Beginning with the Spring 2025 application cycle, admission to the CIEE Barcelona: Economics and Culture program will be subject to enrollment capacity. Once the maximum enrollment is reached, applications will close, even if it’s before the Vanderbilt (GEO) advertised application deadline. Depending on capacity, there may be a waitlist.

We encourage advance planning and research to ensure that the  CIEE Barcelona: Economics and Culture program is a good fit for your academic, personal, and career goals. Students applying to CIEE Barcelona: Economics and Culture should submit their application early, and are strongly encouraged to have a back-up study abroad application.

In this program, facilitated by CIEE, students take courses in Barcelona: the largest city on the Mediterranean Sea and brimming with culture, sport, fashion, finance, media, and entertainment. The CIEE Economics and Culture Program is designed for economics majors who want to increase their Spanish language skills and take rigorous coursework at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), which is internationally recognized for its economics program. Students take a Spanish language course based on their skill level, 1-2 courses at the UPF Department of Economics & Business and/or at the UPF HESP program, and 2-3 CIEE elective courses. Language courses are taught by experienced professors who specialize in teaching Spanish as a second language. All other courses are taught by experienced university faculty and business professionals. Students live either with a Spanish-speaking family, in a residence hall with other Spanish and international students, or in a shared apartment with CIEE students. In addition to their coursework, students can opt for an internship to gain practical experience with NGOs, schools, businesses, and more. Students can visit nearby Roman ruins, see Salvador Dali's work, summit Tibidabo Mountain, and take weekend trips to other Spanish cities. Access UPF's course catalogue and listings here.