Location
  • Spain
    • Barcelona
Term
Fall, J-Term, Spring, Summer
Subject Areas
Accounting Agriculture Anthropology Architecture Art History Classical Studies Communications Creative Writing Criminal Justice Economics Engineering Film Finance Gender Studies History International Business Law Literature Marketing Media Relations Political Science Psychology Social Sciences Sociology Sustainable Development +15
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Apartment Dormitory Host Family
Language
English

Pricing

Price Details
You get more for every dollar when you study abroad with CIEE! There are no hidden charges or surprises when you arrive, and scholarships opportunities are available!
What's Included
Accommodation Some Activities Classes Some Meals Travel Insurance
What's Included (Extra)

Pre-departure advising, airport pick-up, on-site professional staff, and iNext travel protection

Jun 04, 2024
Apr 07, 2025
35 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Barcelona’s art, architecture, and gastronomic reputation alone are enough to command global attention. Add its political, economic, and cultural influence to its respected higher education system and you get an irresistible destination for students from around the world.

CIEE Spain gives you access to homestays; internships; volunteering opportunities; direct enrollment options; and cultural clubs, activities, and excursions that provide a uniquely immersive international experience. Come write your story of Spain with us.

Courses are available in English and Spanish.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • CIEE Barcelona is located in downtown Barcelona, near the city’s main square. Both ESCI and UVic are just 20 minutes from CIEE.
  • Every CIEE semester program has cultural excursions and study tours uniquely designed to complement the program’s academics and enhance students’ cultural immersion.
  • Depending on their program of study and availability, students may be able to volunteer or participate in an internship.
  • Students can volunteer to help children with homework after school, help kids with special needs during school breaks, or take part in food-drives to help feed people in need.

Popular Programs

Main entrance to Gaudi's Parc Guell

Spend your summer learning how to succeed in a globalized economy, discovering a new culture, and gaining crucial global perspectives – all while studying business in Barcelona. This program offers challenging coursework, engaging company visits, welcoming homestays, and interesting co-curricular activities designed to offer insight into international business.

CIEE Barcelona

Improve your Spanish language skills and boost your cultural knowledge while studying international business in the capital of Catalonia. Choose from courses in English at CIEE Barcelona and CIEE’s partner schools, Escola Superior de Comerç Internacional (ESCI) or Universitat de Vic (UVic), while immersing yourself in Barcelona’s culture, history, and community.

Excusion to Montserrat

Perfectly situated between the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, Barcelona is the ideal city to spend your January term boosting your knowledge of international business or art history. Gain exposure to and develop a deeper understanding of the city’s booming business industry or learn about Catalan and Spanish culture through Spanish masterpieces.

CIEE Barcelona Internship Programs

As a global intern, you’ll have the chance to gain practical, real-world work experience in Barcelona’s startups and other businesses in areas like finance, technology, biomedical sciences, tourism, and more.

CIEE First Year Abroad in Barcelona

As the capitol of Spain’s Catalonia region, Barcelona is a beautiful beach city on the Mediterranean coast with vibrant street life, stunning architecture by Gaudí, and endless cultural activities. Dive into the lively atmosphere of this Spanish city, where tapas, cultural festivals, and the iconic Sagrada Familia create an unforgettable backdrop for your international adventure.

Program Reviews

4.84 Rating
based on 101 reviews
  • 5 rating 84.16%
  • 4 rating 15.84%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.25
  • Support 4.8
  • Fun 4.8
  • Housing 4.7
  • Safety 4.75
  • Housing 5
  • Support 4
  • Fun 5
  • Value 5
  • Safety 5
Showing 81 - 88 of 101 reviews
Default avatar
Zechio
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Would recommend this program to anyone interested in Spain!

CIEE ALA is a fun and rewarding learning experience! The program structure and directors are fantastic and there are tons of opportunities to explore Barcelona and all over Spain with the programs vast amount of day and weekend trips. The academics are rigorous and challenging as you will be taking various classes at the University of Barcelona in Spanish, while it can be tough in the moment the professor are very understanding and have a lot of experience with exchange students. In the end it is very rewarding as you will see your Spanish skills improve greatly over the course of your semester.

What would you improve about this program?
Although the program tries very hard to encourage students to immerse themselves with Spanish culture, it is very easy to hang out with only people from your program and country. I would have liked the program to try and provide more support and forwardness in helping students find organizations or sports clubs that student's might take part in back home.
81 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Zachary
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

A fun. rewarding experience!

This is a wonderful program. The structure is great and the directors are fantastic. There are plenty of opportunities to explore the local culture provided by CIEE. Academically, this is a challenging program. While all of my professors at the Universitat de Barcelona were very understanding, I still had to put in a lot of effort to succeed. It is not so rigorous that you can't have fun though; I managed to travel on 6 different weekends and was able to spend many nights out in the city, especially in the first few weeks. All of my professors except for one were exceptional, the excursions provided by CIEE were great and their resources were helpful.

What would you improve about this program?
I recommend that there is a stronger emphasis on students join outside organizations or finding other activities. It is very easy to speak exclusively English in Barcelona, so students interested in becoming fluent really need to go out of their way to practice outside of the classroom. It is super easy to get caught up in the bubble of American students and never branch out. Some of the students in the program improved less than they had expected because they didn't seek out opportunities outside the classroom.
76 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Natalie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I miss it everyday

Studying abroad in Barcelona changed my life. It was the best decision I ever made. I studied for an academic year with the CIEE ALA program, living with a host family and enrolling with local students at the University of Barcelona. The CIEE building is located in a great location--a beautiful cobblestone side street. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the people on my program and the local students in my classes were great. I had made friendships that will last a lifetime! Barcelona is such a beautiful city and this program has everything anyone could want: the beach, Spanish and Catalan culture, great food, historical nearby cities, awesome activities, and language immersion. For anyone that likes any of these things, this is the place and program for you! I miss it everyday and cannot wait to go back. It is truly an amazing experience.

76 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Jared
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Good Academics and Good Experience.

The academics are as hard as you want them to be, i.e. you can challenge yourself or you can breeze by (but you won't get as much out of it). They are accommodating to schedules and I traveled frequently and easily. The UB classes are cumbersome but overall a good learning experience and being uncomfortable in a class of Spanish students was one of the more formative aspects of the abroad experience. Further, in order to have the best experience possible, make sure your Spanish speaking and reading skills are up to par.

79 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Paige
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Fantastic Opportunity to Grow and Learn!

I initially chose to study abroad in Barcelona because I wanted to learn about international film and its roots in Spain. I couldn't have stumbled upon a better program, because CIEE was a fantastic support system as I pursued both my academic and creative endeavors. The faculty was so helpful in introducing me to the past, present and future of Barcelona. And the program offered the perfect combination of aid and freedom. Between travel throughout Europe and developing my own Barcelona music webseries (through resources at the Universitat de Barcelona), I had an unparalleled experience.

What would you improve about this program?
There needs to be more support for low income and students of color that are in the program. There are particularities to navigating the program, Barcelona, and even Spain based on race and class, and those were not addressed preemptively during my stay. As a Black woman, I regularly dealt with people addressing me disrespectfully, assuming I was a prostitute (and even within the program, racist students). I do not think the faculty was equipped to handle these situations, and they were not addressed adequately when I brought them up. The situation was so bad that I nearly left the program mid-semester.

Also a huge part of the program, and program bonding, revolve around cross-country travel. If you don't have the resources to do so it's very difficult to bond with other students in the group. I highly recommend an intentional travel scholarship opportunity. I also suggest recruiting specifically to low income and people of color students to diversify the experience of CIEE student programming.
77 people found this review helpful.
Connie
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CIEE is the best program to study abroad with!!

I studied abroad the fall semester of my Junior year, and it was truly an incredible experience I will always remember. One of the reasons I had such a great time was because I went with the CIEE program! In my opinion, the best thing about CIEE is the helpful and caring faculty and staff, who are always looking out for their students both in and out of the classroom. I ran into all the stereotypical study abroad issues - broken laptop, stolen wallet, missed flights - but there was always someone (usually Alberto) to talk me through the mess and tell me that everything would be okay.

I do have the disclaimer that I decided to take my study abroad experience in a slightly different direction than many others in my program, in the sense that I didn't spend too much time with the others from the ALA group. I am also not a Spanish major/minor, so I didn't take any classes at UB with the other CIEE students. This was the right decision for me, and I would probably do so again if I study abroad in the future, but the one thing I regret is that I missed out on the many trips and bonding experiences that CIEE provided. Because of my schedule - classes only Tuesday through Thursday! - and because I had a friend whose goals were in line with mine, I spent nearly every weekend away and therefore I can't really comment on the details of the weekly excursions. I can however, say that the multi-day trip to Andalusia I did go on with CIEE was a really wonderful experience, and CIEE planned activities that were engaging and made me want to return again in my own time! Also, the weekly excursions that CIEE plans cater to very diverse interests, from art to Game of Thrones to the outdoors, so I'm sure there is a trip out there for everyone.

In terms of classes, I took one spanish class with the CIEE program, and I really enjoyed it. My professor was kind and passionate, and the small class size made discussions easy and comfortable. I took three art courses with the Universitat de Barcelona, which were different than I expected (side note: Another great thing about CIEE is the freedom to choose to take basically any class you want from UB). Be very prepared to do work on your own without prompting from the professor, because doing only the minimum required assignments won't be enough to get the most out of the classes. The structures of the classes I took were very different from those in the US, and emphasized being pro active and pulling extra hours in order to produce truly great work. Studying abroad is a lot of fun, but I think it's also important to make sure you are being academically challenged, and taking classes in Spanish at UB is a great way to do so!

In conclusion, if I had to describe the benefits of studying abroad with CIEE in one sentence it would be this: CIEE provides you with the support and the freedom to make your study abroad experience whatever you want it to be!

77 people found this review helpful.
Caroline
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

CIEE Architecture & Design in Bellísima Barcelona

The CIEE Architecture & Design program in Barcelona, Spain surpassed my expectations for a well-rounded, challenging, and enjoyable study abroad experience. The CIEE program advisers guided me with academics, housing, costs, and safety from the beginning of the application process to the final weeks of the program in Barcelona. During my semester I participated in the ELISAVA Study Abroad Design Track that consisted of three courses at the ELISAVA: Barcelona School of Design & Engineering, one course at the CIEE program headquarters, and an internship at a publication company in the heart of Barcelona. Additionally CIEE Barcelona provided all of its program attendees the ability to participate in program events such as scenic hiking, cooking classes and food tasting, intramural soccer, and social language practicing events with native peaking students from Barcelona. Weekend excursions to historical landmarks outside of and near Barcelona were also features of the program abroad. The opportunity to visit other parts of Catalonia and/or Spain with fellow students was definitely a highlight of the program and was included in the overall cost!
Academically, I gained a wealth of knowledge and experience from my courses at ELISAVA and CIEE. The professors at ELISAVA offer a tremendous amount of knowledge and skill that is relevant in today’s field. It was also an advantage to take their courses because many of them continue to work in their fields. They made sure to balance the curriculum with hands-on projects, conceptual and practical work, and field trips to some of Barcelona’s design hubs and art museums. I also received an excess of insight from my professors at CIEE, comparable to the quality of education I would receive back at my home university. The course I took at CIEE was incredibly enriching because half of the time we would go outside of the classroom to learn about Barcelona and the history of its architecture and design. This way I did not feel at all that I missed out on seeing the cultural and historical landmarks and beauty of Barcelona. All of my classes at ELISAVA and CIEE were small in size but my fellow classmates came from diverse backgrounds and concentrations, like myself. In my opinion, it was definitely an advantage to learn from other students from the U.S. and around the world, sharing experiences and ideas, especially when working together on multi-disciplinary design projects.
I would highly recommend anyone that decides to study at CIEE Barcelona the opportunity to intern at a company or start-up in Barcelona. The experience truly prepares you for post-graduation work and challenges you tremendously. The great takeaway with interning abroad is the ability to master and strengthen your already learned skills in language and design and enhance them exponentially. I worked at a publication company as an interning in-house graphic designer alongside international business professionals. My supervisor and coworkers at the company were incredibly helpful with guiding and explaining the company’s work process. Everyone in the office was beyond considerate of my lack of language skill and was profoundly passionate in their work. At the end of my internship, the publication company published my design work and offered a contract for future projects as a freelancer from the U.S. I tell most everyone back at my home university that you don’t have much to lose if you just try. I have noticed in my recent design work and even with school projects that I have improved with communicating, short deadlines, and my creative process all simply because of my real-world experience interning in Barcelona.
To top it all off, I lived in a beautiful area of Barcelona near the old Gothic city and El Born, an ideal destination for design and retail. My commute to the CIEE office, the university, and my internship were very easy and manageable every day from my homestay location. I stayed with a wonderful and hospitable family who made sure my stay was the best possible. I was able to practice my Spanish speaking skills, observe the rich culture and tradition of the family, and learn from them their experiences and recommendations about the city.
I would highly recommend CIEE’s Architecture & Design course in Barcelona, Spain. The program staff, professors, and student mentors made absolute sure that everyone, including myself had a safe trip. The program was not only satisfactory and pleasurable but above expectation and outstanding. There is so much to learn and discover about Spanish and international design, architecture, culture, and language. The beautiful city of Barcelona is the ideal place and CIEE made sure to nurture that experience.

72 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

This will be the best decision you ever make.

For me, the CIEE ALA Program has provided me with much more than simply an unforgettable semester abroad in the most enchanting city I have ever been to. By directly enrolling in classes with local students at the University of Barcelona, I was able to challenge myself and push the boundaries of my linguistic competence. From navigating the city's beautiful sights, to living alone with a host family, this program changed my life forever.

75 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers