Says the article:

"While the majority of students in the U.S. still spend most of their four years at an American university, more and more are taking to schools abroad, whether they’re close to home or a little more out of the way."

It is always best to explore your options or you may never know what you're missing! Feel free to contact AmeriSpan for more information on how to get started.

Read the full article here: International Colleges Attracting More and More Americans

Learn more about AmeriSpan's College Study Abroad: Summer and Semester Abroad

Meet Rich Kurtzman, Director of one of AmeriSpan's Barcelona Study Abroad programs

What is your background?
I graduated from a small, liberal arts university in Illinois in 1998 with a double major in Spanish and Russian, but also studied Marketing and Psychology.  I earned my M.A. degree in Spanish Applied Linguistics and Second Language Acquisition from University of Illinois-Chicago where I also taught Spanish.  I came to Barcelona in 2002 planning to stay for 1 or 2 years, but like many others, fell in love with the city and haven’t left. I got married in 2010 to my wonderful wife – who is originally from England but has lived in 3 countries in Europe since 2000.  We live in a lively, eclectic barrio of Barcelona within 5 minutes walking distance of our Spanish, Catalan and international friends.

Do you travel abroad often?
As much as I possibly can.  From Barcelona, it’s a quick flight to so many European cities, but I also try visit other parts of Spain because everywhere I’ve been, I’ve loved.  There is only one region of Spain that I haven’t yet been to, hopefully next year!

Have you studied abroad? 
The first time I left the U.S. was to spend a summer in St. Petersburg, Russia.  That started my love affair with travel and learning about new cultures.  I then studied for a semester in Madrid, did an internship in Milan, volunteered in the Philippines, and have traveled to numerous other places for vacation.

Which languages do you speak or have studied?
I have studied – some for more time than others – Spanish, Catalan, Russian, Italian, French, Hebrew, and a very little bit of Japanese. I cannot say that I still speak all of those however. 

How and why did you get into the Study Abroad market?
I started working in study abroad right after I graduated from college. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life so I decided to get a job in what I knew I loved and what made a difference in my life – Study Abroad.  It combined my passions for travel, language learning and exploring new cultures.

When did you start/join your organization?
Barcelona SAE began in 2009.  After having worked for other much larger companies for many years, I decided it was time to start a smaller program with more interaction with students so they could have the best experience possible.

What is your job or function at the organization?
I am the director.

What do you enjoy the most about your job?
The absolute best part of my job is at the end of the program at our re-entry workshop when we work with students on how they can use this experience to get a job, and I get to hear how much they have learned in Barcelona, how much they have grown personally and professionally, and how much the experience meant to them.

Tell us one of your biggest mistakes in your job, studying/teaching a language and/or traveling abroad.
I once called a store clerk in Russia a very insulting word, over and over, when I thought I was just pointing to the orange juice behind her and thought she couldn’t understand my accent!  It turns out I had the wrong word for juice – oops.

Can you tell us about your school’s philosophy, specialty and/or why you think it is special?
Our goal is to get students to learn as much about the local culture as possible while they are studying here. We do that both inside and outside the classroom with our courses designed towards learning about Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain or the Mediterranean, with our weekly cultural activities, language exchanges, and weekend excursions. 

1. Madrid
The Nebrija campus in Madrid is centrally located in the Dehesa de la Villa neighborhood, and is close to shops, landmarks, public transportation and a park.  Students can opt to stay in an apartment or with a host family, and have access to a computer lab, cafeteria, and library.  Semester programs are available in the Spring, Summer, and Fall in English and Spanish.

2. Granada
Granada is a captivating city located at the foot of the Andalusian Mountains and a short bus ride away from the Mediterranean.  The semester program has a unique layout, as it includes both a "Ten Day Intersession" in Madrid and an allotted ten days for personal travel time.

Classes at our partner university in Granada are taught half in English and half in Spanish, although no prior knowledge of Spanish is necessary.  This program is available during the Fall semester only.

3. Barcelona UAB
The UAB (Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona) campus has much to offer: proximity to the beach and mountains, three day weekends, excursions, lodging options, and opportunites to participate in a variety of group outings and school-sponsored cultural activities.

UAB is recommended for students with an existing low-intermediate or higher understanding of Spanish, as students take 90 hours of Spanish class with the option of Spanish or English electives.  The campus provides access to libraries, computer labs, cafeterias and other campus facilities.

Students may spend a Spring/Fall semester at UAB or select one of the shorter Summer semesters.

4. Barcelona BIC
Our BIC (Barcelona International College) campus also offers the pluses of study in Barcelona and homestay options/three-day weekends.  The main difference between UAB and BIC is that BIC offers electives in English only, so if your Spanish level is lower than intermediate, this may be the choice for you.  Additionally, this university caters to an even more international crowd and its program is easier to customize.

The campus is located three metro stops from the popular Plaza de Catalunya, and the facilities are excellent.  This program is available for Spring, Fall, and 2 different Summer semesters.

For details, check out:

Madrid College Study Abroad
Granada College Study Abroad
Barcelona UAB College Study Abroad
Barcelona BIC College Study Abroad

Browse all of AmeriSpan's College Study Abroad programs