Business in Barcelona - Semester
Joint Study Center Program with the Learning Abroad CenterProgram Dates:
*The Carlson Global Institute encourages students to apply early. Starting Spring 2025, the Business in Barcelona program is open to students on a first come, first served basis and there will be capacity restrictions on the program. We anticipate this program to reach its capacity before the application deadline.
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Offered in partnership with the Learning Abroad Center, this program gives you the opportunity to enroll in business and non-business courses in addition to an optional credit-bearing internship experience while living in Barcelona. Â
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Program Details
Live and study in the international city of Barcelona. Explore Catalan and Spanish working life through an English-speaking internship while also taking a mix of business and non-business courses. Begin the day with a papaya smoothie in Barcelona’s biggest food market, La Boqueria. Climb to the top of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia. Delight in GaudÃ's art. Relax in a beautiful city park. Cheer on FC Barcelona among 100,000 screaming fútbol fans. Gaze into the glistening Mediterranean Sea. Get ready to live like a barcelonés.
The Business in Barcelona program offers courses that deepen your understanding of Spanish and Catalan culture. A key feature of the program is the internship experience, which allows you to integrate with Spanish people, experience the culture firsthand, and gain professional work experience.
Apartment
Between 5 and 8 students share apartments, which include single or double bedrooms, bathrooms, and laundry. Meals are not included, but each apartment has a full kitchen. Apartments are located throughout the city of Barcelona. Students may request specific roommates, but we cannot guarantee that requests will be fulfilled.
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Homestay
Students could be placed with roommates or as the only student in the home. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included seven days a week. Snacks or food in between meals is the student's responsibility.Â
- BCLA 3375: Global Internship course - 3 or 6 UMN creditsÂ
- BCLA 3002: Global Marketing - 3 UMN creditsÂ
- approved for a MTKG elective, ENTRE elective, IB foundations or breadth
- BCLA 3003: Intercultural Management - 3 UMNÂ credits
- approved for HRIR elective, Strategic MGMT minor additional elective, IB foundations or breadth
- BCLA 3016: Intercultural Communications - 3 UMN credits
- approved for IB foundations or breadth
- BCLA 3017: The Business of Social Media - 3 UMN credits
- approved for MKTG 4076, IDSC 4455, IB Depths, BA minor elective
- BCLA 3048: Transportation & Logistics Management - 3 UMN creditsÂ
- approved for SCO 3048
- BCLA 4061: Marketing & Distribution Channels - 3 UMN creditsÂ
- approved for MKTG 4061
- BCLA 4622W: International Finance - 3 UMN credits
- approved for FINA 4622, IB Foundations course, & Writing Intensive
- Students who have already taken FINA 4622 but are needing a writing intensive should consider the other writing intensive course options offered on the program.
- To see a full list of courses (including non-business courses, and courses approved for liberal education requirements) see the Learning Abroad Center "Study & Intern in Barcelona" website
- IBP (International Business Program)
- Business courses
- International students only
- Course info (6 ECTS = 3 UMN credits) -Â https://www.upf.edu/web/studyabroad/ibp
- ESCI RegularÂ
- Business courses
- International and local students
- Course info (4 ECTS = 2 UMN credits) -Â https://www.upf.edu/web/studyabroad/ESCI_Regular
- BaPIS (Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies)
- Liberal Education courses
- International students only
- Course info - https://www.upf.edu/web/bapis/courses-and-syllabi
- Students are required to enroll in at least 12 UMN equivalent credits total
- All grades will come back A/F on the official UMN transcript
- Students can take no more than two courses at UPF.Â
- Students may not take courses from different UPF programs. All courses must be within one UPF program.
- Students pursuing courses at UPF may not participate in an internship in Barcelona.
- Some UPF courses have been evaluated for UMN equivalencies.
- For Carlson equivalencies - check the Carlson Study Abroad Business Course Equivalencies Database
- For Liberal Education equivalencies - check the UCredit Abroad Database
Students partake in courses taught at the CEA CAPA Study Center. Students also have the option to take some of their courses at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), a local Spanish university. Classes at the CEA CAPA Study Center are specifically offered for study abroad students, and fellow classmates will be other study abroad students on the program. Classes at UPF will be a mix of students from the United States, other international students, and Spanish students. It's important that Carlson students understand that if they take classes at UPF, the academic environment will be very different from the Carlson School. They will be held to UPF grading systems, classroom behavior expectations, and there will be cultural differences in how they interact with their faculty member. Please reach out to CGI if you would like to discuss this further.Â
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Study Center courses:
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Universitat Pompeu Fabra Courses:
There are three programs available to students at UPF:
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Academic Considerations:
- Second-semester sophomore, junior, or senior status
- 2.5 minimum GPA
- Spanish language experience is NOT required
- 3 UMN credit internship: students will work 20 hours per week at their internship site and enroll in the Global Internship Program course for 3 UMN credits (30 contact hours).
- 6 UMN credit internship: students will work 20 hours per week at their internship site and enroll in the Global Internship Program course for 6 UMN credits (45 contact hours). Students will have additional projects, assignments and activities that make up the additional contact and work hours spent on the course, but the time spent at the internship site is the same per week as the 3 UMN credit internship
- Administration
- Advocacy
- Business
- Communications
- Community Engagement
- Charities
- Environment
- Fashion
- Fundraising
- Finance (General)
- HR
- IT
- Language and Translation
- Marketing
- Non-Profit
- Public Relations
- Recruitment
- Retail
- Real Estate
- Social Media
- Sales
Students participating in the study center program have the option to participate in a credit-bearing internship experience. An internship abroad is a great way to not only gain professional experience, but to experience workplace culture from an international perspective. It’s also a great opportunity to meet locals!Â
Internship placements are available in a variety of fields and in three languages: English, Catalan, and Spanish. Rather than applying for particular internship openings abroad, students on this program submit additional internship application materials to our partner, CEA CAPA. CEA CAPA then works with local organizations and companies to find a suitable placement. Students are notified of their internship placements prior to departure.
Applying for an Internship
Within the CEA CAPA application, students will indicate that they would like to participate in an internship. Students will provide CEA CAPA with the required application materials and give them their top three areas of interest for potential placements. Students are encouraged to speak to CEA CAPA directly or work with their academic advisers to determine their three choices. CEA CAPA uses this information to find a placement. Students are informed of their placement two weeks prior to departure. Utilize CEA CAPA’s internship application guide.
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Internship Eligibility Requirements
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Academic Credit
Students can choose to participate in a 3 or 6 UMN credit internship experience.
Internship Placements
See sample internship placements for an idea of what you might expect for a placement. Past internships have been in the fields listed below, but this is not a complete list. If you do not see the field you are interested in, inquire with your program advisor about the possibility of doing an internship in that field.
- No Spanish language required
Minimum 2.5 GPA
Students with a GPA between 2.0 and 2.5 - see additional information below
Sophomore, junior, or senior status
Students must meet prerequisites for the courses they want to take. Students should plan closely with their academic advisers prior to participating in a semester or summer abroad program to best prepare for remaining major(s) and graduation requirements.Â
- Optional Internship: Strict requirement of at least second-semester sophomore status, minimum GPA at least 2.5
Optional courses at UPF: Strict 3.0 GPA or higher. Students are subject to UPFÂ admission policies.Â
Personal Statement addressing their GPA, any extenuating circumstance surrounding it, and why they feel that they are nonetheless equipped for academic success on the program (REQUIRED)
UMN transcript that offers greater detail on the trajectory of the student’s grades and the subject areas that might have posed greater challenges to the student (REQUIRED)
Recommendation from an academic or other advisor who support that’s students application and their ability to succeed on the program (RECOMMENDED)
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Supplemental materials to be submitted to CEA CAPA if below GPA requirement: 2.0 - 2.5 GPA
- US citizens staying in Spain for more than 90 days must obtain a Spanish student visa.
- Non-US citizens should check with the Spanish embassy to determine any special regulations pertaining entry into Spain at any time.
- If you use the visa service, a $150Â fee will be assessed to your University of Minnesota account.Â
- The deadline to use this service fluctuates each term depending on the consulate's availability. The deadline to use this service can sometimes fall before the program application, so be sure to apply to the program early if you plan to use the visa service.
- To use the service, students must attend drop off their visa application materials and passport at the Carlson Global Institute office.Â
- Only complete visa applications will be accepted. If you fail to include one or more of the necessary pieces to receive your visa when you drop off your visa application, you will have to return at a later time with your complete visa application.Â
Remember to read all information that you receive regarding student visas carefully. Requirements could change at any time and vary from consulate to consulate.
University of Minnesota Visa Service
The Spanish consulate in Chicago has graciously granted the University of Minnesota the ability to both drop off Spanish student visa applications and pick up the completed student visas on behalf of students studying abroad in Barcelona.Â
This is an optional service, and is only available to students on the Business in Barcelona / Study & Intern in Barcelona program. Each student MUST inform the Carlson Global Institute of their plans for obtaining the student visa whether they chose to use this service or not.
Using the Batch Visa Service
Not Using the Visa Service
You will need to apply for the visa in-person at the consulate. The in-person consulate appointment is required no earlier than 90 days and no later than 4 weeks prior to program start date. Student’s are only eligible to apply to the consulate with jurisdiction over the state where they are from or the state in which their school is located. Click here to find your consulate. Each consulate will require slightly different supporting documents. Students should refer to the consulate’s website.
Detailed instructions will be emailed to confirmed students directly.
- Business in Barcelona - Study Center - take all courses at the study center with other students from the United States.
- Business in Barcelona - University Study and Study Center -Â take a mix of courses at the study center and at UPF.
- Why did you select this particular program and how does it suit your academic, career, and personal goals?Â
- What do you think you might find challenging about studying abroad and how do you think you will meet those challenges?Â
Students will be charged a $50 application fee. In the online application, you will choose between two tracks. See below for track information. Contact the Carlson Global Institute advisor if you have questions about these tracks:Â
Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are submitted. Students will be informed of their status within two weeks of completing their application. The Carlson Global Institute encourages students to apply early, as this program is anticipated to reach its capacity before the application deadline.Â
Part of the application requires submission of an essay addressing the following questions. The total essay cannot exceed 500 words in total.
Carlson School students interested in this program must apply through the Business in Barcelona program. They may not apply through the Learning Abroad Center’s Study & Intern in Barcelona program.Â
Financial Aid:
Most financial aid may be applied to study abroad. Please visit our Financial Aid webpage for more information. Business in Barcelona students also have access to the Bridging Loan, which is a no-interest/no-fees loan that funds the upfront program deposit and flight costs.Â
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Scholarships:
Students on this program may apply for Carlson Global Institute scholarships, as well as scholarships the Learning Abroad Center.Â
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CEA CAPA, our onsite logistics partner in Barcelona, also offers scholarships. More information about CEA CAPA scholarships can be found here.
Cost Estimate (Summary)
Carlson Students on this program are billed through their University of Minnesota student account by the Learning Abroad Center.
Fall 2024:
- Business in Barcelona - Study Center
- Business in Barcelona - University Study and Study Center (Hybrid)Â
Spring 2024:
- Business in Barcelona - Study Center
- Business in Barcelona - University Study
- Business in Barcelona - University Study and Study Center (Hybrid)
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Cancellation Policy:
Participants on this program are held to the Learning Abroad Center cancellation policy, as outlined under "Learning Abroad Center and Affiliate Programs 30 days or more in length" here.