona is calling your name! Known as the cosmopolitan capital of Spain's Catalonia region, Barcelona is renowned for its stunning architecture, world-class cuisine, and vibrant cultural heritage, making it the ideal destination for students in our Liberal Arts program!
During their study abroad, students from multiple areas of study experience the city's countless cultural wonders – all while earning college credit. When class is in session at CIEE Barcelona and CIEE's partner school, Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), you'll take your advanced Spanish language skills to the next level. Choosing from a wide range of courses, you'll quickly strengthen your language skills while building a broad understanding of Spain's history and culture.
Outside the classroom, you'll have plenty of time to explore everything Barcelona has to offer. From indulging in mouth-watering tapas at one of the city's 19 Michelin-starred restaurants to marveling at world-famous architect Antoni Gaudí's 20+ sites, your time in Spain's most famous city will be nothing short of life-changing!
Unique Experiences
GAIN FLUENCY FAST
by chatting with Spanish peers in language exchanges, hanging out with your host family, or working on a group project with classmates.
LIVE LIKE A NATIVE BARCELONAN
in a cosmopolitan university city that’s rooted in ancient tradition and committed to the future.
GET WORK EXPERIENCE
and a behind-the-scenes look at publishing, marketing, business, school, or NGO with an internship.
2,000
YEARS OF HISTORY
1,728
CONVENTIONS YEARLY
8,000
RESTAURANTS
Your Destination
Culture, sport, fashion, finance, media, and entertainment – Barcelona is brimming with it all. The largest city on the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is home to 1.7 million people in the city proper and 4.5 million people 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.
Castilian Spanish and Catalan are the official languages. Both are regularly used in all aspects of life, and Catalan is not imposed. Taxi drivers, shopkeepers, professors, and host families all speak clear Castilian when Spanish speakers are present. Spanish is widely used at the university. Students don’t need to speak Catalan but learning a few words can open doors to making new friends.
CIEE Barcelona is conveniently located in a historical pedestrian passageway in the heart of the city. In it, students will find staff offices, classrooms, and open-air terraces. It is close to the host universities and to the city’s main attractions.
CIEE wants all our students to feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to succeed while studying abroad. Local CIEE staff have provided details about conditions and cultural attitudes that students with specific identities might encounter in Barcelona.
The Culture
EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES
- Visit Montserrat, where you can see La Moreneta (the black Madonna), hear a Boys’ Choir, and hike trails with incredible views and unique rock formations
- Discover the Gràcia neighborhood, famous for its bohemian and artistic style and streets filled with color and culture
- Visit the oldest preserved garden in Barcelona, reflecting both Neoclassical and Romantic styles – and try your luck in the park’s labyrinth maze
- Eat like a local and try popular traditional dishes like churros, patatas bravas, tortilla de patata, tapas, and pinchos
- See a flamenco show
- Hike the Carretera de les Aigües for amazing views over the city
INTERNSHIPS
Get valuable international work experience with a for-credit internship
- Placements include startups, small- to medium-sized companies, and magazine and publishing houses, among others
- Internships include a required weekly class to support the experience with academics
- Students applying for an internship are required to submit additional materials during the course selection process
LANGUAGE-LEARNING ENHANCEMENT
Lectures, films, discussion groups, and neighborhood tours are all possibilities that will expand your cultural knowledge while you practice speaking Spanish.
CIEE LOCAL MENTORS
Local university students help you get to know the city and meet new friends with small group activities like city tours, flamenco nights, and more.
Program Blogs
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Housing & Meals
HOUSING
CIEE Barcelona offers diverse housing options to ensure you’re comfortable in your home away from home. From homestays to shared apartments, we strive for your accommodation preferences to be met. Additionally, all housing options are located in neighborhoods with convenient access to public transportation, shops, cafés, and eateries.
Standard Housing: Includes a single room at a homestay or a single room at a residence hall located within 50 minutes from CIEE Barcelona. Homestays feature a kitchen, living room, and bathroom shared with a host family. Residence Halls boast shared kitchens, common areas, and laundry facilities shared with other students.
Select Housing: Includes a double room at a shared apartment located within 30 minutes from CIEE Barcelona. Apartments boast shared kitchens, common areas, and laundry facilities shared with other students. Select housing requires an additional fee.
Select Plus Housing: Includes a single room at a residence hall located within 30 minutes from CIEE Barcelona. Residence halls boast shared kitchens, common areas, and laundry facilities shared with other students. Select Plus housing requires an additional fee.
A note: The default criterion to assign housing is first-come, first-served; however, other factors may also be considered. Final placements are communicated to all students 3 weeks before arrival.
MEALS
Homestays: Students have breakfast and dinner with their host families, and they are responsible for lunch. Students do not typically have access to use the kitchen at the host family home.
Residence Halls and Shared Apartments: Meals are not included.
Academics
Our Liberal Arts program gives students the opportunity to increase language proficiency and learn about Spanish history, politics, literature, and culture. All courses are taught in Spanish. Students can take courses with local and international students at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) and will also choose from a selection of CIEE elective courses. Language courses are taught by experienced professors who specialize in teaching Spanish as a second language. All other courses are taught by experienced university faculty and business professionals.
CIEE Barcelona is located near Barcelona’s main square, Plaça de Catalunya.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) is a highly ranked public university in Barcelona created in 1990 by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia. At UPF, students can take courses with local students through the Department of Economics and Business administration, or with other international students at the Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS). All courses are usually held at Ciutadella Vila Olímpica Campus.
Course Information
- Once internship hours are started, students may not drop the internship and take another CIEE course.
- UPF courses are regular UPF classes taught with local students with a different academic system.
- UPF BaPIS courses are for both local and international students.
Academic Projects
History, Philosophy, Religion
Languages and Cultural Studies
Literature, Linguistics, and Writing
Social Sciences
Visual and Performing Arts
Agriculture
Academic Projects
History, Philosophy, Religion
Languages and Cultural Studies
Literature, Linguistics, and Writing
Social Sciences
Visual and Performing Arts
The following lists of courses constitute representative samples of course offerings through UPF and UPF BaPIS and may vary from semester to semester. Prior to arrival, students will be provided with a list of UPF and UPF BaPIS courses offered for their specific term and year of study.
UPF Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS) courses in Spanish
Course offerings may vary from semester to semester. Courses are 3 U.S. credits.
Syllabi for the courses listed below can be found on the BaPIS website.
Here is a sample of BaPIS courses in Spanish:
- Barcelona, The City, and It's History / Barcelona, la ciudad y su historia
- Literary Texts: Interpret, Dialog, and Create / Textos literarios: interpretar, dialogar, crear
- Activism and Animals Defense in Catalonia, Europe, and The World / Activismo y defensa de los animales en Cataluña, Europa y el mundo
- Climate Emergency, Environmentalism, and Energy Transition / Emergencia climática, ecologismo y transición energética
- What Is News? Truth, Misinformation, and Hegemony / ¿Qué es noticia? verdad, desinformación y hegemonía
UPF Regular courses
The following list is a general selection of regular UPF courses available to international students and is subject to change:
- Prehistory / Prehistoria
- Ancient History / Historia Antigua
- Medieval History / Historia Medieval
- Great Religious Traditions / Grandes Tradiciones Religiosas
- Contemporary Art / Arte Contemporáneo
- Introduction to Literary Studies / Introducción a los estudios literarios
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.
"(GI)" denotes courses that originated at CIEE's Global Institutes and that are offered at multiple CIEE sites.
Discover Internship Opportunities
We're excited you're considering this program! Next, explore the types of internships you can choose from for an epic internship abroad with CIEE Study Abroad.
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