You are here
$5 Million in Financial Aid
Academics
Before you go, we work with you to fine-tune your résumé, perfect your cover letter, and hone your communication and interview skills as we prepare you for working in a new cultural environment. You’ll be guaranteed a placement at a local business or organization that fits your professional interests.
Our Academic Seminar
While working in Barcelona, you’ll also enroll in a required 3-credit internship seminar with other IES interns, where you’ll gain context for your internship placement by examining cultural issues in and outside the workplace. Topics covered include:
- Understanding workplace culture
- Improving communication
- Strengthening work attitude and aptitude
- Resolving conflicts
- Navigating issues, challenges, and opportunities so you can succeed on the job in Barcelona and when you return home
Personalized Placements
Past students have interned in the fields listed below. Keep in mind that this list is by no means exhaustive. We encourage students of all majors to apply.
- Education & Language Instruction
- Health* (non-clinical)
- International Relations
- International Business
- IT
- Journalism
- Law*
- Marketing
- Media & Communications
- Not-for-Profit Organizations
- Psychology* (non-clinical)
- Tourism
*Some fields may required an advanced level of Spanish
Don’t see your field listed here? Just talk to your IES Internships Representatives—new internships are always being added!
Courses
This is a list of planned course offerings. A final list of course offerings will be made available to you in your MyIESabroad account.
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED/IN 395 - Internship Seminar: Education | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ED/IN 395 - Internship Seminar: Education | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| IN 395A - Internship Seminar | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
| IN 395B - Internship Seminar | Fall, Spring | Spanish | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SL 395 - Service Learning: Internship Seminar | Fall, Spring | English | 3 |
Field Trips & Events
Though you’ll be living and working in Barcelona, our DiscoverIES take you to other great cities in and around Spain. DiscoverIES brings you closer to the Barcelonan and Spanish culture through a broad array of activities that merge together the academic insight provided by field trips and the guidance of our faculty. They provide contrast and context for what you are learning in Barcelona.
All DiscoverIES are an additional cost and availability will depend on your work schedule. Here are a few possible destinations.
Al-Andalus
4 Days | Fall & Spring
The south of Spain is an area of warm people, flamenco, tapas and abundant history and art. Visit three of its most beautiful and iconic cities: Granada, Cordoba and Seville.
Costa Brava
4 Days | Fall & Spring
Visit Greek and Roman ruins, the medieval city of Girona, and the “dreamland” of Salvador Dalí between Barcelona and the French border.
Garrotxa
1 Day | Fall
Explore volcanic terrain and hike through the forest of this northeastern county of Catalonia.
Mallorca
3 Days | Fall
The island of Mallorca offers visitors exquisite beaches, stunning art and architecture, and views that will inspire.
Montserrat
1 Day | Spring
Spend the day hiking the mountain of Montserrat.
Tarragona
2 Days | Fall & Spring
Experience Tarragona, one of the best preserved ancient Roman sites in Spain. On the way there, stop at the Ebro Delta, where millions of birds stop along their yearly voyage from Northern Europe to Africa.
The Basque Country & Navarre
4 Days | Fall & Spring
Discover the unique gastronomy of the Basque Country, learn from artisans who elaborate local delicacies, and attempt to create (with your own hands) the meals that make up this rich culinary tradition.
Note: IES Abroad DiscoverIES destinations,activities and lengths of stay may vary according to term and availability.
Daily Life
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, housing that is well-located and comfortable, or our DiscoverIES that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services.
Orientation
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. Also, you will take a basic survival language workshop, so you’re able to confidently explore Barcelona.
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.
You will also meet our Barcelona cultural companions or tutores culturales, who will join you on DiscoverIES and help you get to know the Spanish culture.
A study journey is included as part of orientation. Past destinations have included Costa Brava and Tarragona.
Housing
We want to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding which 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.
Homestays – Normally, up to two or three IES Interns live in a homestay and students share a double room. You are provided two meals a day (breakfast and dinner) while the program is in session.
Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events
DiscoverIES
With 60+ DiscoverIES per semester, you have the exciting opportunity to familiarize yourself with Barcelona through cultural activities led by IES Abroad Barcelona professors. Visit the city’s many influential buildings, learn about its one-of-a-kind history, and become part of the Spanish and Catalan culture.
DiscoverIES are also a great way to meet and spend time with other students on your program, as well as IES Abroad Barcelona staff and professors. All DiscoverIES are an additional cost and availability will depend on your work schedule.
Past examples of DiscoverIES include:
- Discover the Quadrat d’Or, or Golden Square, in a guided tour in the Eixample District, an exceptional area that focuses on Barcelona’s Modernist style (Art Noveau) at the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century
- Enjoy a Flamenco workshop, where you’ll learn a few basic dance steps, the history behind the dance and attire, and taste traditional Andalucían fare
- Hike Tibidabo, the tallest mountain in Serra de Collserola, tour the Modernist and Neogothic Sagrat Cor Temple, and visit the oldest amusement park in Spain
- Visit an organic farm and learn about sustainability with an IES Abroad professor
Get to Know Your New City
Spend time strolling and swimming under the sun along Barcelona's four miles of sandy beaches.
A climb up this hill offers spectacular views of the city. From here, you can also explore several great museums and the beautiful buildings from the 1992 Olympic Games.
From huge festivals to hole-in-the-wall venues, playing everything from electronica to punk, there’s more to Barcelona’s music scene than its iconic Rumba Catalana.
Home to numerous works by Pablo Picasso, the surreal sculptures of Joan Miró, and the fantastic, dreamlike architecture of Gaudi, there’s plenty of art—indoors and out—to inspire you.
Catalan cuisine consists of savory stews, fresh seafood, delicious jamón, spicy potatoes, olives, and so much more. Wash it down with a cold orxata (a refreshing drink made from the tiger nut plant).
Program Cost
Consider these prices as a starting point. We encourage you to contact your study abroad office to determine the actual cost to you when factoring in financial aid, scholarships, your home school policies, and other factors.
| Term | Tuition | Housing | Insurance | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2018 | $3,835 | $2,700 | $230 |
$6,765 |
Use our budget worksheet to calculate your costs
$5 Million in Financial Aid
Latest from Barcelona
Contact a Past Participant
From budgeting tips to housing insight, 500+ IES Abroad Ambassadors volunteer their study abroad experiences and advice.
