If you are ready to undertake the challenge of studying within the Universitat de Barcelona alongside Spanish students in their degree program; if you have had at least three years of college-level Spanish language studies; if you have an overall GPA of 3.0 and a strong desire to participate in the Spanish university system as Spaniards do - then this program is right for you.

What You'll Learn
The Advanced Liberal Arts program aims to help students with advanced Spanish language skills develop fluency through direct enrollment in a wide range of regular University classes. In this immersion program, you take most of your classes alongside Spanish classmates, who will become your friends and your guides to this new culture. Your Spanish will improve dramatically because you will be living the language--as part of your everyday life in Barcelona and as part of your life as a student at the Universitat de Barcelona.

Program Snapshot

• Immerse yourself in Spanish academic culture by enrolling in regular University classes in a wide range of disciplines, from Spanish language and literature to geography, international relations, political science, and an internship
• Participate in cultural and educational activities, including lectures and visits to museums; explore Barcelona, Catalonia, and Spain through excursions
• Let CIEE Guardian Angels guide you through the city and help you feel at home; get help from tutors; take non-credit classes in Spanish cooking

Subject Areas

• Anthropology
• Art History
• Biology
• Business
• Chemistry
• Education
• Fine Arts
• Geography
• History
• International Relations
• Internship
• Law/Legal Studies
• Literature
• Mathematics
• Philosophy
• Physics
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Spanish Culture
• Spanish Language

Eligibility Requirements

• Overall GPA 3.0
• 6 semesters of college-level Spanish or equivalent

Academic Program

The Advanced Liberal Arts program in Barcelona, which began in the fall of 2005, is designed for independent-minded students with advanced language skills interested in enrolling in regular University classes in a diverse range of subjects. At the beginning of the program, students take an intensive Spanish language course designed to prepare them for classes at the Universitat de Barcelona (UB). During this time, students also meet individually with the Resident Director to select their courses at the University.

Heritage Learners Track

CIEE offers a special track for Heritage Learners. Students who choose to be part of this track take Spanish for Heritage Speakers followed by four regular University courses. Students have access to the entire UB curriculum. CIEE provides students with a list of recommended courses.

Academic Culture

The CIEE Study Center is located in a historic building located in Passatge Permanyer, a historic passageway near Plaza Catalunya, Barcelona's main square. UB's departments of Modern Languages and Literatures, Geography, History, History of Art, and Philosophy are also located downtown at University Plaza, within walking distance from the CIEE Study Center. Other UB departments are located in the Pedralbes section of Barcelona in the Northwest part of the city, about a 20-minute metro ride from the CIEE Study Center.
UB classrooms range from traditional to modern and may have up to 100 students in a class. CIEE classes are small, with no more than 12 students in a class.
CIEE courses are similar to U.S courses in that attendance is carefully monitored, and the student's active contribution to class is an important part of the grade. Tardiness and unexcused absences are not allowed and lead to a lower grade. Students can expect daily readings, regular homework, a midterm exam, a final exam, and a final project or paper.
UB classes are taught in the Spanish academic tradition, which involves more independent work on the part of the student. Typically, the syllabus includes an outline of the themes and a list of recommended readings. There is usually no precise calendar. In many classes, the professor gives a final exam, but often allows a student the option of writing a research paper as part of the final grade or in place of the final exam. It is perfectly normal for Spanish students to share notes with one another and to work together to prepare for the final exam. This is an excellent way for U.S. students to meet Spaniards and practice the language.
The fall semester program begins in late August and ends in late December to early or mid-January. The spring semester program begins in mid-January and ends in late May to early June. It is possible but not guaranteed that exams for regular UB classes can be taken in December or May. Although extracurricular activities and personal travel contribute to the student's overall experience, early departure for or late return from vacation is not allowed. Any extended travel should take place prior to the start of the program, during vacation periods, or upon completion of the program.

Where You'll Study:

Universitat de Barcelona

The Universitat de Barcelona (UB) was founded in 1450. It has four campuses in different parts of the city and is the oldest and largest of six universities in Barcelona. It has 81,000 students and is the second largest in terms of student numbers in Spain. The UB is made up of five colleges, 20 research centers, 105 departments, and 98 degree programs. Postgraduate programs are also offered, as well as a large number of continuing education courses.

Program Requirements

Students are required to take the Intensive Spanish Writing and Stylistics course prior to the start of UB classes. For the remainder of the semester, students take one or two CIEE culture courses or an internship in Spanish and two or three regular University courses in Spanish. Students taking Spanish for Heritage Speakers take four additional University courses.
During their second semester, academic year students are not required to repeat the intensive course in January, but take final exams during that time. In their second semester, academic year students register for three or four regular UB classes in Spanish and one or two of the CIEE culture courses that they didn't take in the fall.  All CIEE and UB courses are considered junior- or senior-level courses. All language instruction in the program is at the advanced level.

Recommended Credit

semester: 15-17 semester/22.5-25.5 quarter hours
academic year: 27-30 semester/40.5-45 quarter hours

Application Deadlines

• Fall 2010: 4/1/2010
• Academic Year 2010-11: 4/1/2010
• Spring 2011: 10/1/2010

Duration

• Fall 2010: 21 weeks late August - late December or early to mid-January
• Academic Year 2010-11: 42 weeks late August - late May or early June
• Spring 2011: 21 weeks mid-January - late May or early June

CIEE Fees - Check the CIEE website for current fees.
The CIEE fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing, two meals per day in the homestay option, orientation, organized cultural activities, local excursions, field trips, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits. *No meals included in the Residencia option.

Online Pre-Departure and On-Site Orientations
Students begin their study abroad experience in Barcelona before even leaving home--by participating in a CIEE Online Pre-Departure Orientation. Meeting with students online, the Resident Director shares information about the program and site, highlighting issues that alumni have said are important, and giving students time to ask any questions before leaving home. The online orientation allows students to connect with others in the group, reflect on what they want to get out of the program, and learn what others in the group would like to accomplish. The CIEE goal for the pre-departure orientation is simple: to help students understand more about the program and site, as well as their goals for the program, so that they arrive to the program well-informed and return home having made significant progress toward their goals.
A week long orientation session at the beginning of the program introduces students to the country, culture, and the academic program, as well as provides practical information about living in Spain. Themes include the Spanish university system, banking, safety, money and visa issues, the Catalan language, cultural adaptation, and more. Orientation includes both structured cultural activities and independent sightseeing, and ongoing support is provided on an individual and group basis throughout the program.

Housing & Meals

Students can live in either Spanish homes or in a student residencia (residence hall) with other Spanish and international students. Students living in a homestay have breakfast and dinner at home, while lunch is at the student's expense, and many eat at the several university-run cafeterias. Meals are not included in the student residencia option, but students share fully equipped kitchens where they can prepare their own meals. All homestays and residencias are located in the city of Barcelona, and students take public transportation to their classes; the average commute to the city center, by metro or bus, is 30 minutes. As space in the residencias is limited, students who are not placed there are placed in a homestay. Students who are not assigned the housing option of their choice will be notified by the resident staff prior to arriving in Barcelona.

Academic year students have the option of living in an apartment during their second semester. Students are responsible for finding, leasing, and managing their apartment stay. Meals are not included in the apartment option and are the responsibility of the student.

Internet

Students have wireless Internet access at CIEE and UB student facilities. In addition, students can use the computer room at the CIEE Study Center. The student residencia is equipped with Internet access for laptop hook-up. Most of the homestays have Internet access. Students are encouraged to bring wireless-enabled laptops.

Cultural Activities

The academic program is supplemented with required field trips and excursions, which include visits in Barcelona (art and history museums, cathedral, city hall, port, walking tours of the historic district, and more) and day excursions to such locations as La Garrotxa National Park, the Dalí museum in Figueres, Greek and Roman ruins in Empúries, Salvador Dalí's home in Cadaqués, the historic Jewish quarter in Girona, Roman amphitheater in Tarragona, and the Penedés wine region. Longer trips may include visits to Madrid, Andalusía, Bilbao, the Pyrenees, La Rioja, Valencia, and Spain's northern coast. Field trips and excursions supplement class work and introduce students to the rich diversity of the geographic, linguistic, and cultural areas of Spain.

Other cultural activities include those designed to bring American and Spanish students together, such as conversation exchanges with UB Spanish students. CIEE also organizes non-credit Spanish cooking classes in which students are invited to participate. Volunteer opportunities can be arranged by CIEE staff through UB's volunteer program Solidaritat UB (UB Solidarity).

Language Activities

A program of language activities has been developed to enhance the student's language learning and cultural immersion. These activities may include language exchange events, where American students meet Spanish students to speak both English and Spanish, and exchange contact information to continue meeting during the semester; lectures; films; discussion groups; and neighborhood tours. Students participate actively, speaking Spanish at all times. Past activities have included a lecture on art of the Spanish Civil War, a tour of Barcelona's Jewish neighborhood, and a Spanish movie viewing, followed by a student-led debate.

Guardian Angels

Guardian Angels are local university students who accompany CIEE students on group activities and also participate in field trips and other events. Guardian Angels are like Spanish brothers and sisters, helping students make friends at the University, introducing them to the city's culture, and generally helping them adapt to life in Barcelona. The Guardian Angels Program is a unique feature found at the CIEE Study Center in Barcelona.

Immersion in the local culture is a priority at CIEE Study Centers around the world.CIEE participants make the most of their program through CIEE-guided excursions, field study and internship programs, volunteering, conversation exchanges, homestays, and special events. The opportunities will vary depending on location. read on to learn more about this program.