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Drawing on Granada’s unique multicultural history and southern European location, this program examines the city's Islamic legacy, established during 800 years of Muslim rule. Activities and excursions bring lessons learned in class to life, from a guided visit to the Albayzín neighborhood, to strolling the stunning grounds of the Alhambra at sunset, to taking a field trip to Morocco. Improve your language skills in Spanish and Arabic language courses (taught in Spanish) and choose from a range of electives that bring Andalusian and Islamic culture and history to life, offered in English or Spanish. You may choose to jump start your Spanish language ability with our Early Start option.
The University of Granada (UGR) is well-known for its language school, the Centro de Lenguas Modernas, a top destination for European exchange students. Established in 1531, UGR hosts more than 73,000 students each year at 28 schools spread around the city. UGR belongs to the Coimbra group of universities, composed of the oldest and most prestigious in Europe.
When in Granada, live as the locals do! Choose CEA housing or arrange your own independent housing. CEA housing assignments are based on availability; we make every effort to match your housing requests, but we can’t guarantee housing preferences.
Program Structure
Students at an advanced Spanish level or lower enroll in 2 Spanish language courses and 2-3 elective courses (taught in English and/or Spanish); students above this level enroll in 1 Spanish language course and 3-4 elective courses (taught in Spanish). If you are at a high-advanced Spanish level, you may opt to take integrated courses with Spaniards.
Courses meet for a total of 45 contact hours/12-15 credits. You may earn 12-15 credits (up to 225 contact hours); if you choose the Early Start option, you may earn 16-20 credits (up to 305 contact hours).
Classes meet on Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday; during the intensive language portion of the program, classes meet Monday-Friday. Active learning components required by your courses may be scheduled on Fridays.
Early Start: The Early Start course runs for 4 weeks/80 contacts hours in Fall and 3 weeks/60 contact hours in Spring; it’s designed to help you adjust to the university setting and prepare you for your courses. If you participate in the Early Start course you may earn an additional 4-5 semester credits (up to 80 contact hours).
Prior to departure, you will select your preferred courses. You'll take a language placement exam after you arrive in Granada. You will be enrolled into courses based on their availability. It is in your best interest to have multiple alternative courses approved by your home university prior to your departure due to course availabilities. To ensure that you receive credit for the language level you place into, have your home school pre-approve courses at several levels before you leave for Spain. Please consult with your academic advisor at your home university on credit pre-approval guidelines.
The host institution has offered the following courses in the past. Please note that course listings may not be finalized until the start of the term; we’ll post an updated list when the host institution finalizes its offerings.
*Courses with an asterisk indicate that the course has been associated with multiple subject areas.
Please click on the course title to view additional subject areas and detailed course information.
Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs*. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You'll receive a calendar of excursions
during orientation; here are a few day and overnight excursions we've offered in the past.
Morocco
Deepen your understanding of Granada’s Arabic legacy by exploring three northern Moroccan cities: Tangier, Tetouan, and Chefchaouen. You’ll take a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier, where you’ll enjoy cous-cous at a women’s association, explore the souk (market) and old medina (old district), and ride camels. With a long, complex history, Tangier’s beauty and diverse culture has inspired artists and writers like Delacroix, Matisse, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams, and Tangier native Mohamed Choukri. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the city also served as a global center for espionage and smuggling.
Next, you’ll tour Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains. Founded by Moorish exiles from Spain, this city boasts blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition left over from the Jewish population that once called Chefchaouen home.
Finally, we’ll visit the Martil Valley. Set among a string of orchards with the stunning Rif Mountains in the distance, you’ll find that the city of Tetouan deserves its reputation as a visual treasure. With its rich culture and history, Tetouan’s medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site that features a mix of mosques, shops, tanneries, and houses, all painted white with green doors and windows.
See Details
Morocco
Deepen your understanding of Granada’s Arabic legacy by exploring three northern Moroccan cities: Tangier, Tetouan, and Chefchaouen. You’ll take a ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar to Tangier, where you’ll enjoy cous-cous at a women’s association, explore the souk (market) and old medina (old district), and ride camels. With a long, complex history, Tangier’s beauty and diverse culture has inspired artists and writers like Delacroix, Matisse, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams, and Tangier native Mohamed Choukri. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the city also served as a global center for espionage and smuggling.
Next, you’ll tour Chefchaouen in the Rif Mountains. Founded by Moorish exiles from Spain, this city boasts blue-rinsed houses and buildings, a tradition left over from the Jewish population that once called Chefchaouen home.
Finally, we’ll visit the Martil Valley. Set among a string of orchards with the stunning Rif Mountains in the distance, you’ll find that the city of Tetouan deserves its reputation as a visual treasure. With its rich culture and history, Tetouan’s medina is a UNESCO World Heritage site that features a mix of mosques, shops, tanneries, and houses, all painted white with green doors and windows.
Seville
Your visit to Seville starts at the Reales Alcazares, a palace built by Arabs in the 14th century. You’ll explore the Barrio de Santa Cruz, once a Jewish neighborhood, before touring Seville’s cathedral, the world’s third largest and (allegedly) the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. Spend your free time relaxing at the Parque de Maria Luisa and the Plaza de España, one of the city’s most popular spots, with its fountains and mini-canals filled with rowboats. Take a stroll to the bank of the Gualdalquivir River to see the Tower of Gold and La Maestranza, one of the oldest bullrings in the world.
See Details
Seville
Your visit to Seville starts at the Reales Alcazares, a palace built by Arabs in the 14th century. You’ll explore the Barrio de Santa Cruz, once a Jewish neighborhood, before touring Seville’s cathedral, the world’s third largest and (allegedly) the final resting place of Christopher Columbus. Spend your free time relaxing at the Parque de Maria Luisa and the Plaza de España, one of the city’s most popular spots, with its fountains and mini-canals filled with rowboats. Take a stroll to the bank of the Gualdalquivir River to see the Tower of Gold and La Maestranza, one of the oldest bullrings in the world.
Ronda
Ronda is a pueblo blanco (whitewashed town) sitting on the Tajo de Ronda, a 500-foot-deep gorge that divides the town. Here you’ll find monuments from the Roman, Arab, and Christian periods, like the hammam (Arab baths built in the 13th century), the Puente Nuevo (a stunning bridge that connects the old and the new towns), and one of Spain’s oldest and most beautiful bullrings. Authors Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles spent time in Ronda and wrote about its beauty and traditions.
See Details
Ronda
Ronda is a pueblo blanco (whitewashed town) sitting on the Tajo de Ronda, a 500-foot-deep gorge that divides the town. Here you’ll find monuments from the Roman, Arab, and Christian periods, like the hammam (Arab baths built in the 13th century), the Puente Nuevo (a stunning bridge that connects the old and the new towns), and one of Spain’s oldest and most beautiful bullrings. Authors Ernest Hemingway and Orson Welles spent time in Ronda and wrote about its beauty and traditions.
Cordoba
Cordoba was the capital of the Islamic caliphate in the Middle Ages. Once Europe’s most populous city and the intellectual center of the Western world, Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived peacefully together in Cordoba, and many philosophers, scientists, and artists emerged from the city. An understanding of Cordoba's cultural background enriches your exploration of its monuments, like the world-famous mosque with a cathedral built in the middle, known for its breathtaking rows of arches and columns. Enjoy a walk through the maze-like streets of the old Jewish quarter, filled with balconies decorated with colorful flowers, whitewashed patios, artisans’ workshops, and a synagogue dating to 1315.
See Details
Cordoba
Cordoba was the capital of the Islamic caliphate in the Middle Ages. Once Europe’s most populous city and the intellectual center of the Western world, Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived peacefully together in Cordoba, and many philosophers, scientists, and artists emerged from the city. An understanding of Cordoba's cultural background enriches your exploration of its monuments, like the world-famous mosque with a cathedral built in the middle, known for its breathtaking rows of arches and columns. Enjoy a walk through the maze-like streets of the old Jewish quarter, filled with balconies decorated with colorful flowers, whitewashed patios, artisans’ workshops, and a synagogue dating to 1315.
Sample Budget
This budget contains costs that you can take to your financial aid office. Please note that amounts may fluctuate; we’ve included a range of costs.
Federal law allows the use of financial aid to cover “reasonable” costs of study abroad including round-trip transportation, tuition and fees for the program, living costs, passport and visa fees, health insurance, and more.
Please note that all costs and charges listed below are subject to change without notice. With the exception of Program Price, all costs are estimates and may vary.
Program Fee Tuition and fees, registration, orientation, airport pickup, welcome and farewell receptions, housing, official transcript, cultural excursions/activities, student support services, CEA On-site Staff and administrative costs.
$14,395
$14,395
International Airfare & Transfers Cost varies depending on time of purchase, point of origin and time of travel.
$800
$1,500
Immigration Requirements Includes passport and additional requirements such as visa, entry and exit fees, French Carte de Séjour, French University Administrative Fee (if applicable), or Italian Permesso di Soggiorno.
$325
$325
Books, Materials and Supplies Includes books, school supplies, art supplies, and course fees. Does not include fees or supplies for optional courses. This cost varies depending on the course choices of the student.
$42
$140
Meals
Includes the average expected cost for meals in housing option without a meal plan, such as daily groceries and eating out at restaurants.
$1,366
$2,783
Personal Expenses Includes telephone, laundry, local transportation, personal necessities and upfront payments for potential doctor visits. Please note, certain locations may require deposits to secure spots in CEA organized activities and excursions (deposits are returned at the end of the program if student attends activities/excursions or cancels participation before set deadlines). Some of these costs vary according to the spending habits of the student.
$210
$420
Travel Expenses Includes additional travel outside of CEA excursions. This cost varies according to the spending habits of the student.
$131
$1,575
TOTAL EXPENSES
$17,269
$21,138
Sample Calendar
Below is a tentative itinerary for your program. Please note, dates and events below may change without prior notification. Contact CEA before purchasing airline tickets.
You will receive a finalized itinerary once you arrive onsite.
Note: Additional cultural activities/excursions or required course-related activities may be incorporated into your final itinerary. You are advised not to make personal travel arrangements until you have the final dates.
Official Program Start Date. Students must arrive at the GRX airport on this date in order to be eligible for airport pickup. Students will then be transferred to their assigned housing.
August 31
Orientation
Mandatory CEA Orientation will be held.
September 01
Placement Exam
Placement Exam for UGR will be held on this day.
September 04
Classes Begin
September classes begin at UGR on this day.
September 05
Cultural Activity
Visit to the Arabic Granada.
September 12
Orientation
Extracurricular orientation & Cultural Adaptation Seminar.
September 19
Cultural Activity
Visit to the Jewish Granada.
September 23
Excursion
CEA Daytrip to the Alpujarra.
September 29
Classes End
This is the last day of September classes at UGR.
October 02
Classes Begin
Semester classes begin at UGR on this day.
October 06 - 08
Excursion
CEA International trip to Morocco.
October 09 - 11
Cultural Activity
Belly dance workshop this week.
October 12 - 13
Holiday
National day. No classes will be held. School & CEA Office will be closed.
October 16 - 19
Cultural Activity
Churros con chocolate this week.
October 20
Make-Up Class
Make-up class for Tuesday & Thursday schedules.
October 23 - 26
Cultural Activity
Exclusive Activity for Arabic Cultural Studies in Granada Program this week.
October 27
Make-Up Class
Make-up class for Monday & Wednesday schedules.
November 01
Excursion
CEA Daytrip to Córdoba.
November 01
Holiday
All Saints Day. No classes will be held. School & CEA office closed.
November 06 - 09
Midterm Exams
Midterm exams will be held at UGR.
November 10
Cultural Activity
Exclusive Activity for Arabic Cultural Studies in Granada Program.
November 13 - 16
Cultural Activity
Flamenco dancing workshop this week.
November 17 - 18
Excursion
CEA Overnight trip to Sevilla & Ronda.
November 23
Cultural Activity
Thanksgiving event.
November 24
Make-Up Class
Make-up class for Monday & Wednesday schedules.
November 27 - 30
Cultural Activity
Exclusive Activity for Arabic Cultural Studies in Granada Program this week.
December 06
Holiday
Constitution Day. No classes will be held. School & CEA office closed.
December 08
Holiday
Immaculate Conception Day. No classes will be held. School & CEA office closed.
December 14
Farewell Reception
CEA Farewell Reception will be held.
December 18 - 21
Final Exams
Final exams will be held at UGR this week.
December 22
Program Ends/Move-Out
Official Program End Date. Students must move out of housing no later than this day at noon.