Barcelona Study Abroad Program
The mission of the Barcelona Program is to provide students with a multicultural and cross-national approach that fosters the enrichment of their personal and professional development.
Hosted by the ETSAV, the Illinois’ Barcelona Program is located at Sant Cugat del Vallès, a beautiful and prosperous town that has a rich history dating back to the medieval period and is part of Barcelona’s metropolitan area.
A breakdown on what our program costs
Detailed look into the Barcelona program.
Junior and senior-level undergraduate students of the Illinois School of Architecture are eligible to participate in the Yearlong program of studies (the one-semester option is not available for undergraduate students). Graduate-level students are eligible to participate for one-semester (Fall or Spring).
Everything needed for daily life–groceries, supplies, entertainment and medical attention–is available within a 5-to-20-minute walking radius.
Learn more about the city you will be living in. Sant Cugat del Vallès (Catalan pronunciation: [ˌsaŋ kuˈɣad dəl βəˈʎɛs]) is a town and municipality north of Barcelona, Catalonia.
All courses are taught in English by professors appointed by the Illinois School of Architecture and are conceived to guarantee that all program participants continue on a regular path toward graduation.
In addition to the field trips and workshops integrated to the structure of the three core courses, the Barcelona Program offers a wide range of related curricular and extracurricular activities.
View past student work from 2016 to today.
Barcelona Program overview s by Professor Alejandro Lapunzina and student experiences over the years.
Perspectives on the Barcelona program from our alums.
Academic Calendars
Barcelona Program Instagram
Plaça del Mar
2025-11-28
Our last drawing session of our first semester encompassed the full landscape of the Barcelona beachside. So excited for what is to come!
#barcelona #architecture #iasapbv #archatillinois
Friendsgiving! 🍽️
25-11-28
Happy Thanksgiving from our new little family at ETSAV to all of yours at home. We hope you all had a wonderful holiday with lots of delicious food — see you all soon!
#abroad #architecture #archatillinois
Palau Güell
2025-11-26
A day at Palau Güell! Students explored the brilliance behind Gaudí’s masterpiece, and now they’re ready to turn that inspiration into their final history project.
#barcelona #architecture #iasapbv #archatillinois
Drawing and Photography Workshop
12-11-25
Doubleheader throwback to our day spent drawing and taking photos last week in Barcelona and Sant Cugat! We had a wonderful time sketching and exploring Canodrom Meridiana with our drawing professors, @guillembosch and @raimonfarre, and finished our day with @jm_dellobet doing a photography exercise.
Excited to share more photos as we finish up the semester!
#architecture #photography #sketch #archatillinois
Baroque Tour of Barcelona
11/19/25
Guided by Prof. @mc_guaqueta , students walked through Barcelona to see a variety of buildings, ranging from Neoclassical to Baroque. Throughout this tour, we had the opportunity to visit multiple palaces and compare their styles.
#architecture #archatillinois #sketching #iasapbv
Field Trip to Tarragona
2025-11-12 to 2025-11-14
We spent three days traveling throughout the Tarragona region, seeing everything from 1st century Roman Amphitheaters to 20th century government buildings.
#architecture #archatillinois #sketching #iasapbv
Fall Independent Travel
2025-10-22 to 2025-11-2
Independent travel with a purpose! Students explored cities and countries of their choosing, taking a deep dive into history and sites, and capturing it all in their sketchbooks.
#architecture #archatillinois #sketching #iasapbv
Class Field Trip Day 3
2025-11-14
We spent our last day of our field trip in Reus! Did you know that the city was the financial hub in the Tarragona area?
We were able to see two
Modernista buildings today:
• Instituto Pere Mara
• Casa Navas
We are now back home and ready for our week ahead, prepare for more fun photos and videos as you keep up with us in Barcelona!
#architecture #archatillinois
#sketching #iasapbv
Permanent Faculty and Staff
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