Language, Literature, and Culture in Barcelona, Spain
- Spend 6 weeks in Barcelona studying Spanish
- Live with a Spanish host family and immerse yourself in Spanish culture
- Program includes cultural activities and excursions to locations of interest within Spain
The Summer Institute in Barcelona, Spain is designed for students with intermediate and advanced levels of Spanish proficiency to earn six or eight credits and improve their Spanish skills. Courses are taught by KU faculty and staff and a local instructor. Students will live with host families to further improve their Spanish. KU partners with IES Abroad, a study abroad program provider with more than 20 years’ experience in Spain, to offer this program.
Barcelona, the capital of the Autonomous Community of Cataluña, is one of the most prosperous and dynamic cities in Europe today. Students are encouraged to explore the cultural riches that this modern, western European city offers such as concerts, museums, theaters, and outstanding architecture. Areas such as the Barri Gòtic and L’Eixample are filled with examples of history and architecture ranging from ancient to modern times.
Six or eight hours of academic credit are granted by the University of Kansas upon successful completion of the program. Students are required to use a personal laptop.
Intermediate Spanish (6 credit hours)
Pre-requisite: SPAN 108, SPAN 111, or SPAN 212.
SPAN 220: Intensive Intermediate Spanish (6 credit hours) The course is an intensive review and continuation of grammar study. The material covered is taught in SPAN 212 and SPAN 216 and is the third and fourth semesters of language study. Taught by KU staff.
NOTE: Students who have already completed SPAN 212 will enroll in SPAN 216 (3 credits) and SPAN 270 (3 credits). The course content is the same as SPAN 220. Students enrolled in 216 and 270 are not able to take the courses credit/no credit.
Advanced Spanish (8 credit hours)
Pre-requisite: SPAN 340 or consent of instructor. Students who complete SPAN 324 before the program can petition to defer SPAN 340 until the Fall semester.
SPAN 424: Advanced Spanish Composition and Grammar (3 credit hours) Grammar course that will focus on writing with attention to vocabulary, grammar usage, and discourse structure. Enrollment will depend on previous coursework. Taught by local staff.
SPAN 443: Topics in Hispanic Studies - Peninsular Emphasis: Mapping Barcelona (3 credit hours) This course will examine cultural representations of Barcelona through Spanish literature, film, and popular culture in dialogue with the city's own presentation of its local cultural patrimony. Students will combine textual analysis with experiential learning as they develop their own linguistic and cultural maps of the city. Our studies of how Barcelona is culturally "mapped" will allow students to better understand and appreciate the city's linguistic, political, and cultural diversity. This course fulfills a requirement for the major and minor. Taught by KU faculty.
SPAN 428: Advanced Spanish Conversation (2 credit hours) Taught by local staff.
NOTE: For more advanced students, the Language and Culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina summer study abroad program offers SPAN 522/471/463.
IES Abroad will place students with a host family. Depending on the placement, up to two students will be housed in shared or single room accommodations. Two meals a day are provided, internet access is included, and all host families live within a 30-45 minute metro commute to the IES Abroad Barcelona Center.
Classes will be held at the IES Abroad Barcelona Center, which is centrally located near the Plaça de Caralunya. Most students will take public transportation (metro or bus) to travel to class each day. Students will receive a transportation pass to use to get to class and to explore other parts of Barcelona on their own.
The program also includes welcome and farewell dinners and a walking tour of the neighborhood around the IES Abroad Center. Some of the planned activities for 2024 include visits to the Palau de la Música, Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, and Hospital de Sant Pau, a day excursion to Figueres to visit to Dali Museum, and a weekend excursion to Madrid.
SAGE is dedicated to creating international engagement opportunities that meet the needs of all our students and providing resources to support you through the process of studying abroad. Study abroad is achievable for students of all identities including our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ students, students with disabilities, and students with religious/non-religious viewpoints. Before selecting a program, consider how your identities may impact your experience abroad in unique ways and talk with your Program Coordinator about any program-specific concerns. Students with documented disabilities should discuss any accommodation needs with their Program Coordinator early in the planning process.
Check our Identity Abroad page and resources listed below for information specific to you and other students who may be on your program.
Open to students from accredited U.S. colleges or universities who have completed the required pre-requisites (or the equivalent) of college-level Spanish. Minimum 2.5 GPA. Exceptions considered after submission of a petition.
KU's partner on this program, IES Abroad, requires that all participants are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, unless they are granted a medical exemption by IES Abroad.
The Summer 2025 program will be co-directed by Professors Miguel Ángel Albújar Escuredo and Margot Versteeg.
Assistant Teaching Professor Miguel Ángel Albújar Escuredo
malbujarescuredo2@ku.edu
Department Chair & Professor Margot Versteeg
versteeg@ku.edu