Undergraduate Study Abroad

Studying abroad was one of the best decisions I made during my time at Brown. With the flexibility of the open curriculum, Brown students have so much room to explore different disciplines and experiences – but I came to realize that this exploration does not necessarily need to occur on Brown’s campus! The open curriculum gave me the space in my schedule to study abroad as a STEM concentrator, and I was able to learn so much about language and culture through interacting with students and professors in Granada and throughout southern Spain.

My favorite course in Granada was the CASA excursion course, required for all CASA Granada students called “Raíces y legado andalusí.” This course connected Al-Andalus, a Muslim imperial power that had a presence on the Iberian Peninsula for eight centuries, to modern-day Andalucía. Most of our coursework and class time was spent on excursions to different cities and historical sites, seeing landmarks that have a profound impact on Spanish history and culture. 

Granada is a smaller city in Spain, but its university attracts thousands of students from both local and international backgrounds. Because of this, there are tons of university-aged students everywhere in Granada, whether you’re in a classroom, at a tapas bar, or at the cathedral! The city also has beautiful architecture with a unique blend of influences from Moorish Islamic design to Gothic and Renaissance styles. Since it’s a smaller city, it’s also easy to get to know it very well. You could go skiing on the Sierra Nevada in the morning, and then take a walk to the Alhambra in the afternoon. The best way to explore the city is by walking around and seeing what new cafe, museum, or restaurant you bump into!

The biggest difference is that all courses in CASA Granada are taught in Spanish! Being a language immersion program, CASA Granada challenges students to fully immerse themselves in Spanish language and culture, which was super helpful for my language-learning journey inside and outside of the classroom.