Go Global Office of Global Engagement

Barcelona: Memory and Modernity

RMST 395 | 3 credits

Program overview

This course is led by Anna Casas Aguilar, Faculty of Arts

  • Course dates: May 13, 2024 – June 21, 2024 
  • Course dates in Vancouver at UBC campus: May 13 – May 31, 2024  
  • Travel dates: June 9 – June 21, 2024 
  • Format: in-person 
  • Locations: Barcelona, Spain 
  • Approximate program fee: $2585 - $3000 (Go Global Fee, tuition and flights are not included) 
  • Funding available (click through to learn more about each award) 

Information Session Recording

Please find a recording here. Use passcode: 7$DZb@m#

Application deadline extended to January 30, 2024

Application instructions here.

Apply Now

About the course                                                                                                      

This course provides students with a unique opportunity to dive into the modern experience of one of the world’s most compelling cities while also reflecting into two central themes –memory and modernity– that have shaped the city. This course considers Barcelona from a cultural studies perspective that includes the study of its literature, visual arts, cinema, architecture, urbanism, and responses to mass tourism. 

Program eligibility  
General Global Seminar requirements

To participate in a Global Seminar, students must: 

  • Be in good-standing in their faculty (as defined by home faculty) 
  • In the year leading up to the Global Seminar, have full-time student status (as defined by home faculty)  
  • Have completed 2nd year requirements before the start of the program (i.e., eligible for 3rd or 4th year standing)  
  • Have at least a 70% academic average in your last full-time academic session before applying  
  • Maintain a 70% academic average leading up to the program  
  • Meet any program specific requirements listed below including pre-requisites before participating 
Program-specific requirements
  • This is an interdisciplinary program: All are welcome!

Final selection will be done by the lead faculty program directors. Spots in the program may be limited.  

Students who wish to participate in the summer after graduating may be eligible on a case-by-case basis. 

Experience and conditions in the Field

The course will encompass eight pre-trip sessions held in Vancouver from May 13 to May 31. These two-hour sessions, taking place between 2 pm and 4 pm, will involve discussions of various readings that will aid in our preparation for the trip. During these sessions, we will explore literary and visual materials centered around Barcelona, as well as delve into theories regarding the city.  

With this solid foundation, the field component of the course will immerse us in the vibrant context of Barcelona during two weeks of June. Over the course of nine sessions, each focused on a distinct area of the city, we will embark on three-hour guided walking tours led by local experts, guest speakers, the instructor and the students who want to do in-situ presentations. These visits and the information the students encounter, discuss, and present will be pivotal to the course and for the final research projects in various forms.  

While students will have free time to explore the city and weekends, the instructor will also suggest several visits as well (for instance, the Dalí Museum in Figueres, Sitges, Girona or the Monastery of Montserrat). 

Accommodations

Dorm and hostel-style accommodation while abroad 

Program fees and costs
Approximate program fees: $2585-$3000* 

*The final fee depends on the number of students in the program. All Global Seminars only run if there is a minimum number of students enrolled.  

Included:  
  • Accommodation  
  • Excursions and entrance fees  
  • Some group meals  
  • On-site guest lectures
Not Included:  
  • Go Global Fee
  • Flights*
  • UBC tuition for credits  
  • Visa/country entrance fees  
  • Health or travel insurance  
  • Local public transportation on the ground* 
  • Personal spending money* * 

*Barcelona’s public transportation system allows students to get a 20 Euro all-you-can-travel card for one month so long as it is purchased individually with proof of ID. Thus, students are responsible for baring this cost 

**Some examples of personal costs include: mobile communication, personal transportation that is not related to the learning outcomes of the program, additional meals that are not already identified as part of the Program Fee, immunizations, Visas, etc.  

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