Barcelona—una ciudad llena de cultura e historia, cuna y musa de escritores, artistas y pensadores que han influido notoriamente en lo que hoy se entiende como cultura española, y también en la cultura hispánica. Te invitamos a mejorar tus habilidades en las calles en las que Picasso, Vargas Llosa, García Márquez, Gaudí y Carlos Ruiz Zafon, entre muchos, se nutrieron de inspiración. Ciudad cosmopolita y eje literario y cultural que marcará tu experiencia en el extranjero con las múltiples experiencias que te esperan.
This is your chance to directly enroll in a local university and speak, write, and understand Spanish to the best of your ability. Maybe you’ll even make some Spanish friends while you’re at it. You will take an advanced language course and choose from IES Abroad courses, local university courses, and internship opportunities to fully experience all Barcelona has to offer. The strengths of the academic and cultural experiences offered through the IES Abroad Center are among its most distinguishing characteristics.
Barcelona will also be your classroom. Here you can visit one of the city’s outdoor markets to practice your Spanish with the shop owners, order tapas while out to dinner with new friends, or take in a Spanish Opera at the world-renowned Gran Teatre del Liceu Opera House. All of these things (and more!) will help you take your Spanish to a whole new level-- welcome to study abroad!
We want you to feel at home in Barcelona, so we will do everything we can to help you integrate into life in Barcelona, from internships to cultural activities. You also have the option of living with a local resident, who can serve as your local host and resource to make the most of studying abroad in Barcelona.
These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.
*Students enrolled in partner university courses are required to complete university exams on the official exam date and vacate IES Abroad housing one day after their last final exam. Final exam dates will vary by partner university.
Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences. We offer unique courses that explore Advanced Spanish Language, as well as other topics, through an in-depth and hands-on approach. Our world-class professors and course options at prestigious local universities enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.
While in Barcelona, you take 15–19 credit hours per semester. IES Abroad Barcelona offers a wide range of academic opportunities, which can be summarized into five course types:
This is a list of planned course offerings. A final list of course offerings will be made available to you in your MyIESabroad account.
To learn more about IES Abroad’s innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching language abroad, refer to the IES Abroad MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication.
You can enroll in courses at the following local partner institutions.
Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)University Courses in Spanish
Hispanic and European Studies in Spanish
Universidad Ramon Llull (URL)University Courses in Spanish
While adding study abroad to your resume is impressive enough, adding an internship is even more powerful, and can help distinguish your application for graduate school or a job opportunity in today’s competitive job market.
An internship provides an invaluable cultural experience, and helps you develop professional and personal skills. All IES Abroad internships are supervised and offered as academic options earning 3 IES Abroad credits.
Placement Examples
Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Barcelona, it will feel like home.
Homestay – You are provided two meals a day (breakfast and dinner) while the IES Abroad Barcelona program is in session. Normally, two or three IES Abroad students live with a host family and share a double room.
Residence Halls and Colegios Mayores – Rooms in residence halls and Colegios Mayores are double and triple occupancy, and you live with Spanish and/or other IES Abroad students. Meal plans vary among the different halls. Placements are limited and an additional fee applies for this housing option.
Part of making you feel at home in Barcelona is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it is an orientation program that makes you feel prepared, house that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.
The program begins with an orientation that introduces you to the IES Abroad Barcelona staff, your fellow students, and the city of Barcelona. Topics such as academics, housing, transportation, and health and safety are covered during this time.
Additionally, CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home. During the first week of the semester, intensive Spanish language courses meet daily in small groups to help develop language skills.
A study journey several weeks into the program is also included as a part of orientation; past destinations have included Madrid and Valencia.
Redefine the way you live and learn in Barcelona through our cultural events, such as:
Although your adventure begins in Barcelona, our field trips take you to other great cities around Europe to provide contrast and context for what you are learning in Barcelona.
You take a study journey that is included in your program fee. And, additional field trips are available with a portion of the cost covered by IES Abroad. Trips are organized by language level and conducted in English or Spanish accordingly. Past destinations are listed below.
The South of France 3 DAYS Visit the four castles of Châteaux de Lastours, take a guided boat cruise through Canal du Midi, and visit Fontfroide Abbey, a former Cistercian Monestary.
Madrid 3 DAYS Visit one of Europe’s artistic centers also known as Spain’s financial and political hub.
Sitges 1 DAY Experience this cultural and artistic vacation destination renowned for its beaches, LGBT nightlife, film festivals, and Carnival.
Rupit 1 DAY Spend a day in this scenic Medieval town with a beautiful waterfall, and picturesque stone roads and houses.
Granada 3 DAYS Explore this vibrant city with a youthful population that provides the clearest window into Spain’s unique historical symbiosis of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism.
The IES Abroad Barcelona Center is located in the center of Barcelona near the Plaza Catalunya. Features include:
Dr. Cèsar Alegre AlsinaIES Abroad Director Originally from Barcelona, Dr. Alegre speaks Spanish, Catalan, and English fluently. He brings more than twenty years of experience in higher education to IES Abroad, including a distinguished teaching career in the United States, experience in student services, and a strong research portfolio. Dr. Alegre is a linguist specializing in second language acquisition, pedagogy, bilingualism and sociolinguistics. Previously, Dr. Alegre served as the Dean of Spanish for IES Abroad Barcelona, where he distinguished himself as the coordinator of language teaching by implementing numerous curricular and technological improvements. Notably, Dr. Alegre launched internet-based teaching tools and an on-line language placement test. Student evaluations of the Spanish language courses and the language faculty have been consistently high under his direction.
IES Abroad Staff
Jane EwartHead of Registration and Advising
Francesc FontesAdministration Coordinator
Pilar GraciaAdministration Coordinator
Salvador OrtizOutside Courses and Customized Programs Coordinator
Noemí PoloStudent Affairs Coordinator - Health and Safety, Homestays
María RomeroAssistant Dean of Faculty
Olga SánchezStudent Affairs Associate - Health and Safety
Beatriz TabernerCoordinator of Educational Resources and Publications
Ferran TeresStudent Affairs Coordinator - Apartments
Betsey TufanoGeneral Manager and Director of Administration
Alex WalkerDirector of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty
Margherita ManginiCenter Administrator
Matthew ClearArea Faculty Advisor
María MejíasLanguage Faculty Advisor
Ignasi PérezArea Faculty Advisor
Ataúlfo PortelaLanguage Faculty Advisor
Laura VázquezLanguage Faculty Advisor
Faculty Cèsar AlegreSpanish Language Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics, University of Massachussets and Amherst
John Frederick AndersonMaster of Arts in Documentary Photography, University of Wales College Newport, UK Sandra Becerril Spanish Language
Nieves BorregoSpanish Language
Rosa BrionSpanish Language Ph.D. (in progress) Linguistics, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Luis CardonaOceanography Ph.D. in Biology, Universitat de Barcelona
Laura CerviPhD. in Political Science, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain- Università degli Studi di Pavia, Italy
Alistair CharlesInternships MBA, University of Brighton
Matthew ClearArt History Ph.D. in Mediterranean History, University of Sussex
Josep María ContrerasSpanish Language
Xavier De PedroEnvironmental Studies, Sociology Ph.D. in Biology, Universitat de Barcelona
Gemma DraperMaster in Fine Arts. Cranbrook Academy of Art. Bloomfield Hills, MI
Alexander WalkerUrban Studies Ph.D. in Planning Studies, University College London
Marina DíazHistory Ph.D. in History, Tufts University
Verónica FajardoLiterature
Laura VázquezSpanish Language Ph.D. (in progress) in Teaching of Language and Literature, Universitat de Barcelona
Josep GrauHistory Ph.D. in History, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Dawn HiscockAnthropology, Sociology
Jeannine HorowitzInternational Business Ph.D. in Genetics/Biochemistry, University of East Anglia/John Innes Institute
Sinan HosadamPolitical Science Ph.D. (in progress) in Political and Social Science, Graduate Center, City University of New York
Pep InglésCatalanPh.D. (in progress) in Spanish as a Second Language, Universitat de Barcelona
Christopher KennetPhD of Philosophy in Sports Management, Loughborough University, UK
Beth KuhnleinManagement Ph.D. (in progress) in Management Sciences, Universitat Ramon Llull
Camila LoewLiterature Ph.D. in Humanities, Universitat Pompeu Fabra
Raúl LozanoSpanish Language Ph.D. in Hispanic Philology, Universitat de Barcelona
Marga García BolivarSpanish Language Ph.D. in Spanish Literature and Linguistics, Temple University
Meritxell MartínReligious Studies Ph.D. in History of Religions, University of Virginia
James McGladeHistory, Archaeology Ph.D. in Archaeology, Cambridge University
María MejiasSpanish Language Ph.D. (in progress) in Education Studies, Universitat de Barcelona
Wim Mellaerts HistoryPh.D. in History, University of East Anglia
Laura MierPh.D. in Literature, 15th Century Spanish Literature, University of Salamanca
Mauricio MolinaPhD in Philosophy Music, City University of New York
Jay Moran International BusinessMBA, Emory University
Iolanda NievesSpanish Language
Nuria PlazaSpanish Language Ph.D. (in progress) in Philology, 17th Century Spanish Literature, Universitat de Barcelona
Ataúlfo PortelaSpanish M.A. Spanish, Miami University, Oxford Ohio
Ignasi PérezHistory, Political Science Ph.D. in Political Science with European Honors (Doctor Europeo), Universitat de Barcelona/University of Florence
Adil QureshiPsychology Ph.D. in Counceling Psychology, University of Southern CA
Montserrat SuárezEnvironmental Science M.S. Marine Environmental Sciences, Stony Brook University, New York
Carles RocaCommunications Ph.D. in Sociology, University of Manchester
Daniel RodriguezMáster Spanish Teaching as a Foreign Language, University of Granada
Carme RuizCommunications Ph.D. in Archaeology, University if Texas at Austin
F. Javier San Julián ArrupePhD in History and Civilisation, European University Institute, Firenze
Isabel SanchezArt History
Nuria SilvestreSpanish Language
Karen Smyth PsychologyPh.D. in Mental Health, Trinity College, Dublin
Anna Solé del BarrioMaster Degree in Economic History, Universitat de Barcelona
Ian StephensB.A. Sports and Recreation Studies, Madeley College of Physical Educattion, Staffordshire University, UK
Suzanne StrumUrban Studies Ph.D. (in progress) in Architectural Theory and History
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