Architecture Study Abroad Programs in Granada, Spain

The summer of 2025, when I studied abroad in Granada for one month, I also traveled around Europe a lot. And, I can say with complete confidence that Granada was my favorite place out of everywhere I went. AIFS had a lot to do with that. Noelia and Alberto were so kind, helpful, and accommodating. My positive experience in Granada had so much to do with them.

I participated in the AIFS Granada program for the Spring Semester of 2023 and I had an amazing experience. The onsite staff were extremely accommodating and were ready and available to help us with anything we needed. The cultural activities were amazing for both learning about the rich culture of Spain as well as bonding with the other students in my program. Also, Granada is a small, walkable city near the beach and mountains, so there is truly something for everyone there. Through this program, I was able to make lifelong friendships, improve my Spanish language skills, and learn so much history and culture.

I had always wanted to study abroad and this past summer had lined up well for me to do so, I found this AIFS program in Granada and chose it. It was an amazing choice. I became much more fluent in Spanish with all of the constant immersion. I made many friends with similar worldwide interests from many countries in my classes and in my program. I got to taste some Homelife of a homestay in Granada with a wonderful host mother. The absolute time of my life I had there makes my normal college experience at home seem dull, it has filled me with wanderlust and a desire to explore more to have similar experiences. I highly recommend this program and studying abroad to anyone and everyone. The AIFS staff were incredibly personable and kind and the classes at the CLM were as well.

I wished that my semester-long study abroad experience in Granada had been a year, but I had to get back to continue my "real" studies in my university (Psychology and Philosophy). The memories I made at the Universidad de Granada will last a lifetime, and the friends I made in the community I will keep close in my heart. The schooling was amazing, and I really enjoyed my classes that I was able to take in Spanish after having moved up a level. My background when I got there was one semester of Spanish at the College of William and Mary. The classes at the Universidad de Granada are super approachable and the professors super nice and helpful. I loved my class on Spanish art and architecture the most. My AIFS community helped me throughout this whole process, and I knew if I was having trouble getting adapted on my own that I could reach out to them at any point. I went to my director, Noelia, for relationship advice a few times. My living situation ended up being good overall, but that part could have been better. I did not get to do much with my host family, which was a disappointment. Thankfully, I met great people in the community where I learned how to play Spikeball, dance Salsa and Bachata, and play Ultimate frisbee a little differently than in the states. I have carried these experiences with me this past year. I wish to go back to experience anew the amazing scenery that the Alhambra had to offer, as well as the beaches which made for perfect day trips. The transportation system was also a highlight because I was able to take big Alsa buses to and from the beaches, as well as bla bla cars everywhere!

Even though my time in Granada with AIFS was short (spanning the month of June 2023), it was time enough for my worldview and self perception to be drastically expanded and changed for the better. I was given freedom to explore the city on my own (as well as outside sites included in the program itinerary) and with friends and meet native Spaniards as well as other travelers, especially other European students on Erasmus with the security of knowing i’m safe and have access to healthcare and assurances with direct access to my program coordinators who we all got to know on a personal level. Academically, the classes all had cultural components to them so we could be immersed in Spanish culture and we were given freedom to adjust our class schedules to accommodate for specifics of our home institutions and preferences. The included excursions were amazing and we were given time away from the set itinerary to explore on our own (Seville, Cordoba, Nerja, etc). We also had time off of school and myself and my group of friends were able to take a vacation to Mallorca with a cheap plane ticket!! I have genuinely nothing bad to say about my experience with AIFS in Granada and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to study abroad!

I had the most wonderful time in Granada, Spain. I spent one month in the summer of 2022 in the most beautiful apartment in downtown Granada. It was my first time traveling alone and my first time leaving the country and the AIFS team made it such an easy and fantastic experience! Shout out to Noelia for being the most accommodating and the kindest human I have ever had the pleasure of interacting with.

As a first generation student, I was daunted enough already by the thought of studying abroad… even more so in a Spanish-speaking country! HOWEVER, the AIFS Granada Program was exceptional in its cultural integration and making sure I felt at home while I was there. I made friends I will have for life and made many memories together. I learned Spanish by being in a class taught only in Spanish… I honestly thought it couldn’t be done! I had the time of my life, got to see many places, and experience new things (fooood).

Everything about my time abroad was perfect! My host mom was the sweetest and was really invested in helping me learn the language. I got to try a ton of new foods and learn all about Spanish and Andalucían culture from my program activities and classes. The immersive classes I took at the CLM helped me improve my comprehension and speaking skills tremendously. I was also able to go to Seville, Córdoba, Morocco, and Nerja through AIFS, which were all such amazing experiences. I would give anything to go back and do it again!

I had so much fun in Granada for many reasons, but all together it was one of the best experiences of my life. Between the cultural learning from being immersed into a different country to learning benefits of studying in a different country you can't go wrong with a study abroad program.

I studied abroad in Granada for the Fall semester of my junior year at the University of Vermont. This experience was without a doubt one of the most enriching experiences of my life. AIFS not only made the onboarding process very easy, but they offered an extensive number of opportunities to explore and gain community while I was there. From beautiful views and incredible food and culture, to engaging coursework and incredible classmates, my study abroad experience with AIFS will forever be one of the most special experiences of my lie. I was lucky enough to study abroad twice my junior year (each with a different program) and without a doubt the organization and commitment to students was far more impressive and helpful through AIFS. Thank you so much, AIFS!

I had such a great time in Granada in 2022 that I planned and executed another study abroad trip the following year. I fell in love with the culture, the environment, the people and AIFS as a company! They were helpful from start to finish and I felt supported while I was abroad. The classes, activities, and people I met I will remember forever.

I participated in the Spring 2023 program in Granada, Spain and I had the best time! AIFS was great about planning trips and cultural activities so we could learn more about Granada and other parts of Spain & North Africa! Classes were challenging and I learned a lot, but the workload was not heavy meaning I still had lots of time to explore the city after classes and travel on the weekends. The apartment that I lived in did not have the greatest amenities and we often were without hot water but that did not take away much from how great the experience was. If you are looking to study abroad in Spain, definitely consider Granada!

What can I say about my time abroad in Granada, Spain? It was truly such a unique and unforgettable experience. The culture, the history, the city, the people, the food especially. I feel so blessed to be able to have such an opportunity. I've always wanted to visit Europe but I couldn't quite decide where exactly I wanted to go. It wasn't until after my parents came back from a trip to Spain that they told me that going there would be a perfect choice. I'm glad I did take that opportunity. Living and studying in Spain was different than in the United States. It took a while to get adjusted to the different culture and lifestyle but I believe I got the hang of it pretty quick. I chose to live with a family and they were incredibly sweet. We've always talked about our day and they often asked me about my life in the US. Our resident director, Noelia, was super helpful and engaging. I appreciate her always checking in on us and trying to come up with different activities we can do while we were in Granada, especially after the height of the pandemic. The University of Granada, where I was studying while abroad, was an incredible school. The classes are very different than how they are in the United States. They're much longer and usually you'll only have two classes a day. But I think it helped both the students and the professors because it allowed us to discuss more on the topics that we were learning and ask them any questions we may have. I appreciate AIFS assisting me with whatever need or question that I may have so that the process went smoothly. That way the only thing I had to worry about was planning my next trip to another city in Spain.

As a black male outside of America for the first time Granada Spain has my heart. This is such a young and lively city with tons of history and culture. Studying abroad as a first generation college student also changed my perspective on schooling and even life as a whole. This was an opportunity for me to create a name for myself and be the trail blazer of my future as well as my families. One thing that I loved most about studying abroad was staying in a home-stay, this experience allowed me to have a hands on experience when learning Spanish. For more information click the link to watch a short video of me talking about my experience abroad.

Being on this program has really changed me as a person. As a result of studying abroad in this dream location, I was able to experience many different types of environments in one location! From the mountains, to the beaches, to the many plazas and cultural festivities, I was happily immersed in my host city. Barcelona is such an amazing location to study abroad and I would highly recommend doing it with IES Abroad. They made sure from pre-departure to the last day in my host city, that all students were informed and prepared for anything. The staff were extremely helpful, welcoming and always open to sharing their favorite recommendable local gems for students to visit! IES helped students get on their feet and understand how and what types of things they could get themselves immersed in. Whether that was introducing us to tapas, encouraging us to take free dance classes, planning brunch at a beach restaurant, planning hikes, and taking us on trips to other cities outside of Catalonia such as Madrid, IES ensured that we were able to take advantage of such offered opportunities all while preparing us to create our own memories with our own desires to visit other destinations. For housing, I lived in a homestay with a very welcoming woman and other study abroad students from my program. Each night we all had dinner and talked about the upcoming weekend and things happening in the city, all in Spanish! She was always there to help us with any concerns we had regarding where to go, what to see, and how to get there in the best way. She encouraged us to hang out with friends and explore the city and its amazing culture! For classes, we had a good variety of options. We also had the option to take courses at a local university, which I took advantage of. I took some of my classes at and extension of UAB. By doing this, I was able to be in another neighborhood for classes, take the metro to class and really understand how to get in and around Barcelona. Unfortunately, my classes did not have local university students but it was still a valuable chance to get outside of the program classes.

I studied abroad this Fall in Granada with IES Abroad and loved every minute of it. The IES staff was very supportive and helped ease the stress of being in a new country and genuinely cared about getting to know each one of us. Granada was an amazing location as well. Super affordable yet also a ton to do. The classes I took were unique and engaging and I learned a ton while also improving my Spanish. Would 100% recommend studying abroad in Spain with IES and hope you have as wonderful of an experience as I did abroad! It will change your life!

My experience of studying abroad was amazing! My most memorable experiences were the following; the relationship I built with several professors, traveling and the experience. I was born in Mexico and moved to the United States at the age of 7. I remember going through massive cultural shock when I first came to the U.S. Not only was I in a new country where I did not speak the same language as the rest but I also missed my friends and teachers. Studying abroad in a Spanish speaking country really hit home. Having the opportunity to attend classes in Spanish and growing a relationship with the professors was such an amazing experience. It felt like I was back in Mexico learning and speaking in Spanish. Traveling around Europe has always been one of my dreams and IES Abroad Salamanca made that possible by providing us with the right information about where to travel and the time. Overall the experience was amazing if I was able to do it again I would.

I initially chose to study abroad in Barcelona to improve my Spanish, but I got this and so much more out of my experience. I grew so much as a person while I was there and now I feel truly independent and cable traveling, speaking Spanish, and taking advantage of every opportunity. Every time you turn a corner in this beautiful city, there is something spectacular to look at or something exciting to do. IES helped to guide my experience and you can use their resources as much or as little as you prefer! I recommend going on as many of the IES Discover programs as possible because they find the best guides and activities as a discounted price. I would not change a thing about my experience abroad and that is largely thanks to the guidance of the IES Abroad teachers and staff.

I appreciate the independence that I gained for myself while I was abroad and continue to show after my experience. Granada gave me safe streets to walk by myself any day of the week and delicious pastry shops to stroll by on every corner. It was exactly the place I needed to get to know better and feel at home by the end of my four months. I am already excited to return one day and re-walk my route to school every morning and pass the man that feeds the pigeons every Sunday afternoon because the city is just a reflection of the wonderful people that fill the city of Granada.

I studied in Granada in Spring 2019. AIFS was very supportive on the pre-departure side, in country, and even after I got back with the alumni resources on their website! From other people I talked to, the AIFS staff in Granada really set my program apart. They learned all 60 of our names, did their best to get to know us personally, and went above and beyond to plan programs like casual futbol games for bonding. When I hurt my foot, one of the staff members went to the doctor with me, which made it a lot less intimidating. AIFS travel and health insurance covered the doctor visit, too! I also lived with a host family, which really helped me build fluency in Spanish and adjust to the culture! The only reason you shouldn’t live with a host family is if you have strict dietary needs or like to cook your own food. However, I’m lactose intolerant and my host family was super accommodating; they even bought dairy-free cheese and cream so they could make me personal pizzas and fettuccine alfredo! They helped me figure out where to shop, where to travel, and what to do for fun in Granada. I still WhatsApp them sometimes and they told me I’m welcome to stay with them any time! The academics on my program were also a great experience. I worked closely with my school to make sure everything would transfer before I went, and I left the U.S. as a Spanish minor and came back as a Spanish major because I’m only two classes away from the major after studying abroad! Classes were available in English and Spanish, and level was determined by a placement test that I took my first few days there. I also did an internship teaching English in a school in Granada! That was an awesome practical experience and I made friends with some of the other student teachers who were from Spain. I would definitely study abroad with AIFS again!