Spanish Language Study Abroad (LSA) in Barcelona and Buenos Aires

The Department offers two LSA programs, one in Barcelona, Spain (Winter and Spring 2022) and one in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Spring 2022). Each program is led by a faculty member of the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. Students live with Spanish-speaking families for the entire term. The program offers several courses while abroad; SPAN 3 (Advanced language instruction), SPAN 5 (Introduction to History and Culture), and SPAN 6 (Introduction to Hispanic Literatures).

*Students who successfully complete an LSA program may skip Spanish 9 and go directly to Spanish 20.

For more information please contact specific directors for each program.

There will be no LSA Barcelona or LSA Buenos Aires in 2022-23.

Directors for 2021-2022:
LSA Barcelona Winter 2022: Roberto Rey Agudo
LSA Barcelona Spring 2022: Beatriz Pastor
LSA Buenos Aires Spring 2022: Noelia Cirnigliaro/Sebastián Díaz

To qualify for a program, a student must have achieved a minimum grade of B- in SPAN 2, or the equivalent preparation, and be accepted into the program.

If you have taken SPAN 3 on campus or placed out of SPAN 3 on the online placement exam, if you score a 4 or 5 on either AP exam, or if you score 690 or better on the SAT II exam, you are overqualified and thus not eligible to apply for the LSA program. Please check out our LSA+ and FSP programs instead!

Barcelona is a beautiful city located on a narrow Mediterranean coastal plain of northeastern Spain, with a population of nearly 2 million. The old city lies close to the harbor. Its chief feature is Las Ramblas, a broad tree-lined avenue leading to the Plaza de Cataluña. Wide boulevards occupying the site of ancient walls surround the precinct. The old city contains remains of the Roman settlement, a medieval cathedral and many ancient palaces and houses.

Barcelona is also the site of several universities, among them the University of Barcelona, host of our LSA. The University of Barcelona was founded by Alfonso V, King of Aragón, in 1430, and is one of the largest and most important universities in Spain. There are a number of museums and galleries, including an important collection of works by Picasso, Miro and Tapies, and one of the finest museums of Romanesque art in the world. Perhaps the most famous building in Barcelona is Antonio Gaudi's unfinished Sagrada Familia church, begun in the late 19th century and characterized by its cluster of openwork spires. But once visitors return home, the two images of this distinctive city that remain most vividly are its art nouveau architecture and the brightness of its beautiful Mediterranean light.

For more information, here is a video of the Dartmouth LSA in Barcelona:

Buenos Aires is one of the most vibrant, intellectual, and artistic capitals of the Americas. A major cosmopolitan city, Buenos Aires boasts over 50 theaters, a wealth of architectural monuments, numerous active cultural centers, and a lively art world. The program aims to expose students to Argentine literature, history, and society through classroom work as well as excursions, site visits, and personal contact with families. The Argentina program provides the student the opportunity to study Spanish language, Latin American literature and civilization.

Classes are taught at the UTDT (Universidad Tocuato Di Tella) by local faculty as well as by the Dartmouth faculty member. A private university, the Universidad Tocuato Di Tella is a modern institution built on an American model. Its extensive facilities (library, study area, coffee shops, parks, and sports facilities) offer an excellent environment for exchange between Dartmouth students and their Argentine counterparts.

The program typically includes two major excursions (a weekend trip to Iguazú Falls National Park and another one to Mendoza City and the wine country). A week-long break also offers ideal opportunity to travel within Argentina.