IFSA Seville Universities Program: UPO

With the IFSA Seville Universities Program: UPO, build your own semester featuring Universidad Pablo de Olavide classes taken in Spanish and English alongside Spanish and international students, along with IFSA classes. You may select up to five classes.

IFSA CLASSES
All IFSA classes are taught in English. Classes may vary by term based on faculty availability and student interest.

Directed Research
Language of Instruction: English
This class offers a unique opportunity for students to delve deeply into host context research projects. Students will be guided through projects that are both feasible in the study abroad context and relevant to their broader intellectual interests. The class is structured through regular individual meetings with a faculty mentor to discuss the formation and execution of a research plan and, depending on the specific project, the possibility to conduct field- or internet-based research. At the end of the semester, students present a formal research paper. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

International Internship Seminar
Language of Instruction: English
All internships include participation in the International Internship Seminar, which covers 15 hours of online asynchronous Canvas modules to provide structured opportunities to reflect on the practical experience of the internship, learn more about your host country’s business culture, and further develop the professional skills needed for a successful transition from undergraduate coursework into a career or graduate school. Plus, you will engage with an online global cohort of IFSA internship participants, gaining exposure to business cultures around the world. Seminar is taught in English. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

CHART Your Course
Find the classes you need fast with CHART. Our easy-to-use tool shows you classes recently taken by IFSA students.

UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE CLASSES
A young and dynamic institution, the Universidad Pablo de Olavide (UPO) is located on a beautiful 345-acre campus just outside Seville’s city center, easily accessible by metro. It has a unique dedication to Latin American studies through its School of Hispano-American Studies and its special agreement with the General Archive of the Indies, one of Seville’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

You may enroll in up to five classes for which you are qualified and for which space is available at UPO. Many classes are taught in English; some classes can be taken in Spanish for students with four semesters of college-level Spanish or the equivalent. A wide range of Spanish language levels for international students is also available.

Multidisciplinary Studies Program 

In this program, you will take specially designed classes for international students studying at UPO for a semester or a year. Classes are offered in English and Spanish.

Business

• The European Union
• The Global Economy
• International Finance
• International Management
• International Marketing

Spanish Language and Literature

• Spanish language (all levels)
• The Mediterranean Diet: from Fiction to Facts
• Spanish Identity: Film, Advertising and Pop Music
• Christianity, Islam and Judaism in the Spanish Context
• Nobel Prizes in Spanish and Latin America Literature
• Relations between the U.S. and the Latin World

STEM

• Anatomy and Physiology II (spring)
• Applied Microbiology (fall)
• Database Systems Technology
• Organic Chemistry I with lab (fall)
• Organic Chemistry II with lab (spring)
• Introduction to Descriptive and Inferential Statistics

For a complete list of classes, please see the Multidisciplinary Studies Program.

University Integration Program 

In this program, you will take classes alongside Spanish students studying at UPO for their undergraduate degrees. Classes are taught in Spanish and in English in a wide range of disciplines.

• Advanced Financial Accounting
• Enterprising Initiative and Family Business
• Genetics
• International Trade Law
• Operations Management
• Pharmacology and Toxicology
• Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity
• Thermodynamics and Kinetics

For a complete list of classes, please see University Integration Program.

Lab & Field Trip Fees
Please review syllabi and course materials when registering for direct-enroll classes. Certain classes may have a one-off lab or field trip fee disclosed in the syllabus or during the first meeting of the class. These fees are not included in your IFSA program fee. You will be responsible for these fees, whether they are billed and paid by IFSA or billed to you.

Language Requirement
To enroll in Spanish-taught classes, an internship, or directed research, you must have a specific language level. Please visit our Language Requirements page for more details. If you have questions about whether you qualify, contact your IFSA Enrollment Counselor.

Final Exams Schedules
Some degree-seeking classes at UPO may have final exams scheduled outside IFSA’s published program dates. Students are responsible for speaking with their instructors prior to the on-site class registration deadline about whether alternate arrangements are possible.

Program End Date
Students who, in addition to their classes at UPO, take classes with locals may have a different program end date to be determined upon program start.

DIRECTED RESEARCH
Engage in individualized field research with faculty experts on a contemporary issue of interest. Regular meetings with faculty will assist in the formation and execution of research plans, and they will guide you on how to thoughtfully and critically integrate academic research with experiential learning. You will sharpen your written and oral communication skills through the development of articulate and comprehensive research that is respectful to the sensitivities of the local culture.

If you chose to research live human subjects, live animals or another topic that is deemed by IFSA to be required to be reviewed by the Institutional Research Board (IRB) at your home institution, then you will have to file your project with your home institution’s IRB board and submit your result to IFSA. Your IFSA Enrollment Counselor will review your application materials to help determine if you must file with IRB.

For more detailed information and examples of previous student placements, contact your IFSA Enrollment Counselor.

VOLUNTEERING
IFSA organizes non-credit bearing volunteer opportunities throughout your semester abroad, usually as one-time events. IFSA works with organizations such as Cruz Roja, a voluntary humanitarian institution that serves as the Spanish affiliate of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Students may have opportunities to assist in local food banks, help refugees seek gainful employment, and tutor immigrant children as they enter the educational system.

The University of Sevilla runs a University Community Service Office where those students who are interested in volunteering will be provided with practical help, information, and guidance about how to collaborate with local humanitarian and non-governmental organizations.

INTERNSHIPS
IFSA internships include real-world work experience, along with developing intercultural skills and experiences that are key to personal, academic, and professional success. Expect to devote a total of 120 hours working with your host organization, with supervision from your seminar instructor, coordinated by on-site IFSA team members. In addition, interns complete the International Internship Seminar for 3 U.S. semester credit hours. Internships are not remunerated.

Students have interned at family businesses, corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies in Seville.

Your goals are carefully considered, tailoring the placement process to ensure the best possible fit. Keep in mind that final placements depend on your skills, prior experience, and availability. Although every effort is made to match your placement with your preferred field or area of business, it can’t be guaranteed. Internships are conducted in Spanish.

Application. After you submit your application, resume, and IFSA Internship Interest Form, an IFSA Enrollment Counselor and an on-site IFSA Team member will work with you to identify your professional strengths, review your goals, and refine your internship interests to establish a match. From there, you’ll have an interview with your potential internship host. You will be provided with tips and resources to prepare for your interview.

Sample Placements. The following are examples of internships IFSA students have recently completed. Placement options vary from term to term.

Organization: This international company delivers multidisciplinary engineering and consulting services in a wide variety of sectors.
Potential Projects: You will be involved in projects such as data research to expand its operations outside Spain. This includes marketing campaigns, business development, and regulatory affairs.

Organization: This educational institution offers courses across disciplines and levels from elementary through high school and even community college.
Potential Projects: You will support teachers in their courses assisting them in the preparation of lesson models and teaching materials.

Organization: This multinational hotel group based in Palma de Mallorca operates in more than 20 countries across Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia.
Potential Projects: You will do different task in within the hotel such as answering clients request and prepare guest’s stay, assist in reception or in the marketing department, and/or help the sales department and manager.

Organization: This local law firm focuses on international immigration rights, civil law, and international commerce.
Potential Projects: You would help on administrative and accounting tasks and help on law tasks when needed.

Organization: This eLearning platform produces a wide variety of courses most in demand by industry programmers and system administrators.
Potential Projects: You will assist the marketing team in areas such as website development, market research to inform new courses, and data analysis to contribute strategic insights.

Organization: Family-owned business focus in the ceramic making in Triana neighborhood. They do all type of ceramics and facilitate workshops to learn about the making and history of it in Seville.
Potential Projects: You will assist them in the Workshop facilitating some translation and helping with the marketing for their family business.

New country, new way of learning!

Here’s what to expect at Universidad Pablo de Olavide:

• Liberal arts classes like history and philosophy are typically lecture-style. Classes in other areas of study—like economy, geography, tourism, communication, finance, sociology, and sciences—are more interactive, with opportunities to put material into practice.
• Smaller class assignments carry some weight; final assignments determine less of your final grade than at other European schools.
• For each class, the syllabus shows the evaluation system and indicates how much weight the final exam carries.
• Professors often respond slowly to email, but are generally available to speak with before or after class.
• Toward the end of the semester, you can join a tutoring program in which local Spanish students help international students finalize assignments and prepare for exams.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

• You must be at least 18 years of age. Students under 18 may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
• You must be currently attending or recently graduated from a U.S. or Canadian community college, technical college, two-year college, four-year college, or four-year university.
• You must have completed at least one (1) full-time semester of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.
• Eligibility requirements can vary among host institutions. Please ask your IFSA Enrollment Counselor for specific information.

GPA
At UPO direct enroll classes require a minimum 2.75 GPA. Students with a lower GPA will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with a supporting letter from the applicant and a letter of recommendation from a faculty member.

Recommendation Letter
Not required. A directed research or internship site may request a reference letter before placement is finalized.

TRANSCRIPT
Upon completion of your program, IFSA will send an official Butler University transcript to your home university with your coursework converted to the U.S. semester credit hour system. You will also have access to an unofficial transcript in your IFSA Student Portal. The transcript reflects classes taken, credits attempted, and grades earned during your term abroad. This service is included in your study abroad program at no additional cost. See our Transcripts page for more information.