Summer Global Internship Language Immersion
Spend your summer gaining practical, real-world work experience in Barcelona's startups and other businesses in industries like finance, marketing, communication, technology, tourism, and more. Throughout your internship, you can expect to gain critical soft skills, including communication, networking, time management, conflict resolution, creative thinking, and teamwork. Similarly, you'll immerse yourself in the local business culture, getting an insider's perspective on how the organization you're working for operates. Moreover, you'll study Spanish and enroll in an Advanced Spanish language course to take your language skills to the next level. Throughout your program, your internship will be complemented by academic work and weekly seminars on relevant professional topics, like public speaking and leadership, to round out your experience.
Unique Experiences
INTERN
with a startup, local business, international organization, or NGO.
LIVE WITH A SPANISH FAMILY
and immerse yourself in local culture.
HEAR FROM A VARIETY OF GUEST SPEAKERS
with different areas of expertise.
1.1M
JOBS
143K
MILES OF BIKE LANES
39
FOOD MARKETS
Your Destination
Barcelona’s location in the Mediterranean, its transport infrastructures, as well as its trading, entrepreneurial, and open economy, have made the city an unbeatable meeting point for international businesses. Add in Barcelona’s culture —rich in the arts, architecture, and history— and you have a compelling backdrop for a challenging internship experience.
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.
Learn more about Barcelona and see past internship examples »
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
- Participate in extracurricular activities that will enhance your experience.
- Visit some of the most emblematic neighborhoods in Barcelona to immerse yourself in the local culture.
- Participate in an Escape Room activity for teambuilding and challenge your soft skills.
- Engage in a business-related visit to learn about production and management in a local factory.
PROJECTS
Internship. A for-credit internship is at the core of this program. Based on your experience, interests, and current studies, you’ll be placed with a startup, local business, international organization, or NGO, where you’ll spend 100-120 hours interning, gaining hands-on professional experience and practicing your Spanish language skills.
Program Blogs
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By: Luke Checchio The air in Barcelona during the holiday season is infused with a special magic that transforms the city into a winter wonderland. From enchanting lights adorning historic... keep reading
7 Reasons Why I Chose to Study Abroad in Barcelona
By: Kameela Lemma When it comes to studying abroad, the world is your classroom, and the choices are as diverse as the cultures you can explore. One city that stands... keep reading
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, your accommodation preferences will 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 located within 35 minutes from CIEE Barcelona or a single room at a dorm located within 30-50 minutes from CIEE Barcelona. Homestays feature a kitchen, living room, and bathroom shared with a host family. Dorms boast 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 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 dorm located within 30 minutes from CIEE Barcelona. Dorms boast kitchens, common areas, and laundry facilities shared with other students. Select Plus housing requires an additional fee.
A note: Housing is on a first-come, first-served basis. If we cannot accommodate your first housing choice, we’ll let you know before you arrive.
MEALS
Homestays: Homestay students have breakfast and dinner with their host families, and they are responsible for lunch.
Residence Halls and Shared Apartments: Meals are not included.
Academics
This program is designed to help students expand their Spanish vocabulary, immerse themselves linguistically and professionally in a new culture, and gain practical, on-the-job experience. Students take an intensive advanced Spanish course during the first four weeks of the program and intern part-time. During the last four weeks of the program, students focus solely on the internship and complete 100-120 hours of on-site work in total.
While the internship is considered part-time by academic standards, students will feel like a full-time intern during the second half of the program. The internship is complemented by academic work and weekly seminars on topics such as public speaking and leadership.
Students intern in a local company. Projects have included: helping to improve logistics and customer relations; building finance reports in Excel; analyzing competitors; developing marketing plans; auditing local companies; and more.
The internship selection process accounts for each student’s language ability, job skills, background, and professional attitude. Students’ internship placements will be confirmed in advance of traveling. Because local firms make final selections, internships in a particular company are not guaranteed.
Students complete their internship seminar and placement in Spanish. Students agree to speak only Spanish to encourage language and cultural acquisition.
Internship Opportunities
Gain real-world work experience, grow your professional network, and bolster your resume while interning at developing startups, communication centers, NGOs, and more in Barcelona. Search for a more detailed list of internship opportunities.
Consulting and Investment
Human resources, market research, and finance.
Accounting and Finance
Financial services, actuarial science, accounting, consulting, recruiting, and real estate.
Architecture and Sustainability
Building and design planning.
Communications and Marketing
Social media, events, advertising, journalism, public relations, and video production.
Education
Schools, community services, and children’s services.
IT
Software systems, IT, hardware, and AI.
NGOs
Environmental advocacy and human rights promotion.
Arts and Design
Artistic event production, art design, and video production.
Note: Please keep in mind that securing a spot in any of these opportunities is not automatically guaranteed and depends on availability and the internship host organization's decision. This internship listing is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a contract between CIEE and any applicant, student, institution, or other party. The internships, as described, may be subject to change as a result of ongoing curricular revisions, assignment of lecturers and teaching staff, and program development.
Course Information
- Internship includes a weekly seminar in Spanish
- Advanced Spanish language class will take place during the first four weeks of the program
Summer 2024
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.
Scholarships & Grants
CIEE offers 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
- MSI Grant
- CIEE Stem Scholarship
To be considered, submit the CIEE Scholarships & Grants application within your CIEE program application.
Dates & Fees
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Program Summer 2024 8 weeks | Application Due Deadline Passed | Start Date | End Date | Fees & Housing $7,450 |
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.
Program Fees
CIEE offers the most student support of any provider in its program fee, including an airport greeting, full-time leadership and support, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions, pre-departure advising, and CIEE iNext travel protection with benefits.
Participation Confirmation = $300*
Educational Costs = $4,453**
Housing = $2,500
Insurance = $197
Total Fees = $7,450Estimated Costs
Students are responsible and manage costs related to travel, meals, books, and personal expenses. Below are estimates for consideration.
Meals not included in program fee = $560†
International Airfare = $1,250††
Local Transportation = $43†††
Books & Supplies = $50
Personal expenses = $180††††
Total Costs = $2,083Optional Housing
CIEE accommodation options are detailed in the Housing section. Based on availability, Select or Select Plus Housing can be chosen during the application process for an additional fee:
Select Housing Fee = $400^
Select Plus Housing Fee = $800^^
Financial Aid
CIEE offers the most grants and scholarships of any study abroad organization, including $8 million/year in travel grants, merit-based scholarships, institutional and MSI grants, and Gilman Go Global Grants.
*non-refundable
**direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students
†For students in homestays, families provide 2 meals (breakfast and dinner). For students in apartments, you should budget approx. $260 per month for groceries if you plan on making your own meals, and more if you plan on eating out regularly.
††Round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure
†††Local transportation: t-jove (3 months) = 40€ ($43) / Local transportation: 2 t-usual (1 month) = 40€ ($43)
††††Personal expenses: $100 emergency fund and cell phone expense + estimated cost of toiletries
^first-come, first serve, based on availability
^^first-come, first serve, based on availability
What's Included
Tuition
Housing
Pre-departure Advising
Advising before you depart to set goals and answer questions
Optional on-site airport meet-and-greet
Orientation
Introduction to your program plus practical information about living in your host city
On-site Staff
Full-time program leadership and support in your city
Cultural and/or Co-curricular Activities
Travel Protection
CIEE iNext travel protection
24/7 emergency on-site support
Our Staff
Andrés Tabárez
Center Director
Andrés Tabárez is Center Director at CIEE Barcelona. Andrés holds a Ph.D. in Classical Studies from the University of Barcelona (UB).
José Luis Espinosa
Academic Director
José Luis holds a Ph.D. in Modern Languages and Gender Studies from the University of Salamanca (USAL).
Fernando Janeiro
Senior Program Manager
Nando holds a Master's Degree in Humanities from Universitat Pompeu Fabra (Barcelona) and is certified as a Spanish as a Second Language instructor (International House/ Universitat de Barcelona).
Get Started
1
START AN APPLICATION
You're one step closer to an amazing study abroad experience!
2
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
Send us an email if you still have questions or need information about applying to this program.
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