Barcelona, spain

FALL QUARTER 2025

Barcelona is simply a spectacular city in which to study and live. It is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe and by far the most modern city in Spain. Situated on the Mediterranean, it is a city of contrasts; mixing the best of old and new, traditional and trendy, religious and secular, conservative and progressive. As such, this vibrant city offers you the unique opportunity to both surround yourself with Spanish language and tradition while at the same time taking advantage of its mixture of Spanish and Catalan cultures. With Barcelonans fluent in both languages, you have the opportunity to perfect your Spanish while also learning some Catalan! People in Spain are passionate fans of football (soccer), delicious food, family, and celebrating and enjoying life to its fullest. Festivals and holidays are important in Spanish life, and have their own distinctive flavor depending on local customs and the time of year.

Along with earning a full quarter of transferable college credits, you will live with a Spanish family and immerse yourself in day-to-day Spanish life. Frequent field trips and travel opportunities enable you to experience the culture and history of Spain. The teaching team tailors courses to the European environment and structures the coursework around several themes common to the locale.

LOCATION

Classes will be held at the facilities of Barcelona School for International Studies (SIS) located in the heart of Barcelona, a few blocks from the Sagrada Familia. With easy access to many bus lines and several metro lines, it is easy to get to classes from anywhere in the city.

Spanish Language (5 credits) is required for all students. Students of all language levels will be accommodated. Students will take a placement test to be placed accordingly in the appropriate class level.

Spanish classes will be taught by language professors at the Barcelona School for International Studies (SIS) who are specialized in teaching Spanish as a foreign language, accredited through Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida.

SIS combines different methods of communicative language teaching to reach every type of student. The main aim is to teach the students all the skills and concepts needed to feel comfortable in a Spanish-speaking atmosphere where different cultures of both sides of the Atlantic come together.

SIS gears its Spanish Language and Culture classes towards developing linguistic skills but also attitudes, knowledge, and awareness needed to:

Communicate in an intercultural context
Interact with other people in any situation
Increase confidence in order to encourage more direct contact with native speakers, leading to a better understanding of the culture

Primary WCCCSA Faculty – Shaan Shahabuddin, Seattle Central College

Shaan Shahabuddin is a Pakistani-American who was born and raised in Houston, Texas. As a child, most of Shaan’s friends and classmates were Latino and he found vast similarities between the Latino culture and the Pakistani culture. He took his first solo international backpacking trip in 2023 to Spain, and he loved every minute of it! He stayed a few days in Madrid and Valencia to meet with friends but spent most of his time in Barcelona, a city of vibrant culture and beautiful beaches. Since returning from his trip, Shaan has taken backpacking journeys to Mexico, Colombia, and Peru to embrace the culture; he is currently trying to improve his Spanish by attending language exchanges.

He earned his M.A. in general psychology from Stephen F. Austin State University and a B.S. in psychology with a minor in sociology from Texas A&M University. He is a tenured professor of Psychology at Seattle Central College, where he teaches introduction to psychology, social psychology, psychology of racism, lifespan psychology, and research methods. He has published research in The Journal of General Psychology, North American Journal of Psychology, and Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. He is also a faculty member of the Academy for Rising Educators (ARE) program which works with the Seattle Public School district to provide a full scholarship to students of color who are interested in working as educators. The first cohort of the program has just received their master’s degrees and are starting their first careers as teachers. As a former academic advisor, Shaan loves to speak with students about their potential majors and what they hope to pursue as a career. He is on a path to progress and grow as an educator so that he can be a supporter for marginalized students and be a mentor that he wished he had had when he was in college.

Outside of the classroom, Shaan loves creating community and making connections with people who share similar interests. He has organized social events related to paddle boarding, yoga, chess, writing, and hiking. Shaan is an avid traveler who has visited every major city in the United States as well as 11 countries outside of the U.S.; he plans to visit at least one new country every year. Shaan enjoys taking strolls around the city, browsing through farmers markets, visiting museums, and going to art walks.

General Psychology (5 credits)

Course Description:
Introduction to the scientific study of human behavior including research methods, brain and behavior, learning (classical and operant conditioning), cognitive psychology, development, personality, abnormal psychology, and social thinking and behavior. No prior knowledge of psychology is required to register for this class.

Integration of Location and Cultural Venues into Course:
The city of Barcelona is sometimes referred to as the city between “el mar y la montaña” (the sea and the mountains) due to its unique geographical location that is comprised of a walkable inner-city infrastructure, tall mountains, and beautiful beaches. We will incorporate this biodiverse scenery when we cover the chapter on “Memory” and talk about a concept called “memory palace”. We will take a physical walk around the Gothic Quarter or Parc de la Ciutadella and associate certain objects with specific numbers. Then, we will then take a “mental walk” by replaying the walk in our heads to better remember the numbers that we associated with each object (memory champions often use this concept to help them remember the long digits of pi). When students learn about “personality assessments”, they will notice how Spaniards (compared to Americans) score differently on factors of extraversion, conscientiousness (i.e., organized and timeliness), and openness to experience; these differences may be due to the Spanish culture or the year-round sunny climate that Barcelona receives (we will investigate). When we cover the topic of “Psychological Disorders”, I will teach about schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, and narcissistic personality disorder. When we visit Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya and the Picasso Museum, students will be able to see how extraordinary artists such as Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali suffered from mental illness and how they communicated this in their artwork. Students will leave the class with greater empathy towards people who have a lifestyle different than their own, and with a greater appreciation towards the Spanish culture.

Social Psychology (5 credits)

Course Description:
Explores how social settings (i.e., groups, culture, context) influence the individual. Examines the effect of others on self-concept, social cognition, aggression, conformity, helping, self-awareness theory, competition and cooperation, and prejudice and discrimination. Research on contemporary issues around race, gender, and other social identities will be covered and discussed. No prior knowledge of psychology is required to register for this class.

Integration of Location and Cultural Venues into Course:
In 2017, a referendum allowed Catalan regional parliament to declare the state as an independent and autonomous community. Catalans have a very strong sense of identity to their culture, and this may affect how they perceive themselves, other Spaniards, as well as how they interpret the world. The focus of this class is a multicultural perspective of how we can learn more about ourselves based on the social interactions that we have with other people. We will cover the topic of “self-awareness theory” to take an introspective look at our own behaviors to determine whether they align with our values; a recurring theme that will resurface is regarding “the self” and “identity”. We will learn how the mixed identity of being Catalan, European, and Spanish can influence people to conform to the “majority” and how it can lead to a feeling of competition towards anyone who is different. We will discuss how the Spanish are impacted by Catholicism, but also how they may not prescribe to some Catholic practices (which may lead to a psychological state of “cognitive dissonance” in which one’s attitudes are incongruent with one’s behaviors). We will cover the topic of social perception to better understand how characteristics of non-verbal communication (body language, facial expressions, hand gestures, etc.) can be interpreted differently based on different cultures. For example, Spanish customs in conversations are very different from those of Americans (e.g., greeting each other with kisses on the cheek, engaging in physical contact during conversations, standing very close to one’s personal space, etc.). The final project will require students to apply social psychological techniques in a given setting of their choice (ex: speaking with a local at a market, discussing art at a museum with a Spaniard, ordering food at a restaurant, etc.)

This is an academic program and students are required to enroll in a full-time course load (15 credits). Failure to participate in the academic coursework may result in dismissal from the program. Students are encouraged to make the most of their classroom learning, as it will enhance understanding of all the local area has to offer.

EXCURSIONS/ACTIVITIES

One two-night weekend trip to explore another area of Spain such as The Basque Country, Costa Brave, Valencia, etc. (the exact location will be announced approximately one month prior to the program start date)
Three day-trips (welcome hike and two excursions outside of Barcelona)
Weekly cultural activities to get to know Barcelona and local life such as guided tours, cooking class, and more
Welcome & farewell meals
The Barcelona SAE Bucket List – 100 ways to experience the city of Barcelona through a local lens

You may use your free time on weekends to explore the neighborhoods and beaches of Barcelona, travel throughout Spain or beyond to some of Europe’s great cities including London, Amsterdam, Florence, and Paris.

HOUSING

You will stay in a homestay and may be sharing a room with another study abroad student. A single room may be available for an additional fee. A homestay can be part of a meaningful cultural integration and increase safety of the study abroad experience. Homestays are designed to be a mutually valuable experience for both the hosts and the student. BSAE works to find homestays that want to share their culture and language with students and create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. A homestay “family” does not always mean a husband and wife, two children, and a cute dog. In fact, what is more common is to live in the apartment of an older, widowed woman who enjoys the company. The thorough screening process, regular family check-ins, and homestay reviews allow BSAE to monitor the safety and quality of the homestays. Homestays include breakfast and dinner every day, laundry services once a week, a set of keys to the apartment to come and go as you please.

Program Fee: $7,260

INCLUDED

Homestay with daily breakfast and dinner and weekly laundry service
24/7 emergency contact service
Pre-Departure Orientation
Onsite Orientation
Public transportation pass for Barcelona city
Comprehensive Health Insurance
Welcome and Farewell meals
All Excursions/Activities listed above

NOT INCLUDED

Airfare
College tuition & fees for 15 credits
Course books/materials
Passport & visa fees, if applicable
Meals not mentioned above
Personal expenses
Anything not specified as included in the program
Optional personal effects coverage and medical insurance upgrade

*Tuition and fees are paid to Edmonds College.

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Barcelona, spain

FALL QUARTER 2025

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Barcelona, spain

FALL QUARTER 2025

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