ALBA Study Abroad, Barcelona

I had such a great time, the program leaders were super helpful with living situations adjusting to the different aspects here and all my professors were awesome. They all cared a lot about the courses and wanted me to succeed and do better! They excursions that they provide are also super fun and you should go on as many as possible.

I had difficulty adjusting to the culture and the different structure at first but overall it’s been pretty great! It’s interesting learning about their culture and history. The people around made this experience even better!

Above all, I signed up to study abroad to fully immerse myself in Spanish language and culture. I wanted to experience living in Spain like locals did and practice my Spanish every single day. ALBA gave me just that. I signed up to live with a local family and had an amazing time. The house was close to campus, and the family were so willing to practice Spanish with me, slowing down their conversations when I couldn't keep up, asking me about my day, and explaining Spanish traditions and holidays to me when they came up. A lot of people who had done ALBA told me I will leave with new friends, but I also left with a new family and home in Barcelona.

I really enjoyed my time studying abroad with ALBA Barcelona and I would do it again if I could! I definitely recommend for anyone who wants to push themselves out of their comfort zone, explore internationally, and immerse themselves in Spain's culture. Barcelona is a city that offers bustling events as well as quiet peaceful days. It is also very easy to travel to nearby European countries from Spain and I have explored 9 new countries this quarter, coming from someone who had never been to Europe before this. The teachers are amazing as well and I appreciate their time to teaching kids abroad. Overall, I 10/10 recommend this experience!

I had a great time in Barcelona this term, ALBA was a great study abroad program and I am very glad I chose it at my program. Through ALBA I felt like I was able to experience different adventures, meet a lot of people, and be a part of fun activities. I felt that everything was very well organized and the program really focuses on getting students to explore Barcelona. I do wish I would’ve taken an Art class here with ALBA since I only heard good things about it. I took all business classes and it was definitely from classes back in the U.S but it was a good challenge. With the flexibility of the classes I was able to do traveling on the weekend and explore the city which made this experience even better!

This was an amazing program that helped me learn so much about Spain, meeting new people, and have new experiences! They did a great job making sure students have everything they need and being prepared for going abroad. Their orientation was very informative and helpful. Classes are small so you get to connect with your peers and teachers. Barcelona is also very close to other places so you can easily travel just for the weekend to explore Europe. I will note to choose classes that you’ll enjoy since some classes like the business ones sometimes give a lot of work. Doing abroad was the best choice ever because you really get to explore and experience so much.

Studying abroad with ALBA has truly been the best experience of my life. The community and opportunities offered made for unforgettable memories. From the weekly excursions, biweekly cooking classes, and passionate professors — the program allowed me to gain a deep understanding of Catalan culture while also propelling my desire to live and work abroad post grad.

I felt that there could be more encouragement for engagement in ALBA’s offered activities. There’s not many opportunities for integration between students from different universities. I know it’s difficult to increase engagement, but I felt like I only ever interacted with people from my home university.

If anyone is on the fence about study abroad do it! I had a great experience with the ALBA program. The program is well managed and experienced in taking care of students. Academically, the teachers were experienced and I got the classes I wanted to take. Due to the program's history, I know the credits will transfer smoothly to the University of Washington. For any University of Washington students in the Foster School of Business, you will take core requirements and won't be behind when you return. As for housing, I chose the most popular shared apartment option and was pleasantly surprised by a spacious apartment fully stocked with cooking equipment. I had 4 roommates and we shared a 5 bedroom 2 bathroom place 15 minutes from Placa Catalunya where Alba is located. Everyone gets different places and I was fortunate to get one closer to the school and larger than some people but for the most part everyone is satisfied. I am located in a touristy area that's safe and easily accessible to busses and trains. Socially, I went random for my roommates and we get a long great! Alba makes you fill out a form for roommates preferences and I think everyone was matched pretty well! 2 main schools feed into Alba: Cal Poly and University of Washington (Business school) and a couple from different universities. You get opportunities to meet other students through the small class sizes (10-15 per class) and through excursion groups and cooking classes (more on this later!). Don't worry if you are coming knowing nobody, if you make an effort to get to know other students you will be fine! Culturally, I DO wish I got to meet more local students as I would in an exchange program, but as someone who doesn't speak Spanish I wasn't sure how much of a viable option that would be for me. Barcelona is rich with culture, from going on free walking tours around the city to going on the walking tours provided by the school, going to museums, or going to markets you will have lots of opportunities to explore Catalonia culture IF you go look for it. Other experiences ALBA offers: They offer 5 excursions through a travel Agency Spanish trails. These are included in the price! Go to them! You will get free food and go on tours with guides! You will go with a group of about 10 students from around the program. This is a good way to meet more students. Cooking class! These are super fun. Cook with students and make traditional dishes. There are about 4 cooking classes throughout the quarter. Barcelona is an amazing city. During my study abroad trip I got the change to visit some other European cities and Barcelona is a fun one to come back to due to the amazing weather and easy transportation system. If given the opportunity, STUDY ABROAD you will learn so much about yourself as well as grow your confidence and capabilities. And I have no regrets about choosing to study abroad in Barcelona through the ALBA program.

I had a wonderful time, the cooking class was amazing. I went to Morocco with was amazing. Trips every other week to different places within the country would definitely recommend. The classes are wonderful, wine tasting so many different things to do and keep you busy. This is a great program with wonderful teachers and students

I absolutely loved getting to be in the ALBA program! I high recommend it to anyone looking to study abroad! I made incredible friends from different schools, loved the small class environments, and learned so much about the city I got to live in! I even got to go on a guided trip to Morocco with other students and staff!

Small classes and group excursions make you close to everyone in the program! ALBA puts in so much effort to immerse their students in the culture on Barcelona and surrounding areas. The teachers and staff are the best!! 10/10 recommend.

All around good experience, great staff, and amazing extracurriculars. The cooking classes and weekend excursions really bring together all the students and allow you to experience more than just classes! Couldn’t recommend more!

This is the best program in Barcelona. They have everything from cooking classes to wine tasting to excursions. The staff and teachers make you feel at home and show you everything Barcelona has to offer.

Everything about Alba is amazing! They make the most of living in Spain; it goes by way too fast. I got to live by the Sagrada Familia, and school was very accessible through the metro. The staff was friendly and answered my questions immediately. There were so many organized activities and the guides were super fun.

I had a great time at ALBA, the best parts of the program were the free excursions to other towns, and the cooking classes. You also get 3 day weekends which gives you more flexibility to travel to different countries. I found myself going to Portugal, London, Paris, Ireland, and Greece. For living you are given the option for a home-stay, apartment, or dorm. If you want to immerse yourself in the culture and save money do a home-stay, you pay a lot less and get cooked food. If you are coming in with friends and want a relaxed living situation choose an apartment. I became very close with my roommates and got to enjoy my apartment with a balcony and kitchen. Also if you can PLEASE choose Craigs class for Art & Architecture or Art & Metropolis. He is a phenomenal professor, who is passionate about his teachings and is a former tour guide that can teach you much about the history of the city.

ALBA Study Abroad Barcelona is a great experience that I highly recommend for anyone wanting to study abroad. ALBA does a great job immersing students in the Spanish culture with activities such as cooking classes, excursions, tours, etc. Through these activities I was given many chances to make connections with my classmates and create so many new friendships. ALBA’s classes are small and project based which made learning very interactive and enjoyable. One of my favorite things about ALBA is that they provide many resources and useful tips such as how to get to the airport, exciting day trips, and so much more. Barcelona as a city is a great place to go abroad because of the variety of things to do in the city. ALBA also encourages students to leave the country due to Spain’s proximity to many European countries. In general, ALBA has provided me with an unforgettable experience that I will cherish forever. Thank you ALBA!

During my ALBA experience I was able to go countless places and immerse myself in European culture. The classroom and learning environment is very cozy and was very close to where I was staying. Within the classroom there was lots of participation opportunities and truly gave me new perspectives that I would not have been exposed to in the United States. Teachers and staff are willing to work with you in all facets of life and it overall is a program with a bunch of great people.

Alba is a fantastic program that allowed us to experience Barcelona in a fun and educational way. From cooking classes to excursions, the instructors and guides were always thoughtful and kind. I had a blast, and would highly recommend!

I LOVE ALBA!! I had such an amazing time studying abroad with ALBA. The staff is always super welcoming and kind. I would definitely recommend ALBA to my friends and family!! The program is super awesome and worth it!

It was an amazing experience with the coolest people and faculty I could have asked for. Only set backs were issues with the appliances in the apartment, but other than that so solid! With the option of traveling and cooking classes every two weeks I feel I was able to get to know Spain as well as Europe.

I had the best time ever studying abroad in Barcelona with Alba Study Abroad!! The smaller program size made the experience so much better, more in depth, personal and gave me so many more opportunities and amazing experiences for a fraction of the price of my schools education abroad program! I highly highly recommend this program to anybody thinking of studying abroad especially in Barcelona, this city is an amazing place to live and be immersed in the culture for a couple months.

I honestly enjoyed the program so much and all the events we were able to participate in. The staff were absolutely amazing and helpful. I found a new family here with all the staff and Marcela has been my rock here. I appreciate her so much. The classes were the one thing I had an issue with because they weren’t all mentioned when I signed up which sucked because I wasn’t able to plan accordingly to what classes were offered which made it a lot harder for me to figure out subs.

ALBA is unlike any study abroad program. The classes are great, we get to go to different locations each session. The students are all inclusive and we have so much fun. The staff is incredibly helpful and make us feel at home.

Alba provides amazing adventurous and immersive experiences that put you out of your comfort zone and allow you to have a true experience of Barcelona and Catalonia. The classes are incredibly interesting with all of them having some field study or field trip component that takes you directly into the city. The weekly excursions are not to be missed as you are able to learn more about the Spanish and Catalonia cultures than you ever expected.

The professors were dedicated to their classes and made them engaging while becoming immersed in the city. The program structure itself was not very organized. There is a lack of communication before the trip which continues throughout. Overall, a good program for someone who wants to be more independent.

The ALBA program offers students so many amazing opportunities, most of which are included in your program costs (which are already pretty low for study abroad programs). Cooking classes learning how to make regional foods and Friday guided excursions outside of Barcelona are definitely highlights of my Spain experience. Classes are small with great instructors, and the facilities are nice. Highly recommend for anyone who is looking to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country!

Met some amazing people, visited breath taking places, and had an overall great time! I love Barcelona and Alba allowed me the opportunity to appreciate the city in its full glory. Cooking classes were delicious and the staff felt like family. I would highly recommend to others.

Great program. Really enjoyed the excursions but they are a workout so come prepared. The partnership with Spanish Trails is really great cause you get heavily discounted tours with them. Barcelona is a beautiful city and I know I'll remember this experience for the rest of my life!

This experience was amazing and the people here truly made the difference. Going abroad is really scary and uncomfortable but once you start meeting people in the program and getting to know the staff, you will feel somewhat at home.

This was genuinely the time of my life. I was put in an amazing apartment with 2 roommates who I did not know that are now some of my best friends. We were in an amazing location in the Gothic quarter, close to just about everything. The staff was fantastic and provided a great school, as well as study/lounge area to hang out with people in the program. I could not recommend this more to anyone!

Before leaving to landing in Barcelona, Spain the ALBA team did an amazing job keeping things organized! Although my roommates were picked at random, I was paired with amazing people for the shared living situation. With diverse options for classes, cooking class and Friday excursion it helps keep us busy and get to know the Spanish culture much better! I highly recommend to make this your study abroad option!!!

I’m not the most outgoing person in the world, nor the most adventurous, so I think my experience is a bit more subdued than my peers’, but I still had a nice time. I met really lovely people, traveled to new places, became comfortable with the city, and benefited from business classes with an international lens.

I had the most amazing study abroad! The excursions and events hosted by Spanish trails and Alba really helped me have the best time. Our apartment was not the best but some people had nice ones. We had problems with the WiFi and loud neighbors. Everything else went smoothly though.

ALBA study abroad is truly a very special program. Out of the many programs I considered, ALBA stood out as the best place for cultural immersion, group activities, and travel experience. Overall I am content with my academics this quarter (particularly my Art $& Architecture class, which is an 11/10 experience), and the program staff has been very helpful and organized. What truly distinguishes ALBA though is their partnership with Spanish Trails. Through this partnership we have been able to go on excursions to places we likely would not have prioritized otherwise, and* we were always well fed (this is trés important

Alba is a great opportunity to immerse yourself in the Spanish culture. The staff all live in Spain and love to share their knowledge of life in Spain. The location is right in the city center, allowing you to explore some of the most iconic areas without going very far.

The ALBA program and staff are incredibly accomodating; since day one, I have received academic support and have gone on several cultural tours in the city and excursions to historical cities outside Barcelona. Overall, my experience has been enlightening! I have learned about Catalan history, language, and culture. The program staff, faculty, and students have all been supportive and the city environment is an excellent place to learn! In the beginning, I wasn't sure whether Barcelona would be the right place to study abroad and today, I can honestly say it is one of the best decisions I have ever made—the experience has been incredible!

My experience abroad with ALBA was fantastic. If you are considering it, don't hesitate, just do it! You will have an amazing time, meet fabulous people, and experience more than you could ever imagine. The environment that is created through ALBA sets you up for the best possible success and allows you to have the time of your life.

My study abroad experience at ALBA has been nothing short of amazing. I truly feel immersed in the culture of Barcelona. The staff at ALBA have worked very hard to make sure there are plenty of opportunities available to students- including cooking classes and weekend excursions. I can’t recommend this program enough!

ALBA Study Abroad gave me the experience of a lifetime during my time in Barcelona. I didn't know what to expect when I traveled to Spain in fall of 2021, but this program gave me everything I had hoped for in a study abroad experience and more. All of the staff at ALBA truly want their students to make the most of their time in Barcelona and Europe in general, and are always available to provide their support and encouragement along the way. I really enjoyed how much they focus on student engagement both inside and outside of the classroom, with extracurricular activities like cooking classes, dance classes, amazing outdoor excursions, and plenty of other opportunities to get to know the city and really connect with the culture throughout the term. The small-group aspect also makes it a much more personalized experience. I highly recommend ALBA if you are considering studying abroad in Spain!

I had an amazing host family, very animated and excited professors!!! Alba is really amazing for any level of immersion you are looking for! They have an amazing staff who really want to get to know and help the students and are always open for a conversation. I was also welcomed into my host family's home and I felt like family. Even after my time in Barcelona had ended I still kept in contact with them. Alba also puts on a host of programs for the students and keeps them aware of all the local cultural events happening around the city!!!

Charles has put together an amazing team of passionate ALBA staff that will go above and beyond to make sure that your study abroad through ALBA is everything you expected and more. The unique cultural excursions, cooking classes, and Spanish instructor-led classes all held in small-scale groups create the perfect environment for you to experience Barcelona while building strong friendships with your peers. I cannot say enough good things about my study abroad experience with ALBA in the Winter of 2019. I would do it again in a heart beat!

ALBA was amazing. They spoiled us like none other, the staff was so personable easy to talk to and reachable with anything you may need (which seemed to have been a problem with bigger, more corporate programs), and every teacher was amazing passionate and welcoming. ALBA constantly was in touch with us about events going on around the city that helped to immerse students into local Barcelona culture and led great excursions to nearby cities. Even after my time abroad, the ALBA staff has kept in touch and taken the time to see how students are doing. Overall not a single complaint, I encourage every single person to do it!

Charles has set up one of the best programs for students studying abroad on the quarter system. Terrific professors and admin organization. They set up everything all you need to do is show up. Great apartment locations, terrific outings planned every other week, guided walks throughout the city every week and endless recommendations. I highly recommend completing this program!

ALBA was amazing! We had the option to attend excursions and see different parts of Spain. With no class on Fridays, I had many weekends to travel throughout Europe. Barcelona is such an exciting city to live in. ALBA houses students all over the city and it's great to have a chance to get to know the neighborhood you live in. The classes were challenging, while still taking into consideration that students wanted to explore the city. Overall, I would highly recommend choosing ALBA for your study abroad experience!

I truly had an incredible experience at ALBA. From the minute I applied to the very moment I left there was a solid amount of communication between myself and the program director. This was my first time leaving the United States, but ALBA and all of the staff members made me feel right at home and helped me adjust to life in Barcelona. Academically, this program really fit my needs as an art-history major. I was able to get several general electives out of the way and didn't fall behind at my university! Thank you for everything ALBA.

I studied abroad through ALBA the Summer of 2016. Although the group was a bit smaller than usual, the opportunities and excursions were endless. Charles, the program director, is extremely accommodating and is always open to suggestions. Barcelona is a big city, with many different neighborhood themes, making an endless amount of time to explore. I took Spanish and Communications that summer and I can honestly say I adored both my professors. My Spanish professor was by far the best Spanish teacher I have ever had and my Communications class was never dull. I stayed in an apartment right by the beach with three other girls in my program and we had an amazing time. The rest of the students were accommodated based on their housing preferences. This program is unique as it offers a variety of experiences in which you can choose. I highly recommend this program to anyone looking to study abroad or even thinking about it.

With the ALBA study abroad program you have so much freedom from your day to day life to the opportunity to travel on the weekends. The program has a relaxed laid back feeling and really lets the students create their own experience.

My term at ALBA study abroad was absolutely awesome. From the hands on learning experience to the cultural immersion, ALBA offers students every type of accommodation. The administrative team is always there for advice on the best places to visit and see, as well as any concerns you may have. Truly a wonderful experience.

ALBA gave me the best abroad experience I could have asked for. This program is flexible and accommodating in ways that no program at the University of Washington could be. The program was tailored to the wants and needs of the students, in order to give us the fullest and most valuable experience possible. My teachers were great and accessible, my classes were interesting and very relevant to my abroad experience and I lived a block away from the beach and 10 minutes from school. ALBA made us feel at home in a new city, took us on amazing excursions to cities around Barcelona and taught us how to cook Spanish dishes. Barcelona and ALBA are both incredible and I would highly recommend this program!

Every element of ALBA was incredible! My apartment was centrally located, my classes were challenging and interesting, and the other students on the program were fun and great people! Barcelona is such an outstanding city to study in! I walked away feeling as though I got a terrific cultural experience, and had a wonderful time doing it!

I was looking for a study abroad program that would allow me to explore and experience the best that Spanish culture has to offer, all at a reasonable price. ALBA gave me just that. Between the relaxed schedule of classes, and the highly knowledgeable coordinators, I had an outstanding experience in Barcelona! Moreover, the financial aid programs offered made ALBA accessible and a great value.

My experience in the ALBA program was amazing! I had an absolutely spectacular, unforgettable time. The classes were very interesting and the coordinators helped to give me a true study abroad experience. I highly recommend ALBA to anyone who is interested in studying in Barcelona.

For my last quarter of University I decided I had to go to Barcelona. It was the best choice I made in my entire life. I am not exaggerating. I was so ready for adventure and travel, after being stuck in the Pacific Northwest for almost four years. I packed my bags and never looked back! I can´t imagine that there is a better program to study through than ALBA. From the get-go they were so organized, yet also extremely laid back (trust me, you want that on your quarter abroad). No one goes to Spain to stay inside studying all day. ALBA of course, offered spectacular courses. Spanish language was more of a conversational setting. History and Architecture was full of awesome excursions and crazy stories about Barcelona that I would have never stumbled upon on my own. My all time favorite course was the film and lit. course. Carles was an excellent faculty with so much passion and knowledge...I hope he still works there. He was a badass. The only thing I would change about my experience was getting my own place instead of a homestay. I stayed with a lovely family, but being 22 (was it that long ago???) in Barcelona means you keep waaaay different hours than a family. And also, not to mention all the people you meet, it would be nice to have your own place where you can host dinner parties or drink wine on the balcony by the sea. (I would recommend staying in Barceloneta or El Born)AHH. Seriously the best time of my life. I met so many fun people in the program and so many awesome locals, in fact, I ended up staying in Europe for a year and a half after Barcelona with my still boyfriend who I met there. Crazy crazy fun amazing times. Alba is worth it! It is so central, so culturally rich, so flexible and the coordinator Charles is awesome. Get out of the boring U.S....get your ass to the most beautiful city in the world. You won´t regret it, and you´ll remember it forever! I´ve had travel fever since.

I'm going to keep this short (maybe not) because I could write forever about how amazing Alba was as a program. When I was looking to study abroad a couple things were important to me: passionate teachers, full immersion, living situation, and a smaller program. All my criteria were far exceeded and Barcelona could not have been a cooler city. My professors were amazing. I've never had such passionate and knowledgeable educators before and I have to say, it was extremely refreshing. The amount of knowledge and pride I gained about the art and history for Barcelona has allowed me to feel as if I am a local Catalan citizen. The area itself has been through so much turmoil and been so polarizing in world history, it is a shame to not take the time to really appreciate it. As for my Spanish classes, since the program is small you basically have group tutoring lessons. It was amazing. I went from only being able to hold a conversation for 5 minutes to being able to go days without speaking English. Every student there was on the same page, trying to immerse ourselves and learn the language as best we could. My economics class was also very interesting. Being a Finance major, it was very important for me to learn about what EU economics were like. This class was more discussion based and found that very insightful because instead of burying myself in excel or a calculator, we were able to have discussions and debates about the current Euro crisis which I found fascinating. Overall, in a strange way, I felt as if I had learned more in one quarter than I had in a few years of school. The vibe was much more relaxed and all about learning because you enjoyed gaining more knowledge about Barcelona, it was not about competition with other students to get the best grades. The administration as well as the teachers always offered ways for us to get immersed in the culture. They encouraged us to partake in intercambios. These are basically a language exchange you arrange with a local trying to learn English. This forced me to step out of my comfort zone, walk up to someone random and become friends. The girl I ended up participating in an intercambio with has become a friend that I still talk to 2 years later. I also ended up meeting friends who were into cycling like myself and ended up going on night rides with a group of over 100 local bike riders every Wednesday. These rides were always followed by friendly get togethers at the neighborhood tapas bar. It was great to feel apart of a community within the city and these rides allowed me to see parts of Barcelona I would have never seen. My friends in other bigger programs did not have this experience. They were not encouraged to immerse themselves and were not given the tools on how to go about it. Alba is all about being local, not the stick out like a sore thumb study abroad student kind of program. If this is your vibe, then it’s the place for you. Living Situation: The administration was so helpful. They asked us where we wanted to live and gave us some suggestions. After some help, we settle on Barceloneta. (right by the beach) Needless to say, I couldn't have been happier with our location. Definitely better than all my friends studying there with other programs who resided far from the beach and the major cultural centers. As I've been mentioning throughout this review, having a small program was crucial for me. It forced me to go meet new friends from the area and really focus on learning about the Catalan culture. The group mentality of studying abroad with 100+ kids (like CEA) was not present in my experience. I didn't have to worry about trying to meet up with tons of Americans all trying to have the same experience. (Many of my friends felt this pressure and mentioned how it wore them down over time) Mine was much more “European” in a sense and much more what I was looking for. On the other hand, if you like big groups and want to be with a bunch of Americans looking to party every night with other Americans, this isn’t the place for you.

I studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain through Alba in the spring of 2012, as a 21-year-old undergraduate student. During which time I took a Catalan Culture and Society course, advanced Spanish, and one of the most impactful and eye-opening courses in my entire undergraduate trajectory, Spanish Film and Literature, taught by renowned Spanish professor, Dr. Carles Murillo. In the spring of 2014 during my first year of graduate school at Portland State University I decided that I wanted to study abroad again. The Alba program was more than happy to accommodate and provide me the appropriate graduate level courses, which I used to satisfy requirements for my Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy. My second time abroad, I took Urban Planning Advanced Research, Urban Planning (Barcelona Perspective), and Geography Societies and People of Spain (SOC 510). Dr. Marina Diaz-Cristobal (Alba SOC 510 professor) was kind enough to provide me with a recommendation at the end of the term for my application to teach abroad. Because of that letter of recommendation and the support from the Alba program, I will be teaching English in Madrid for one year this upcoming autumn '2015. Both times that I studied abroad through Alba I had comfortable living arrangements. The first time in 2012 I lived in a five-bedroom flat with other students from Portland, Oregon in "El Raval," which is a diverse immigrant district, right off the famous "Las Ramblas" street. The second time I lived in the "Eixample" district with a Chilean host family. They have since moved to the Canary Islands. I plan on visiting them there, soon! I would most definitely recommend the Alba program to anyone interested in living and studying abroad for a few months. They have a great course selection, distinguished and knowledgeable professors, and an exceptional administration. The benefit of taking classes through Alba is that they are usually seminar style, which really allows you to digest learning material better, and, on the other hand, establish relationships with professors. Thank you, Tracy, Charles, and Danny for making my studies abroad so wonderful each time.

I attended ALBA as a junior at the University of Washington. After not knowing what I was getting myself into, studying abroad through ALBA turned out to be the best experience of my college career. I took four classes (22 general quarter credits!) - Catalan Culture, Spanish Art & Architecture, European Economics, and Spanish Language. The classes were straightforward and extremely rewarding if you put the effort into learning. ALBA emphasized cultural immersion by encouraging us to try new restaurants, attend language exchanges, meet new people, go to FC Barcelona games, and travel every weekend (no Friday classes!). The ALBA administration (Charles, Tracy, Danny) was amazingly helpful by finding me a private apartment three blocks from the beach, helping us to and from the airport, coordinating to make sure our credits transferred, etc. Overall, I give ALBA a 10/10 and only wish I could go back to school to attend ALBA over and over again!

Barcelona is an amazing city, especially when you have access to someone with intimate local knowledge. Program offered wide variety of college accredited courses with knowledgeable instructors from various backgrounds. Language barrier was not an issue as instructors spoke English, Spanish and various other languages. Each was able to give unique insight on culture and relevant history of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain and Western Europe. I picked up on local hotspots for nightlife, excursions and other activities off the grid. The food was traditional Spanish and organized meal times around my schedule. Bedroom and bathroom of in-home stay were clean, comfortable and private. Had a place to study at home if needed. All classes offered insight into different areas that directly related to the entire study-abroad experience. Many classmates banded together for studying, trips to museums, eating out, etc. and are still friends to this day. Program director was able to relate to students and willing to provide recommendations. Trips were organized, van rides were comfortable, and there was a concrete effort to make the group feel welcome with each other and locals. Academics: The class sizes were manageable. We were able to get direct, one on one instruction with all instructors having reasonable office hours. Living Situation: Home stay option was a great option for complete cultural immersion. I was able to develop long standing relationships with my host family and stay in contact with them to this day, 10 years later. Cultural Immersion: Program offered numerous day/weekend activities to see different parts of Catalonia, not just Barcelona. Program Administration: Program director was knowledgeable on everything from expected cost per day for food, activities and other day trips. University credit transfer was not an issue, all course credits transferred without a problem.

Great for traveling and limiting time in the classroom. Terrible for learning Spanish.

ALBA was great. Only had classes two days a week and I was in a city sorrounded by thousands of other students all around the world. Barcelona is by far one of the best party cities in the world as you find yourself staying out till sunrise every night. If you want to study abroad in Spain, I guarantee ALBA will provide you with the best time.

Best 10 weeks of my life.