IFSA Summer in Barcelona

During your IFSA Summer in Barcelona, opt to take one or two classes during the six-week session. Not all classes may be offered in a given term depending on enrollment. Click on each link below for a detailed class syllabus.

The Economics of Professional Soccer
Soccer is the most popularly played and supported sport in the world. Professional soccer is both a globalized economic market and a cultural force for social change. The global soccer ecosphere is complex and includes athletes, clubs, leagues, federations, sponsors, investors, owners, fans, consumers, and companies and start-ups. The revenue flowing into the game are on an upward trajectory, especially thanks to the technology and innovation boom of the last decade. FC Barcelona, one of the top soccer brands in the world, was valued at more than $1.5 billion in 2020 and has fans around the world. Meanwhile, football is recognized as a powerful tool to improve lives and communities and contribute to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. This class explores the complex and integrated economic and social dimensions of professional soccer in Spain and worldwide. (3 U.S. semester credit hours)

Essential Spanish
If you’ve never studied Spanish before, you can take this optional, introductory class in Spanish language and Catalan culture. By introducing key words and phrases and venturing out into the city to practice them, you’ll gain essential skills to communicate effectively and navigate in a new culture. (1 U.S. semester credit hour)

Food Culture and Spanish Society
Living in a time where food is no longer limited to home and restaurant kitchens, it is worth reflecting about the place food has in a globalized world. The study of food is a common topic, and several disciplines have approached it through a wide set of theoretical interpretations and methodological approaches. Even though we need food to survive and it is present in every society and culture, we cannot take for granted that we eat the same food for the same reasons at the same time; or assume that food is available everywhere with the same quality and under the same conditions. In many respects, food is also a matter of national security and an alternative for economic growth. Furthermore, food is an integral part of national and local identities, as much as of our heritage, as it is a product for tourism consumption. Understanding food in culture in  society is therefore a local and global concern. This class examines all of these issues from anthropological and sociological perspectives and draws on the rich culinary situation of the class in Barcelona throughout. (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) full-time semester of study at your home institution before the beginning of the term.

Recommendation Letter
Not required.

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.