Other Programs

Consortium for Advanced Studies in Barcelona

Stanford's membership in the Consortium for Advanced Studies in Barcelona (CASB), will allow a limited number of Stanford students to spend a semester or a full year in Barcelona. The program is open to all qualified students who have completed two or more years of college-level Spanish language at the time of enrollment.

CASB is administered by the Brown University Office of International Programs on behalf of Stanford and the other five American university members of the consortium. Stanford students may apply for one or two of the ten semester slots supported by the Bing Overseas Studies Program and the Division of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages. Students who are accepted for these positions remain enrolled at Stanford while studying at CASB, giving them uninterrupted eligibility for financial aid and allowing their courses and grades to be recorded directly on their transcripts. Stanford campus inquiries can be sent to bospstudy@lists.stanford.edu.

This program has many distinctive features. Among these is the large number of courses that students can take in a wide range of disciplines, and in any of Barcelona's three main metropolitan universities. Aside from its cosmopolitanism and Mediterranean style, Barcelona boasts many attractive features: a 2000-year history; its distinct Catalan culture; its proximity to historic sites ranging from the first Greek settlement on the Iberian Peninsula to the remains of what was once the Peninsula's largest Roman city; medieval monuments of the three religious cultures (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim); Europe's highest concentration of art nouveau architecture; and an enticing urban culture that can be explored in historical depth or simply enjoyed in the present.

This program constitutes an excellent introduction to Iberian Studies available through a year-abroad program, with students being able to experience first-hand the coexistence of cultures (both national and religious) that have clashed in the past and must negotiate their relations in the present. The extensive academic offerings in three of Spain's top universities make it possible for students to make steady progress on their majors while perfecting their knowledge of Spanish and picking up the basics of Catalan with little extra effort.

About the Consortium for Advanced Studies in Barcelona

The Consortium for Advanced Studies in Barcelona, a collaborative initiative involving seven high caliber U.S. Universities (Brown, Chicago, Northwestern, Cornell, Harvard, Princeton, and Stanford) provides students with a unique opportunity to have direct access to three distinguished Spanish universities the "Barcelona Group" (Universitat de Barcelona, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.) The program capitalizes on the already strong academic linkages existing between the Iberian Studies departments from each of the U.S. Consortium members and their counterparts in Barcelona and fills an important education abroad niche in arguably Spain's most dynamic and avant garde city.

Application Process

Although administered by Brown University, Stanford students apply for the program through BOSP. For application instructions and information, please visit the "How do I apply" page. Stanford students should NOT apply directly to the Brown University Office of International Programs.

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