The City
Granada is located 425 Km (265 miles) southeast of Madrid, in the skirts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and only 70 kms from the Mediterranean Coast. The population of Granada and its metropolitan area is over 400,000. It is one of the few places in the world where you can ski in the morning and spend the afternoon on the beach. The city has a very rich cultural life and many tourist points of interest.
The University
The University of Granada was founded in 1531 by Emperor Charles V. Granada was established as a university city, open to all peoples, cultures, creeds and ideologies. Throughout the centuries, the University of Granada has seen the influence grow not only in the social and cultural scene of the city but also at the national and international levels. Today, the University of Granada is the third largest university in Spain, and one of the principle universities in Spain and Europe in terms of research. Its rich tradition is continually reinforced by a firm commitment to future innovations and quality, a combination that makes it a center for all fields of learning.
The Program
Granada Institute of International Studies (GRIIS) academic courses include Spanish undergraduate courses and special programs intended for the development of language skills for professional purposes, with emphasis in translation and interpretation.
Classes are held at the University of Granada. The Institute has a cooperation agreement with the Modern Language Center of the University of Granada regulating the implementation of all academic activities and classes. All courses are fully accredited and supervised by the University of Granada. Official University grades and transcripts are issued by the University of Granada.
GRIIS programs are designed to meet the goal of academic excellence. All studies are therefore rigorous and demanding, but we provide the adequate atmosphere to ensure your success and to make your stay in Spain a truly enjoyable learning experience. We therefore expect our students to be highly motivated and to work hard, but, aside from that everything else in our hands.
Courses and Internships
Students attending Semester or Academic Year programs will take up to 5 courses per semester chosen from our broad curriculum. A special undergraduate seminar, taught by the program director exclusively to GRISS students, is mandatory. These seminars are key elements of our academic approach.
Internships in a variety of fields are offered in the spring semester to qualified undergraduate students attending the full Academic Year Program only. Internships provide qualified students the opportunity to practice a high-register Spanish in a professional setting. Students also gain first-hand experience of the Spanish labor atmosphere and acquire working experience in a field related to her/his area of study or interest.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
The city of Granada is known as a university city, due in large part to the student population at the University of Granada. The city itself also offers many activities that prove noteworthy for students coming from abroad. GRIIS students will have a rich program of extracurricular activities, including day-trips to nearby places such as the Alpujarras Mountains and Nerja Coast, or monument cities such as Cordoba and Seville. A two-day visit to Madrid is also scheduled. Visits to exhibits, lectures or movies are frequent. Sport activities are also organized by the program.
Housing
All students are housed in Spanish homes. GRIIS makes the appropriate arrangements for these accommodations. These arrangements provide students an opportunity to experience Spanish family life and to use the language in the context of everyday situations.
Programs Director
The Granada Institute of International Studies and its academic programs are directed by Amalia PulgarÃn. Dr. PulgarÃn is a native of Spain and holds a Ph.D. degree in Hispanic Philology from Boston University. She was a faculty member at Boston College, Boston University, Simmons College and the Monterey Institute of International Studies. She has directed study abroad programs in Spain for over 15 years, and served two terms as Vice President of the Association of North American Universities Programs in Spain. As scholar, she has published two books and numerous articles and book chapters on literary criticism published in Europe and the U.S.