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CIEE: Barcelona - Business & Culture

Program Information

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Program Provider:

CIEE

Location:

Barcelona, Spain (Espana)

Official Website:

Visit Official Website

Language Requirement:

None

42 reviews

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This program is designed for students at any language level with a strong interest in business and economics (classes taught both in English and Spanish). Students who are motivated to develop their Spanish language skills and learn about Spain and Europe through living in the unique and beautiful city of Barcelona will find that this program provi...

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Student Reviews

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Julie 1

01/17/12

NEVER LEAVING BARCELONA

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CIEE was overall not a good program. We had to take a class at ESCI (a spanish university) and the teachers could barley speak english. The CIEE classes were interesting though and I think I learned a lot. view full review

Nancy_353

01/17/12

Barcelona 2011

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teachers were completely uninvolved, gave a fair amount of work, overall grade basically determined by one final. Never received feedback in any of my classes... view full review

Kevin_4768

08/02/11

Barcelona: A Great Place to Study, Learn A Different Culture, and Have Fun

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Yes! I just loved how being in Europe allows you to travel anywhere you want in Europe for relatively cheap prices. I went all over and it was just amazing seeing all these places rich with culture and history. view full review

Kathryn1

08/02/11

Barcelona, Spain made me see the world differently and I now plan to travel much more in my life!

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I became much more independent from going abroad, I learned how to adapt to different cultures, I learned that your going to go through some rough times but in the end EVERYTHING will be okay. I feel so much more culturally aware and feel so lucky to have had such a great experience. After going abroad I now know what other countries I would like to travel to in the fut... view full review

ccaliendo

08/02/11

i am a new person because i studied abroad in spain

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you must study abroad!!!! view full review

XXXX

08/01/11

Barcelona

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Absolutely... Just wish I may have studied somewhere a little more authentic. And with a program who did more trips that were included in the program fee. view full review

c4

07/29/11

Barcelona:The best experience of your life

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very worthwhile; learned many things I could never learn without experiencing them. Wish I could go back again, (just not with CIEE) view full review

Megan 2

07/28/11

Barcelona: the time of my life

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A few major tests were the majority of your grade. At ESCI, there was no attendance policy, some students only came to class twice: for the midterm and the final. view full review

KelliK

07/28/11

Barcelona Spain: Changed my life and helped me grow and learn more about myself.

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YES! I learned and have grown so much from my time abroad both about myself and about different ways of life. view full review

Leah Levitte

07/28/11

I LOVED BARCELONA!!!!!!

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I loved every second of living in Barcelona. view full review

Matt22

07/27/11

Barcelona: I am coming back soon.

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Overall the educational experience was very good. I enjoyed the different style of teaching from professors abroad. I however was not too enthused about the grading system. It seemed that they were under the belief that in order to get an A, you had to be the #1 student in the country. Workload was considerably less overall compared to Providence, however I did have on... view full review

Lyndsay

07/27/11

Barcelona was awesome.

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learned a lot about myself and improved my work ethic and interactive skills. view full review

Brent_7038

06/27/11

Barcelona: Work Hard Play Hard

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The grading system is a bit skewed, despite the professors attempting to use the U.S. system. Workload seemed appropriate, but the class attendance policy was very strict. view full review

Johnny1

06/21/11

Barcelona: My Second Home

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Be open to new experiences. view full review

Liza2

05/28/11

A time to remember

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The overall educational experience went far beyond just the classroom atmosphere. Not only did we learn in the classroom's but I also learned so much outside, from field trips and the local artists and architecture. I also learned so much from traveling all throughout Europe and seeing the world from a whole new lens and perspective, as it was only my second time in a fore... view full review

Jenny

05/26/11

A Great Semester in Barcelona

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As noted before, the education system in Spain is much different than what we American students were used to. Your studies are much more independent and you cannot rely on the professor to give you too much guidance for exams, etc. As a history major, I did not have much trouble with the amount of writing assignments that were given, but I did notice that many people were ... view full review

Lauren31

05/24/11

Barcelona: Independence

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yes view full review

Katie52

05/23/11

Barcelona was a Life Changing Experience

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I definitely became much more independent having to navigate a city by myself. I had never been outside the country before so this was a great experience overall. I definitely want to travel more in Europe now and eventually go back to Barcelona. view full review

Emma_9203

05/18/11

Learning more in a semester then I did in 3 years

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Just do it and don't hold back. Students need to be competent and independent/ open minded/ responsible view full review

erickakoos

05/11/11

Barcelona: Greatest Time of My Life

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Studying abroad was the best thing that I have done thus far in my career. It was a great opportunity to learn about new cultures and develop an appreciation for these cultures. I became more independent and confident as a person and learned more about myself in 4 months than I ever have previously. view full review

Liesl Huber

05/10/11

Barcelona: Is it Really Time to Go?

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I learned so much from my time in Barcelona. I experienced new things and learned a lot about myself. It was my time to become more independent and confident in myself. I was able to use my Spanish and become more confident in speaking with other people. I definitely can see myself moving to Barcelona after college and working. I gained an even greater appreciation for ... view full review

Kyle_2124

05/10/11

Best Time of My Life

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There was less emphasis on daily activities and quizzes. Instead it is mostly graded by the midterm final, and maybe one or two projects depending on the class. view full review

Montse

05/09/11

Barcelona: Stay A While

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Take in every moment you can because you are going to miss it once youre back in the US. view full review

Jenny9

04/29/11

Barcelona: Time of My Life

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Any student given the opportunity to step completely out of their comfort zone and challenge his/herself to experience this once in a lifetime opportunity should absolutely do so. There is no "type" of person who should study abroad; I believe everybody should. I have learned more about myself and the world in the past four months than I have in all of my 20 years. I ma... view full review

Alex33

04/28/11

Barcelona was awesome

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If you are looking to learn Spanish and get a cultural experience in Spain chose a smaller city in Spain such as San Sebastain, Salamanca, Sevilla, Granada, etc. view full review

Gabrielle_3511

04/26/11

Barcelona Opened My Eyes to a New Culture, a New World, a New Me.

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I think a student who really wants to understand a different culture and learn or enhance their foreign language skills would really benefit from this program. You could come here and just party because the night life is great but I think someone who is really serious about developing their understanding of another country and its traditions will be able to take full advan... view full review

Amanda Fakhir

01/31/11

Barcelona: A home & vacation in one city

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someone who is open-minded and easy to get along with, up for an adventure and not lazy! view full review

Mike8

09/12/10

Spain: Greatest experience I had.

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Yes, it was worthwhile and I am so glad I had the opportunity to do it. I learned about all kinds of different cultures and people. I learned a lot about myself and going there made me want to learn more about the world and travel more. view full review

kcook

07/18/10

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My study abroad experience was extremely worthwhile. I learned a lot about myself and have gained a sense of independence. I experienced things I never thought I would and have met a lot of diverse, interesting, and incredible people. It gave me a more global perspective on issues in the world and enhanced my appreciation of different cultures. view full review

Atkins523

07/14/10

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Go abroad! And to a place where many countries are closely located. view full review

Michael F

07/14/10

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Absolutely. The friends, experiences, knowledge, and overall appreciation for all of those things and more is priceless. view full review

AB5

07/13/10

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The grading system was frustrating for some classes because there was not a specific breakdown of how you did and there were only 1-2 grades for some classes, so it made it crucial to do well on those exams. view full review

Suny

06/27/10

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It was the smartest/best decision I ever made. Everything about it made me a more interesting and worldly person from travelling to the international friends I made. It was the most incredible experience of my life and truly words dont describe it. I wish I could do it again!! view full review

kcook

04/26/10

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Yes. I gained much more of an understanding of myself and feel like I've learned so much about the world. I have become much more independent and have become more tolerant and understanding of different people. I have learned to relax and not stress as much about the little things in life. Studying abroad has increased my interest in the world around me and helped me break... view full review

crice4

02/09/10

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While it's important to travel while you are abroad, it is equally as important, if not more important, to enjoy and learn about the city that you are living in. Save time at the end to travel, and enjoy your host city while you are there. view full review

Jen2

02/08/10

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Yes it was very worthwhile. I loved it and would love to go again. view full review

crice4

01/09/10

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It's important to realize that CIEE is more academically focused than other programs. While certainly isn't the same as being at PC, it is not a blow off semester. As long as you know this ahead of time, you won't be shocked. I would also advise students in this program to get to know their Guardian Angels. I wish I would have interacted mroe with mine because I feel like ... view full review

EMG

01/09/10

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Yes, loved it. view full review

Ben11

01/05/10

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The CIEE business and culture program is a great program. They are very accomodating to your needs and preferences and do the best they can to make your study abroad experience a good one. The university where you study at is challenging, but you learn a lot. Don't expect the studies to be easy because if you want good grades, you have to put in a lot of effort. Barcelona ... view full review

Steve 1

01/04/10

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It was extremely worthwhile. Not only do you learn about Europe and what is outside of American walls but you also learn about yourself. You are forced to adapt and it can be very rewarding. It allows you to see the world from a different perspective. view full review

Gabby17

12/15/09

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My study abroad experience was so worthwhile! I had so many doubts and fears in the months prior to my departure to Spain, but I was soon put at ease when I met other students who were going through the same things that I was. I have made the most incredible friends that I hope to keep in touch with when I return to the United States. I have also learned a lot about myse... view full review

James

06/22/09

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Look above, but bring extra cash, get ready to stay up late a lot, the classes are easy, the kids are easy to make friends with and relate to with any background/university you come from, and the most important thing is: Barcelona is an unbelievable city, but try and visit as many places as possible. view full review

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