Study Abroad in Barcelona, Spain!

A message from the Director:

Dear Student,

If you are reading this, then you’re already interested in studying abroad. My first piece of advice is, do it — wherever and whenever you may decide — but do it. It will be an experience you will never forget and may change your life for good, and always for the better. My second piece of advice is to read the "FAQs" section - a brief list is given below - to see if our program fits in with your requirements and expectations regarding study abroad.

Barcelona study abroad overview

As for Barcelona as a study-abroad destination,it has become and continues to become increasingly popular, for good reason. You probably know that it is one of Europe’s larger cities (fairly compact in area but with a population of over four million) right on the Mediterranean Sea in the Northeast corner of Spain about 100 miles south of the border with France. Like many other European cities, it has a very long history which literally surrounds you, the prime example being the Gothic Quarter near the beautifully redeveloped harbor, which is the largest surviving medieval quarter in Europe. Surrounding this old city is a grid of streets and avenues reflecting the design of Hausmann, the famous planner of the boulevards of Paris, fronted by 19th-century buidings with imposing facades (and interiors). Indeed, at the end of that century and into the early decades of the twentieth, there was an outpouring of art and architecture still found in the museums of Picasso and Miro and the fantastic buildings of Antoni Gaudi, among many others. Even more recently, following the 1992 Summer Olympics the city has seen a resurgence of this earlier dynamism, with sidewalks full of people and lined with cafes and shops, and an abundance of entertainments and cultural events.

Barcelona: environs

Alternatively, if your tastes run toward rural towns and countryside, and/or high mountains and steep coastlines, all of these are within an hour or two from Barcelona, including the ancient Roman city of Tarragona (the second largest city in the Roman empire), the Cathedral of Girona and the narrow streets that surround it, the Dali Museum in Figueres and the nearby coastal town of Cadaques.

Thanks for your interest, and we hope to hear from you soon.

Charles Grant, Ph.D.
Executive Director and Professor of Economics

Academia de les Lletres i Belles Arts (ALBA)

(Academy of Liberal and Beaux-Arts)

FAQs About the ALBA Study Abroad Program in Barcelona

• Is this a full-year study abroad program?
• What courses do you offer, and is anything required?
• Is there a minimum Spanish language requirement?
• Are you based at a local university in Barcelona?
• How does credit for ALBA courses transfer to my home school?
• Do you offer financial aid?
• What kind of Barcelona student housing is available?
• What kind of activities would be available while I'm studying in Barcelona?
• Is it possible to travel on the Program?
• Will I need a visa to study in Barcelona?
• I have heard that they don't speak Spanish in Barcelona?
• What other features of the ALBA Study Abroad Program are unique or of particular interest in comparison to other study abroad programs in Barcelona?
• How early should I apply and what is required?

Contact Information

Tel: 503-725-8567
Toll-free: 800-547-8887, ext. 5-8567
Fax: 503-725-5320
Email: albaus@pdx.edu
www.alba.pdx.edu

Mailing Address:
ALBA Study Abroad Program in Barcelona
Room 312, East Hall
International Affairs Office
Portland State University
P.O. Box 751
Portland, OR 97207-0751
USA

and

ALBA Study Abroad in Barcelona
C/ Ronda Sant Pere 23, Principal 3
08010 Barcelona
SPAIN