Art History Study Abroad Programs in Spain

My time in Barcelona was unbelievable and unforgettable. I did a semester at UAB in the spring 2026 semester and had the best experience. I met so many amazing people and went so many amazing places. There was something for everyone in Barcelona, it was the perfect city. And it was a great hub to explore more of Europe. I was able to visit 12 countries and 16 cities in an 18 week program. WorldStrides staff in Barcelona were so amazing, they were so helpful and friendly. The living accommodations that they set up for us were perfect as well. I was living very comfortably and all the friends I made in the program agreed that they loved their setups. The WorldStrides excursions were amazing as well, they were so fun and I met even more friends. Truly could not recommend it enough to anyone looking to go abroad.

I studied abroad with Worldstrides in Barcelona during the spring semester of 2026, and it was genuinely life-changing! I was able to connect with professors at my university and my peers and create lifelong friendships. It was easy to make meaningful connections because the academic curriculum revolves around group work. I was able to work with students from all around the world and grow my international interpersonal skills. I can not recommend going with WorldStrides enough! They eased any potential worries I had before and during my time abroad. The team is there to help you and make your experience incredible!

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.

San Sebastián is a great place to study abroad if you live diverse cultures and languages, great food, great wine and cider, and many more factors. Right in the heart of the Basque Country, it has much to offer. You can go out for a nice night with your friends and have Pintxos and drinks, or visit the nearby towns that hold much cultural significance. No matter what you decide to do, you won’t be disappointed!

I wanted my daughter to have lots of support when she studied abroad for high school. Seville Abroad didn’t disappoint. She had a wonderful host family. The center was a great respite from the intense immersion school provided. They had Spanish classes three times a week to pull together the language she learned at school. They did several day trips/trips and outings which helped facilitate and deepen friendships with other Seville Abroad students. She came back with so much confidence and love for 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.

You know honestly I had a good time. It was a great time. I feel like SSA did a good job with my internship. I had fun and all of the excursions that I went on were a good time. I don’t really know what to say, but I would say overall I had a great time on this trip.

I had a great time in Seville. I loved my class and loved learning about the history in Seville and Andalusia. I also enjoyed all my excursions, both in with the center and with the friends I made there.

I stayed in Sevilla for three weeks as part of the summer high school program, taking an art history class in the center. The class was great, although kind of long it was very interesting and the classes were run very well, with field trips every week to things that we were learning about in class. The environment in the center was also very nice, with everyone wanting to help and all the counselors and professors were great. Activities with the intercambios were also great, the activities every week were cool and fun and well organized like kayaking, mini golf, and amusement park. Only thing that wasn't te best was that there were only two other students in my program and was a little hard to meet friends, but it did happen eventually.

I had a really great time being in Sevilla. I was able to meet a lot of great people and make a bunch of new memories. I loved going on the different excursions and beings able to practice my Spanish in and out of the classroom.

I had the best experience studying abroad in Sevilla! I learned lots about Spanish culture and language. My class was amazing and I loved my host family! SSA did an amazing job and made me feel very prepared for study abroad!!

I am so happy that I chose WorldStrides for my study abroad experience in Madrid, Spain. Going into the semester, I was worried about adjusting to a new country, a new school, and new people. The second I met the WorldStrides team at the airport, I immediately felt welcomed and safe with them. Throughout the entire semester, they went out of their way to support us and were there every step of the way. I lived in an apartment with five other girls, and they ended up becoming my best friends. Despite being in a completely new environment, I adjusted quickly because of the amazing support system I had. Madrid was the loveliest city, and I fell in love with it. I'm so glad I took this big leap because it ended up being the best and most formative experience of my life!

Before Expanish, I struggled to feel confident/comfortable in Spain due to my lack of knowledge in Spanish. Expanish not only allowed me to finally feel comfortable in Madrid, but helped me to really thrive in Madrid. By being able to learn Spanish I felt so much more connected in my Madrid community by being able to build relationships with my gym instructors, the clerks at my regular grocery store, waiters at my favorite restaurant. That changed everything. I also learned and saw so much of Spain and Madrid through the cultural immersion events. It had the most positive impact on my experience and I’m forever indebted to Expanish. The classes themselves were great! My instructor was Aurora. She was very kind and patient which is so necessary when learning a new language. She was also great at explaining new concepts and will repeat it as many times as you need. Everyone on staff is absolutely incredible. Everyone was more than willing to offer help if I needed something. I was having issues with my apartment agency and one of the staff was more happy to call the agency to speak with them in Spanish on my behalf (I didn’t stay in housing that was part of Expanish). It just goes to show how much they care. They all ask questions about you and want to get to know you personally. You’re not just a number at Expanish. If anyone’s considering signing up, I promise you won’t regret it!

Expanish responded to this reviewJuly 25, 2026

Alexa, thank you so much for taking the time to write such a nice review! :) Reading this genuinely made our day, especially the part about feeling connected to your Madrid community, building those everyday relationships that really make a place feel like home. That's exactly what we hope for, so knowing you got to experience that means the world to us. We'll be sure to pass your kind words along to Aurora, she'll be so happy to read this. And to our team, thank you for noticing and appreciating that extra effort. You're not just a number to us, you're part of the Expanish family, and we love being able to support you even beyond the classroom. Thank you for recommending us and for being such a wonderful part of this journey. It was truly a pleasure having you with us!

This was the best summer and possibly expierience I have had in my life. I studied in San sebastian for 2 sessions over the summer and loved it. Met the best people who I can consider my friends for life now while learning so much. I got fully immursed in the culture here while attending so many cool events I never thought I would be able to like participating in the running of the bulls and being in spain to see the spain soccer team make it to the finals in the world cup. I learned how to surf and more importantly speak more fluent in another language. I highly recommend this program!!!

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 absolutely loved Expanish and wouldn’t trade my time there for anything! I hope to return sometime and take classes again, due to the fact that I feel I learned SO much in those 6 weeks! The staff was the sweetest and most supportive, shout out Javier!!

Expanish responded to this reviewJuly 11, 2026

¡Hola, Liberty! Thank you so much for these kind words, you truly made our day! We love hearing that you felt like you learned SO much in those 6 weeks, that's exactly what we strive for with every student who comes through Expanish. We'll be sure to pass along your shout out to Javier, he'll be so happy to know the impact he had on your experience — the whole team is going to love reading this. Expanish's doors are always open for you! Whenever you're ready to come back and take more classes, we'll be right here. Thank you for choosing us and for being part of this family. ¡Un fuerte abrazo!

The Seville Abroad team provided the most amazing foundation for our son as a spent his sophmore year living abroad. They were all absolutely wonderful - they are excellent communicators, made our son feel so welcome and supported, and the program showcased Spain's rich history, diversity, and culture. If you are interested in living abroad as a high schooler, we can't recommend this program enough.

My study abroad in Cordoba helped me grow, pushed my boundaries, and highlighted the parts of my life that I deeply value. I was able to view the world through different perspectives and challenge my ideas of what normal was. Finding new ways in which I fit into communities that looked different from the ones I grew up around helped me find different parts of myself. The global variety of people I was able to meet, talk with, and form deep relationships with, helped me understand myself in brand new ways. Additionally, Spain has so many different places with their own distinct cultures, histories, and communities. Being able to explore the different parts of Spain enriched my study abroad beyond my experiences in Cordoba. Studying abroad completely transformed how I will approach new people and situations in the future and fueled my desire to learn more about the cultures, languages, and people that form the world.

This was an amazing experience. I feel I got the chance to open my eyes to a new culture and way of life. I’ll never forget my time here in Spain. I am so grateful for the SSA staff, I would have been so lost without their guidance and kindness.