study abroad in Barcelona with IFSA
Barcelona
, Spain

IFSA Summer in Barcelona

Program Overview

This six-week program has all you need to get to know beautiful Barcelona, Spain’s second largest city, known for incredible art and architecture, fabulous food, and a vibrant social scene. Choose one or two of four classes designed to maximize cultural exploration through economics, sport, food, politics, and sustainability, and ideal for majors in business, psychology, arts, social science, and environmental science. You can even add an internship with IFSA Summer Internships in Barcelona to gain professional experience.

Details at a Glance

Application deadline

Summer: April 1

Minimum GPA

2.00

Credit load

3 - 6

Housing

Apartment/Flat

Instruction language

English

Prerequisites

None

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Academics

During your IFSA Summer in Barcelona, opt to take one or two classes during the six-week session. All classes are worth 3 U.S. semester credit hours.

The Economics of Professional Soccer
Professional soccer, or football as it is more commonly known, is both a multicultural obsession and a globalized economic market. FC Barcelona, one of the world’s top soccer brands, was valued at more than $1.5 billion USD in 2020. This class explores professional soccer through the lens of behavioral economics, a discipline that blends sociological insight with economic theory. Through a case study of FC Barcelona, we will analyze various aspects of international soccer industries, as well as how professional soccer informs how Spain is viewed around the world. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Food Culture and Spanish Society
Class description and syllabus coming soon! (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Identity and Politics in Spain
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, many authors and intellectuals proclaimed the end of ideologies and the rise of identity as the new central element of existence in the West. Thirty years later, identity is back, nationalism, LGBTQ+ rights, feminist movements, Black Lives Matter, groups all over the planet asking for fairer representation. Spain is no exception to that reality. Since the 19th century, with the rise of both Catalan and Basque secessionist movements, along with the articulation of a fiercely centralistic Spanish Nationalism, the identity question has been on the political agenda every now and then. But since the Spanish accession to the European Economic Community (EEC), in 1986, the Spanish identity is coexisting with many other identities within the European frame, and not always the coexistence is peaceful and comfortable. This class examines the different levels of identity that Spanish people profess and how these different levels affect politics, economics, and society since 1975, when the Spanish dictator Francisco Franco died. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Sustainability and the Global City
This class introduces urban sustainability from multiple disciplinary perspectives. It aims to provide students with the theoretical and methodological tools with which to evaluate potential for sustainable urbanism. Focusing on Barcelona alongside comparative global case studies, students will be exposed to urban planning and both natural and built environments in order to evaluate the common challenges and successes related to sustainability efforts. Through experiential earning opportunities, students will develop first-hand context as they examine various facets of sustainable urbanization in Barcelona.  (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

 

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) semester of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.

Recommendation Letter
Not required.

Visa Requirement
Not required for U.S. or Canadian citizens. A visa may be required if you are a citizen of another country.

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 courses 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.

Excursions

Activities and excursions are designed to pull you into the communities you visit and encourage cultural connections of every kind. There’s no extra fee to participate in these optional outings—everything is included in your program fee.

Below are examples from previous terms; outings may be different for your program. We’ll make every effort to run them all, but sometimes things we can’t control, such as local regulations and health protocols, get in the way. As result, we cannot guarantee activities and excursions.

Activities

  • Catalan Cooking Class: Experience authentic Catalan cuisine during a Catalan cooking class preparing famous Spanish dishes.
  • Sagrada Familia Tour: Tour Sagrada Familia church, one of the most architectonic beauties of Barcelona.
  • Museum of Art Visit: Bask in the stunning view of Barcelona from the Museum of Art and peruse the most comprehensive collection of Catalan art in the world.
  • Gothic Quarter Tour: Enjoy a guided tour of the Gothic Quarter and several other prominent Barcelona neighborhoods.
Excursions
  • Figueres Day Trip: Visit Figueres, the birthplace of Salvador Dalí, and Girona, a medieval, walled city and site of several filming locations for The Game of Thrones.
  • Calella Day Trip: Calella is small town on the Costa Brava which preserves its picturesque white houses and traditional fishing village along the Mediterranean.
  • Montserrat Day Trip: Montserrat is a stunning mountain landscape topped with a famous Benedictine monastery and perfect for hiking excursions.
  • Tarragona Day Trip: Tarragona is where you can find the second most important ancient Roman sites in Spain including a mosaic-packed museum and a seaside amphitheater.

Housing and Meals

Housing

Apartment/Flat

Meals

Self-Catering

Details

You will live in centrally located, fully furnished residences in Barcelona. You will have a shared bedroom and bathroom. You will share a living area and a fully equipped kitchenette. You will purchase your meals or cook for yourself.

Dates and Fees

Term

Term begins

Term ends

Program costs

Application deadline

Summer 2024

Late May 2024

Late June 2024

$6,475 (estimated)

April 1, 2024

Term

Summer 2024

Term begins

Late May 2024

Term ends

Late June 2024

Program costs

$6,475 (estimated)

Application deadline

April 1, 2024

Get Started

Eleni Katsarelas

Eleni Katsarelas

Admissions Counselor

Eleni Katsarelas

Eleni Katsarelas

Prearrival Counselor

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