Maryland-in-Barcelona Academic Overview

Spanish Language: All students will take a placement exam to assess the appropriate level of Spanish to take in Barcelona and will enroll in 3 or 6 credits of Spanish language at either UAB or UPF. Refer to the course offerings for your particular term and the Study Abroad Course Database (SACD) for course descriptions and syllabi.

NOTE: ARHU majors should be aware of the sequential language policy. Credit will only be granted if a language course in Barcelona is taken at a higher level than what has already been taken at UMD.

Elective Courses: Students will select the remainder of their courses from UAB or UPF electives in the fields of humanities, STEM, behavioral and social sciences, business or architecture. There are course options available in both English and Spanish.

Internship: All students have the option to select a 3-credit internship course, which includes placement in a local organization and an online course, EDCP386: Experiential Learning - Internship (resident credit) . The internship is an excellent opportunity to complement your cultural engagement and professional development activities while abroad. While Spanish language may not be required for the internship, some experience with Spanish language may be encouraged depending on the placement. 

Notes: The internship 3 credit course would be in addition to the 12 UMD credits you take at your university in Barcelona.

Availability of Courses: Students should refer to the respective University's website for the most up to date information on course availability. Courses cannot be guaranteed.

University Options

Students who are accepted to the Maryland-in-Barcelona program will choose to take classes at one of our partner universities:

• Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF) or
• Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

Both universities are well-known and highly regarded public Spanish institutions of higher education, offering a wide range of courses and unique opportunities to learn more about Spain, Spanish, and Catalán culture. Courses are taught by local or international faculty or lecturers who provide students with expertise in the respective discipline and often act as a cultural interpreter as students explore the socio-political and cultural aspects of their study abroad semester.

In order to help you select which university fits your academic and personal interests, please take some time to review the information provided below and on the UAB and UPF websites. See where each university is located on the Maryland-in-Barcelona google map.

Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

Academic Experience

• Strong focus on social sciences, business, and humanities
• Courses through:
  • Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (BaPIS)
  • ESCI School of International Business

Students may take classes alongside local, international, and study abroad students.

Key Features

• Opportunity to earn a Certificate in International Business
• Emphasis on global learning and collaboration
• Multinational classroom environments

Schedule & Calendar

• Classes meet twice per week (Mon–Thurs)
• Trimester system
  • Spring students follow “Winter” term courses and finish their courses in late-March

Campus Life

• Centrally located campuses across Barcelona
• Full access to university facilities and services
• Integrated student experience

Maryland-in-Barcelona, UPF Course Offerings

At UPF, students will enroll in Spanish language and select from a range of course offerings taught in English and Spanish. Typically, students will take most courses from the Barcelona Program for Interdisciplinary Studies (IBP) and the ESCI School of International Business. The courses offered by the IBP comprise a wide assortment of topics and perspectives.

Students interested in pursuing coursework in Business and Economics will take classes alongside Spanish and international students at UPF's ESCI School of International Business. ESCI courses promote enhanced understanding of business concepts in a global environment and encourage students to work in multinational teams. Students are also eligible to earn a Certificate in International Business if they complete the appropriate coursework. Please review UPF's website for complete details.

Classes at UPF typically meet for two hours, twice a week, Monday through Thursday. Course offerings and scheduling are subject to change.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Students attending UPF should be particularly mindful of the academic calendar as UPF functions on a trimester schedule (students attending the spring program should be sure to look at courses for Winter) and course calendars will vary.
 

Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

Academic Experience

• Structured study abroad-specific program
• Courses designed for international students
• Wide range of disciplines including:
  • Language, humanities, business, STEM, and Economics

Students will not take classes with local Spanish students.

Key Features

• Add/drop period and enrollment in a course portal system
• Courses taught in English or Spanish
• Traditional semester structure

Schedule & Calendar

• Classes typically meet Monday–Thursday
• 6-credit Spanish courses meet more frequently (up to 4 times/week)

Campus Life

• Classes held at the historic Casa Convalescència building (city center)

Maryland-in-Barcelona, UAB Course Offerings

UAB's pre-established study abroad programme combines lessons of Spanish as a foreign language plus electives in humanities, politics, economics, STEM and business taught in English or in Spanish.

3 UMD Credit elective classes at UAB typically meet for 1 hour 40 minutes, twice a week Monday through Thursday. The 6 UMD credit Spanish language classes meet for four-1 hour 40 minute sessions per week (Monday through Thursday), which could be either two classes back-to-back (with a 20-minute break in between) twice a week, two classes on the same day twice a week but not back-to-back, or one class at the same time four days per week. Course offerings and scheduling are subject to change. UAB is on a more traditional semester calendar. 

Academic Policies

(1) You may NOT take courses on a Pass/Fail basis.
(2) You must receive the equivalent of a C- or better (5.0 or above) in a given subject in order for the course credit to transfer to UMD. Please refer to the grading scale here.

At the end of the semester, UAB and UPF will provide transcripts to Education Abroad for evaluation. While transfer credit grades are not factored into your UMD GPA, you will still have an official transcript from either UAB or UPF, meaning that all grades are important. Should you be required to submit transcripts from all institutions you have attended in the future for graduate school applications, for example, you will need to include official transcripts from UAB or UPF along with your UMD transcript and transcripts from any other schools you have attended.

If you believe there has been an error with one or more of your grades, contact the EA advisor for the program who will be able to request a grade report from your host institution.

Maryland-in-Barcelona Grading Scale: