Global Internships: Barcelona, Spain

Summary

Gain first-hand knowledge, connections, and international work experience through an academic internship in Barcelona. On this program, you will:

• Undertake a professional internship opportunity to build transferable skills in the career field of your choice
• Earn academic credit for the internship via a ten-week online course
• Learn about Spanish culture and history through an on-site course
• Live with other program participants in homestay or apartment accommodations in Barcelona

About Barcelona

Barcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region with its own flavor, identity, language, and culture, and is home to Catalans, who speak both Catalans and Castilian Spanish. Other destinations in Spain include the capital city of Madrid and intriguing Andalusian cities at the crossroads of Europe, North Africa, and the Arab world. Spain will dazzle your senses with its flamenco rhythms, savory tapas, Mediterranean coves, avant-garde architecture, and colorful fiestas.

Program Details

Dates:

• Barcelona: June 2 – July 26, 2025
• Online Course: June 9 – August 15, 2025

Dates are subject to change.

Units: 6 units

Language of Instruction: English

Two Required Courses:

On-site course:

• HISTORY N100G: Food and Culture in the Mediterranean Basin (3 units)

And an online course of your choice:

• UGIS W157: Experiential Learning (3 units) or
• UGIS W158: Global Citizenship (3 units)

Housing

• Students will have the option to live in fully-furnished apartment-style or homestay accommodations in Barcelona.
• In the apartment option, students will have access to a shared bathroom and communal kitchen to prepare meals.
• In the homestay option, daily breakfast and dinners will be provided.
• Students will be randomly assigned to shared rooms. Gender-inclusive housing options are available on this program. If you have clarifying questions, please feel free to reach out to the program staff.

Eligibility

• Currently enrolled in a degree program or have graduated within the last 12 months
• At least one year of college coursework completed by the start of the program
• 2.0 GPA or higher
• At least 18 years old at the time of application
• Not on academic probation or under censure for student misconduct at any point from application review to the end of your program

Application

• Application opens December 2, 2024 at 9 am PST
• Space is limited and applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis
• Deadline to apply is January 15, 2025 at 11:59 pm PST

Courses

In addition to your internship, you will take an on-site local history course and an online internship course for a total of 6 Berkeley units.

On-site Course

Course: HISTORY N100G
Title: Food and Culture in the Mediterranean Basin
Dates: June 2 – July 26, 2025
Instructor:  Xavier Carmaniu-Mainadé, Ph.D.
Units: 3 units
Prerequisites: None

This course will examine various aspects of the relationship between food, culture, and society in the mediterranean basin, where eating is not a simple act of survival but rather a cultural and social activity. Looking at the local culture through the lens of food allows us to discover and understand social constructs, values and even the history of Europe, from ancient Greece to the great chefs of the 21st century such as Ferran Adrià. Through this we will discover the similarities and differences between how the Spanish, Italian and Greek societies work. In this course we offer a cross-cultural perspective that will focus on history, anthropology, sociology, literature, gastronomy and the business that works behind the food industry.

This course satisfies the L&S Historical Studies breadth requirement. Please note that academic requirements may change. Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements this course may fulfill. For COE breadth requirements, please click here.

Online Course

Option 1:

Course: Undergraduate & Interdisciplinary Studies W157
Title: Experiential Learning
Dates: June 9 - August 15, 2025
Instructor: Richard Thomas Ashcroft, Ph.D.
Units: 3 units
Prerequisites: None

With this course, you will be able to add a new dimension to your internship experience: a reflection on what it is to be both a worker and citizen in a globalizing world. You will be challenged to use your internship experience as an opportunity to explore the importance of cultural / generational differences in the workplace, professional ethics and personal values, and the structure and norms of different types of organizations. A series of audio-visual lectures, practical exercises, writing assignments, presentations, and online group discussions will ask you to engage in honest self-reflection about what you want from your career, and to develop the skills you need to succeed personally and professionally in a rapidly changing world.  We hope that this course will help understand the challenges of the modern global workplace and guide you towards a successful and fulfilling career. 
 

Option 2:

Course: Undergraduate & Interdisciplinary Studies W158
Title: Global Citizenship
Dates: June 9 - August 15, 2025
Instructor: Jeroen Dewulf, Ph.D.
Units: 3 units
Prerequisites: None

With this course, you will be able to add a new dimension to your internship experience: a reflection on global citizenship. You will be challenged to use your internship experience as an opportunity to critically explore cultural differences, modes of conduct and values. A series of audio-visual lectures, practical exercises, writing assignments, projects, and online group discussions will stimulate you to leave the comfort zone of what you are familiar with and to explore alternative views on right and wrong, good and bad and the beautiful and the ugly. The course will also encourage you to interact with locals and to engage with the city/region/country where you live during your internship. It is our hope that this course will help to increase your consciousness about the challenges of being a global citizen.

Consult with your college/major advisor to see which degree requirements these courses may fulfill.

Registration

Global Internships staff will enroll you in courses after your acceptance to the program. Please make sure there are no active blocks on your student account that may impact your course enrollment.

Instructors

Xavier Carmaniu-Mainadé, Ph.D.

HISTORY N100G: Food and Culture in the Mediterranean Basin

Xavier Carmaniu-Mainadé has a PhD in History from the Universitat de Girona. He is currently a professor of Advertising and Cultural Heritage at the UAB Tourism School (EUTDH-UAB). He is also a specialist in the divulgation of cultural subjects in the media.

Richard Thomas Ashcroft, Ph.D.

UGIS W157: Experiential Learning
Email: rashcroft@berkeley.edu

Richard Ashcroft is a Lecturer in UC Berkeley’s Department of Political Science and Interdisciplinary Social Science Programs, and former Postdoctoral Coordinator for the Network for a New Political Economy. His research and teaching explore how modern societies should evolve in the face of deepening diversity and disagreement, with a particular focus on the connections between postwar multiculturalism, political economy, and the legacies of empire. He teaches courses on the political theory of multiculturalism, classical and contemporary political economy, and US, UK and EU politics.

Dr. Ashcroft is from Winchester in the United Kingdom. He read Theology at Oxford, before attending law school in London and qualifying as a Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales. He spent several years working for a leading US-UK firm specializing in tax and trust law, and then became a legal aid lawyer in South London acting for the homeless and tenants of social housing. During this period he received an MA in the Theory and Practice of Human Rights, before completing his PhD in Political Science at UC Berkeley in 2018.
 

Jeroen Dewulf, Ph.D.

UGIS W158: Global Citizenship
Email: jdewulf@berkeley.edu

Dr. Jeroen Dewulf is Associate Professor in the Department of German at the University of California, Berkeley where he teaches courses in German Studies and Dutch Studies. He is also Queen Beatrix chair as well as Director of Institute of European Studies and Director of Dutch Studies.

Born in Ostend, Belgium, Dr. Dewulf graduated in Dutch and German Philology at the University of Ghent. He holds a Master's degree from the University of Porto and a Ph.D. from the University of Bern. His areas of specialization are European Studies, particularly related to (multi)cultural identity in Belgium and the Netherlands, and Post-Colonial Studies, in particular, Dutch colonial history and literature.

Internship

The Global Internships team works one-on-one with you to find an internship based on your academic background, experience, interests, as well as employer needs and availability. Internships in Barcelona are available in a variety of fields, and internship placement is guaranteed.

Sample companies and internship responsibilities:

Company that has three business lines: Coaching (for executives and athletes), Training (social skills, negotiation, leadership, organization and time management, emotional intelligence, positive psychology, etc.), and Job Guidance (how to write a resume and a cover letter, how to face a job interview, etc.). In this company, the responsibilities of the interns would be:

• Collaborate in the organization of company events
• Contact potential clients to invite them to the event
• Translations
• Editing presentations and videos
• Collaboration in other Marketing tasks and events, such as social networks, mailing, etc.

Food Design Studio based in Barcelona. Under the mission of awakening gastronomy’s potential, they research and design projects in the gastronomic ecosystem and act as a bridge by connecting innovation with food professionals and generating alliances between experts in food, drink, science, art and business. Experts in creativity, design and technology, their methodology is the Food Design Thinking, where they design from experience and usability. In this company, the responsibilities of the interns would be:

• Development of research on gastronomic products
• Implementation of technology in marketable products
• Collaboration with the production team in any aspect of the company
• Benchmarking and competition analysis and companies in the sector that do something similar to them

Company that develops an electric propulsion system for satellites. This technology is called ABEP (Air-Breathing Electric Propulsion) and it allows satellites to orbit closer to Earth without fuel usage. In this company, the responsibilities of the interns would be:

• Development of new geometries
• Computer CAD design of different geometries
• Programming mathematical problems for geometry optimization

Opportunities can vary year-to-year due to such factors as market trends, time of year, and economic trends. Common industry sectors for internships include, but are not limited to:

• Architecture*
• Art
• Business
• Communication
• Computer Science*
• Economics
• Engineering*
• Entrepreneurship
• Fashion & Design
• Health Sciences***
• Hospitality & Tourism
• Journalism
• Legal Studies**
• Literature
• Management
• Marketing
• Performing Arts
• Political Science**
• Psychology***
• Sociology
• Sports Management

*Some prior experience required

**Intermediate or advanced Spanish required

***Placements are limited and will not be clinical

Costs

Tuition and Program Fee

The fees to participate in this program are broken down into 1) tuition and 2) program fees, which are applied to your student billing account as follows:

Fees are subject to change. All non-Berkeley students must pay an additional Document Management Fee of $71.

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses

In addition to the fees outlined above, Berkeley Study Abroad has estimated amounts for out-of-pocket expenses. These amounts are used to calculate financial aid packages for eligible students. Actual expenses will vary depending on your lifestyle and spending habits. Students can choose between a homestay and apartment accommodations on this program. Differences in estimated expense categories are indicated below.

It is your responsibility to obtain any necessary travel documentation for your program destination (i.e. passport, visa, etc). This may require you to pay fees of up to a few hundred dollars depending on the type of paperwork required.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is available for UC Berkeley students who are enrolled in at least 6 units during the summer.

Financial aid estimates for 2025 Berkeley Global Internships programs will be available in the Summer Financial Aid Estimator in your Cal Central account in early February 2025. Before the estimator is available, you may submit a financial aid estimate request form on our website.

Please FIRST obtain your estimate via the Estimate Request Form, or in the Summer Aid Estimator once available, then write to travelaid@berkeley.edu if you have any questions about the estimate you receive. Your estimate will include a Berkeley Study Abroad Scholarship if you qualify for one based on financial need.

How to locate the Estimator:

1) Log into Cal Central
2) Navigate to the My Finances Tab, and find the "Financial Resources" card
3) Scroll to the bottom of the Financial Resources card and click on Summer Sessions
4) From the Summer Sessions menu, click on Summer Cost and Aid Estimator

Make sure to adjust the number of units in the estimator if your program offers a choice of course selection. If your program only offers one combination or one course for 6 total units units, you do not need to update the units in the estimator.​

All other students should contact the financial aid office at their home institution for more information.

Explanation of Fees

Tuition is based on a per unit cost:

• The UC undergraduate student rate is $419 per unit
• The visiting student rate for all non-UC participants is $615 per unit

The program fee includes the following items:

• Student housing in fully-furnished apartment-style or homestay accommodations. In the apartment option, students will have access to a shared bathroom and communal kitchen to prepare meals. In the homestay option, daily breakfast and dinners will be provided.
• On-site orientation activities and excursions
• Travel insurance, including accident/sickness medical coverage, emergency medical evacuation, security extraction, and other travel assistance services
• Other program-related costs, including fees for placement services
• The initial non-refundable deposit of $300, which will be charged on February 3, 2025, is applied to the program fee

Please note that the list of items included in the program fee is not all-inclusive and is subject to change.

The following items are excluded from the program fee:

• International airfare
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, routine medical expenses, toiletries, etc.)
• Meals (access to kitchen facilities will be provided)
• Course materials (textbooks and readers)
• Other travel expenses (passport, visa, etc.)
• Additional meals
• Commuting costs for the daily travel to and from your internship

Timeline