Archaeology Study Abroad Programs in Spain

I graduated from high school a semester early, and the only way I wanted to spend my semester was by being abroad. I've known about Semester at Sea for around 6 years and I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. I searched up the requirements to be accepted and luckily fit all the requirements most importantly being 18, so immediately I applied. I then got an email back the next morning saying I got accepted into the program and that email brought me to tears in the middle of one of my classes. I couldn't wait to board the MV World Odyssey and embark on this journey of a lifetime. On the ship, I gained so much knowledge about different cultures and I was able to be fully immersed in them, not just sticking to the touristy things offered. Semester at Sea does an amazing job keeping the students' safety in country as a priority with having mandatory “Pre-Port meetings” the night before arriving in a country, and offering field programs which are ship run excursions with ship faculty leading them. The community on the ship was nothing I have ever experienced before. We were so close knit and it felt like I was truly in a connected, caring, and welcoming environment. I met the people I never imagined I'd connect with, and they ended up becoming the best connections I've ever made with people. Semester at Sea also helped me get out of my comfort zone which led me to have experiences I would have never imagined I'd have, best example being running a half marathon in Vigo, Spain even though I'm not a runner and have never been a runner. Semester at Sea has given me the world and the opportunity to appreciate it to its fullest. I left the ship with my passport full, but my heart is even fuller with people, memories, and connections I will forever cherish. Semester at Sea was truly the best experience I have ever had and would recommend it to anyone as it was life changing.

One of the most underrated aspect of semester at sea is the ship campus itself. Being able to live so close to your friends and just walking a few flight of stairs to your classroom and being able to sit down with your professors for lunch is such an amazing experience. It's eternal sunsets, it's endless travel stories from your friends, it's lifetime of memories. Highly recommend. One of the best decisions I made. And still day dream about this experience, still talk and travel to meet my SAS friends 4 years later.

I have not experienced anything like semester at sea before, therefore giving me a whole lot of different lenses to look at the world with. I completely enjoyed my experience and understand the importance of understanding others concerns, communication, communities, and countries. A overall wonderful experience that has changed my views as well as the way I live and who I am as a person.

I had a wonderful experience with Barcelona SAE! They have been a huge help in every step of my study abroad experience, from coordinating my housing, providing an academic mentor to turn to with any questions, their curated website full of resources and recommendations, and hosting various social events throughout the semester to connect with fellow students. They made my transition to and time in Barcelona so much easier. I also can’t recommend the UB track enough. I felt like it was the perfect balance between rigorous language instruction and accommodation for non-native speakers, and all the professors were so enthusiastic and responsive to any questions or confusion. I can confidently say that my Spanish skills grew this semester largely due to my classes at UB, so if you’re looking for a great opportunity to improve your language skills, I would highly recommend!

The professors are really good to teach the classes and as persons, Sevilla is a beautiful place, all the activities CIEE has as trips, sports, and learning more about the community and culture of Sevilla. That is why I would recommend CIEE.

This program truly exceeded my expectations. From the program staff to the professors themselves, everyone is so excited about assisting us students and making our experience so special. My housing was amazing and other students felt the same, especially with the apartments and home stays.

This program is for students who want to strike a balance between cultural immersion and familiarity. The program is very well organized with cultural activities and excursions every week to help students explore Barcelona and its surrounding areas with fellow students from the US. I especially enjoyed the “dinner with a local host family” event where I got to dine with a local family and learned more about Barcelona from the local perspective. Besides organizing these events, the program also sends out a weekly newsletter about what’s happening in Barcelona so students can explore on their own. The staff members are all very friendly and helpful; extremely responsive with any needs.

Je suis arrivée dans un pays où au début je me sentais étrangère. Très peu de relations avec les locaux comme si j’étais renfermée sur moi-même et ma culture. Pourtant, ce n’est pas ce que j’imaginais. Je m’imaginais sortir boire un verre un samedi soir. Tapear un peu, parler de tout et de rien. Ce que je faisais déjà un peu au Québec. Je cherchais une relation avec ma famille d’accueil, une ouverture de ma part, mais aussi de la leur. J’ai réussi à m’épanouir quand j’ai changé de famille. Cela a été le jour et la nuit. Ce changement m’a ouvert l’esprit et m’a permis de réellement m’encrer avec la culture. Connaître cette facette cachée dont seuls les locaux peuvent te guider à trouver le bon chemin. C’est ça que je cherchais réellement. Je suis tellement reconnaissante envers ceux qui m’ont accompagnée et qui me permettent de vivre l’expérience que je peux vivre aujourd’hui.

I have definitely had a great time studying with UDC and Linguistic Horizons. The arrangements and trips provided by Nicole are always very fun, safe, and great new experiences to have. My host family is very nice and caring, and I have greatly improved my Spanish speaking, learning, and understanding skills through communicating with them daily. Nicole is very easy to reach and helpful in answering all questions. Would highly recommend!

Linguistic Horizons responded to this reviewMay 05, 2026

Muchas gracias, Charles :)

I had a really good experience with Forum-Nexus overall. The program gave me the chance to travel a lot, meet great people, and learn more about different countries in a way that felt interesting and personal. I liked that the staff was friendly and helpful, and the hotels were some of the best I’ve stayed in. Some visits were better than others, but the overall balance of academics, free time, and cultural experiences made the program worth it. I’d recommend it to other students, especially if they want to make friends and grow through travel.

This summer abroad program was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had as an undergraduate.” “It was thoughtfully organized, with a great balance of academics, cultural exploration, professional visits, and enough independence to grow on my own.” “The instructors were engaging, knowledgeable, and encouraged real discussion, which made classes feel useful beyond the classroom.” “I especially liked being able to connect what we learned to our travels.” “The staff was welcoming and supportive throughout, and I’d absolutely recommend the program to other students.

Five days of spoken spanish with excellent tutor who provided support, clear explanations and fun games. Best is its not all in the classroom we spent time in Central Malaga speaking with locals and experiencing life and culture along with great food. Expanish not just learning but experiencing Spanish

Expanish responded to this reviewMarch 14, 2026

Thank you, Mike, for sharing your experience! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your week of Spanish with us. It’s great to know that your tutor’s support, clear explanations, and fun activities helped make the learning process enjoyable. We also love that you highlighted the time spent outside the classroom in central Málaga—connecting with locals, exploring the culture, and enjoying the food is such an important part of learning the language. As you said, it’s not just about studying Spanish, but truly experiencing it. Thanks again for your kind words, and we hope we get to welcome you back to Expanish in the future! ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

I would be likely to recommend CIEE study abroad to a friend/peer because the experience was truly once-in-a-lifetime and I had so many incredible experiences and grew so much as a person. I would recommend this experience to anyone who has the chance and means.

I would recommend CIEE to a friend because they do a great job at dedicating time for travel for the study abroad students and the teachers are also very understanding of students motivation to go abroad.

This study abroad program truly transformed my life. I fell in love with Barcelona almost immediately, and over time, the city became a place where I learned, grew, and discovered more about myself. By the end of the program, I realized I had become a more confident, independent, and open-minded person than when I first arrived. The experiences I had, both inside and outside the classroom, shaped the way I see the world and my future. I made unforgettable memories, built meaningful connections, and gained perspectives that I will carry with me for the rest of my life. I am incredibly grateful to this program for allowing me to experience Barcelona in such a meaningful way.

Studying abroad in Barcelona was genuinely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. From the start, BSAE made the semester unforgettable through incredible student activities like cooking, pottery, and flamenco classes and beautiful day trips to Montserrat, Girona, and more. Many of these experiences are now some of my favorite memories from abroad. SIS offered classes with a variety of topics that were especially interesting because of the field studies woven into the coursework. Being able to connect what we were learning directly to the city and its culture made everything feel more meaningful and engaging. I also made some of my best friends from my home university and from around the world through this program, and I’m incredibly grateful for the community and connections it gave me. Overall, the combination of academics, travel, and daily life in Barcelona made the semester both exciting and deeply impactful, and it’s an experience I would recommend to anyone considering studying abroad.

My time in Spain was truly unforgettable. From the very first day, my host family made me feel like I belonged they were welcoming, kind, and always ready to share their traditions, meals, and laughter. Living with them gave me a window into everyday Spanish life that I will always treasure. I also fell in love with the food it was fresh, flavorful, and every meal felt like a little celebration. I loved exploring the city, especially taking the metro and discovering new neighborhoods on my own. Nights out, dance classes, and spontaneous day trips, like the one to Girona, made every week an adventure. The Spanish people I met were warm, funny, and generous, and immersing myself in the language and culture taught me so much more than I expected. Of course, being far from my own family was hard at times, and I missed them dearly. But the friendships I made, the new experiences, and the personal growth I gained made it all worthwhile. Looking back, this experience wasn’t just a trip it was a life changing chapter full of laughter, and unforgettable memories. Thank you Todos and UAB for making this experience possible for me!

This program, the city, and the overall experience was incredibly life-changing. I came to Barcelona not really knowing anyone. BarcelonaSAE quickly changed that. The activities this program provided allowed me to make awesome friendships. Additionally, the cultural immersion adventures gave us a glimpse of life in Spain that I believe other programs could not have offered. The program also sent out weekly emails detailing things to do around the city. This was immensely helpful as someone who always wanted to do and see something. Additionally, the city of Barcelona is an extravagant city that has so many nice people, good food, and hidden gems. I can confidently say that I am returning to the US as a different person thanks to this city and this program.

Barcelona did not feel like a classroom with walls. It felt like a city that quietly taught me how to see, listen, and live differently. My study abroad experience in the summer of 2025 unfolded not through lectures alone, but through streets warmed by sunlight, conversations half-spoken in different languages, and moments of discovery that could never be scheduled. Academically, learning in Barcelona was inseparable from the city itself. Museums, plazas, and neighborhoods became extensions of the curriculum. Studying art, architecture, and urban culture while standing inside their physical context gave every concept weight and texture. Gaudí’s buildings were no longer images in a book—they were experiences shaped by light, movement, and time. History felt alive, layered into the pavement beneath my feet. Culturally, Barcelona taught me the value of ease. Life moved with intention but without urgency. Meals were slow, conversations unhurried, and public spaces designed for gathering rather than rushing through. Navigating daily life in Spanish—and occasionally Catalan—pushed me beyond comfort and into awareness. Each interaction, no matter how small, became a lesson in patience, humility, and connection. Outside of class, the city shaped my independence. I learned to trust observation over instruction, curiosity over certainty. Walking through El Born, the Gothic Quarter, and Eixample revealed how architecture influences human behavior, how design holds memories, and how cities tell stories through form and rhythm. Even the moments of uncertainty became opportunities for growth rather than obstacles. Most importantly, Barcelona shifted my relationship with learning. It reminded me that education does not only happen when answers are given, but when questions are allowed to linger. Creativity, I realized, is deeply rooted in place—in how people live, gather, and respond to the world around them. Studying abroad in Barcelona in the summer of 2025 was not just an academic experience; it was a quiet reorientation of perspective. I left with sharpened interests, a deeper sense of independence, and a lasting understanding of what it means to learn with openness. Barcelona did not simply host my studies—it reshaped the way I move through the world.

Studying abroad, especially in Barcelona through this program, brought me to see a new lifestyle and part of the world I probably would ot have been able to see in any other way. The opportunity to live in another country for months on end, without having to worry about paying bills, a job, or any real-world responsibilities, is why studying abroad during college is so vital and the best time to do so. Barcelona provided me with immense opportunities to explore other countries seamlessly, as Barcelona is easily connected ot many other countries in Europe and Northern Africa. On top of that, API was extremely helpful, as they provided me with numerous opportunities to meet other students and participate in popular excursions in Barcelona that I may not have planned for myself. It was also very calming to know there was a team of people behind me who I could connect with if I had any troubles, as living in a whole new country can be so intimidating.