Virtual Summer in Barcelona

Posted in Announcements Events  |  Tagged , , ,

The Department of Spanish and Portuguese has continued to work with our partners in Barcelona to plan for the virtual delivery of the GU in Barcelona: Politics of Identity summer program.  After many conversations, we are excited to present a plan for this year’s program that we believe will preserve the program’s academic and language development goals, as well as all core components of the learning experience. 

Modified Coursework

The required course load for the program will be reduced from 9 credits (three courses) to 6 credits (two courses).  We believe this is necessary to support healthy and manageable completion of all academic requirements in a virtual environment, while still keeping the nature of the program academically intensive and immersive. 

Students will enroll in two of the following three courses, each of which will meet synchronously for 90 minutes three times per week (total 9 hours of class time per week). 

  • SPAN-313-62 Bilingualism: The Mind and Its Context (taught by GU Professor Cristina Sanz)
  • SPAN-393-62 Catalan Art History (taught by a UPF faculty)
  • SPAN-394-62: History & Politics of National Identity (taught by a UPF faculty)

Virtual Field Work and Spanish Conversation Exchanges

Additionally, students will participate in mandatory fieldwork, meant to replicate the program’s numerous guided tours and visits in and around Barcelona.  During these field visits, you will be engaged with local experts in the history and cultural relevance of each site, as it pertains to topics in your courses.  These field experiences will take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays (3 hours total per week).
Students will also be paired with Spanish students from the UPF for regular Spanish language conversation hours.  These semi-structured meetings will take place twice weekly, and will allow you to accelerate your Spanish proficiency in an authentic and non-academic context. Conversation exchanges will take place twice weekly, for a total (minimum) three hours per week. 

Modified Program Fee

The Program Fee for Summer 2021 has been reduced to $5,995.  This change reflects the reduction in credits granted as well as the removal of onsite participation costs, such as housing, program transportation and logistics, access to UPF campus amenities, and health insurance.   

Being enrolled in six credits means students are still considered full-time for the summer term, which has implications for financial aid and scholarship eligibility.


Enrollment

The deadline for applications is April 8th.

Students will need to confirm their intention to participate in the program by April 15, 2021.  

If you have any questions at all, or would like to discuss your decision, please  schedule an appointment (new window) to meet with Greg Spear at OGE, or to email your questions to him directly.