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City description | Host Institutions |
Costs | What's included | Course offerings | Photos |
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City Description
A prosperous city of almost 2 million, Barcelona is one of the oldest cities in Europe, but yet one of the most
progressive cities in Spain. Located on the coast of the Mediterranean, this port city has always been a major
center of trade.
Barcelona is full of beautiful parks, fascinating architecture, and all the art anyone could ever hope for. The city is surrounded by wooded hills, and going north along the eastern coastline you will find sand flats and plunging cliffs that harbor quaint fishing villages. From the Pyrenees Mountains that separate Spain and France, to the
vineyards and orchards of Cataluña, students in Barcelona will have no lack of things to see.
Barcelona is probably most famous for its architecture, which ranges from medieval to downright surreal, thanks to the parks, buildings and the unforgettable Catedral de la Sagrada Familia, all left by Catalonian architect Antoni Gaudí. From the Barri Gòtic to the Eixample to Gaudi’s wonderland of Parc Güell, you can find every type of architecture imaginable.
Not into the surreal and cubist artists such as Picasso, Dalí, and Miró? Then head down to the beach in Vila Olímpica when you can catch a tan, have some lunch, or people watch as the movers and shakers come and go from the Hotel Arts. If the city beaches aren’t your thing, you can head to Sitges, a town only 25 minutes from Barcelona by train, with its own pristine beaches and little cafes.
In the Spanish region of Catalunya, there are two official languages: Catalan and Castillian (Spanish).
Catalan is a Romance language that originated at about the same time as other Romance languages, such as
French and Spanish. Although Catalan is the official language of the region, classes for ASA students are
taught in Castilian, and everyone at the universities speaks
Spanish; others also speak French or English. Students with knowledge of French or Spanish usually even pick up some
Catalan within a very short time.
Universitat de Barcelona click here for course offerings
The University of Barcelona (UB) was founded in 1450, but the current main building of the university
was inaugurated in 1871. With 3,000 faculty members, 1,600 additional personnel and the largest
facilities, number of courses offered and amount of research conducted, the 1,300 international
students at UB know they are in an world-class institution.
Students at UB have access to an extensive range of services. The library is the second largest in
Spain with more than two million books and 38,000 journals available throughout the different schools
and campuses.
The main building where ASA students attend classes is located in the city center only a 5-minute walk from Plaza Catalunya and Las Ramblas.
There are numerous Metro and bus stops within walking distance, as well as more restaurants and shops than one could imagine.
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) click here for course offerings
The Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is a public university that has grown quickly in both size and stature since being founded in 1968. About 45,000 Spanish students now matriculate at the University, as well as a large number of international students who attend one of its many student exchange programs located all over the world.
The Sant Pau Campus
The UAB offers classes in Spanish and English for foreign students at the School of Modern Languages on its Sant Pau campus. Located in the lovely Eixample section of central Barcelona, the Sant Pau campus is close to the famous Sagrada Familia cathedral. It is also part of the Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau modernist complex, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997. While ASA students take classes at Sant Pau and Sarrià, they may also enjoy all the amenities of the Bellaterra main campus, which includes restaurants, a swimming pool, and the sports center (SAF).
The Sarrià Campus
This brand new campus of the UAB will make its debut in January of 2009.
Located in an affluent financial and educational district of Barcelona called Sarrià,
it is only a 5-minute train ride from Plaza Catalunya by the Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat, the same line that goes to the Bellaterra main UAB campus. Because the Sarrià campus follows the same calendar and class timetable as Sant Pau, ASA students will have the opportunity to take classes on both campuses at the same time, thereby broadening the course selection available to them. For example, depending on scheduling, students may have classes at Sant Pau on Mondays and Wednesdays, and classes at Sarrià on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But even if you have a class on each campus on the same day, it's no problem to travel between campuses (just a 25-minute subway ride).
The UAB Main Campus - Bellaterra
The main university campus, Bellaterra, is located 32 minutes by train from central Barcelona, but it is still in the metropolitan area. ASA students with an advanced or superior level of Spanish may take classes at Bellaterra with Spanish students. Taking classes at the Bellaterra campus is a fantastic opportunity for advanced level students to take part in a true Spanish university experience while earning college credits.
Included with the ASA program at the UAB main campus is a special 2 ½ week orientation course designed by the UAB to help students learn about the university system in Spain. It is an essential component for helping you understand your role and the professors' roles at the university before your classes begin. Thanks to the UAB orientation course, you will be fully prepared to tackle your classes in the regular Spanish university!
ASA students attending the Bellaterra campus will still live with Spanish host families in central Barcelona, just like students who attend Sant Pau/ Sarrià. The commute to the UAB main campus is easy and convenient, with a train arriving every 6 minutes if you combine the timetables of the RENFE and Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat. (Due to scheduling conflicts, students may not combine courses at Bellaterra with those at Sant Pau and Sarria.)
Barcelona Center for Education Abroad (BCEA) click here for course offerings
The Barcelona Center for Education Abroad has created a program with an international focus that draws upon the many resources the city and country has to offer. Through an educational cooperative with the University of Barcelona, BCEA offers courses in literature, Spanish history and culture, studio arts, art history, political science, and more, taught in both the Spanish and American traditions of higher education. All students from beginner to advanced proficiency in Spanish can participate in the program, and all are afforded ample opportunity to study and begin to speaking Spanish, or perfect their linguistic skills. Those students who are exceptionally fluent in the language may fully enroll in the University along with Spanish degree-seeking students and choose from the wide variety of courses available there.
The Barcelona Center for Education Abroad is located in the city center, only a short walk to the Universitat de Barcelona, in one of the most beautiful and bustling areas of the city called Eixample, on its most elegant tree-lined street, La Rambla Catalunya. At BCEA you will find a varied liberal arts program, a prestigious faculty, and newly renovated educational facilities, including classrooms, lounges, library computer lab and administrative offices. The program is staffed by experienced professionals dedicated to offering the best possible services and to allowing students to take full advantage of their study abroad experience.
The Nightlife
Ask around and most Europeans would agree that some of the best nightlife in Europe is in
Barcelona. Even some Americans might argue that Barcelona is actually the "city that never sleeps".
Anyone who loves music and dance will find a variety of choices every night of the week. From opera
to rock to a swing club to an all night disco, Barcelona has it all.
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