Spain > Programs > University of Granada

Arcadia in Granada
Islamic Studies

About Study Abroad in Granada through Arcadia

You can design a study experience through the Arcadia Center for Contemporary Studies in Spain that's uniquely yours! Choose to focus on one area of study, such as Environmental Studies or Islamic Studies ... take a combination of courses ... or take intensive Spanish language and culture courses through the Centro de Lenguas Modernas at the University of Granada. More advanced Spanish language students can even enroll in courses alongside Spanish students at the University of Granada. Please speak to your program manager for details.

A new opportunity to study in Spain, beginning in fall 2010 -- an amazing and unique place to engage in Islamic Studies!
All students take the required core course, “Mediterranean Cultures and Civilizations – The Great Mosaic.”
All Arcadia students enroll in an intensive one-month Spanish language course at the beginning of the semester.
No previous Spanish language study necessary. Open to students at all levels of Spanish from beginner to superior.
dates (tentative): August 30-December 21, 2010.

Program

Excursion to Morocco
Excursions and Activities

All activities and excursions, both included and optional, are designed to complement the students’ coursework and enhance the learning that takes place in the classroom through significant, hands-on experiences.

Depending on the semester, excursion sites may include Córdoba, the Alpujarra, Seville, Morocco or Turkey.

Students will also have the opportunity to volunteer in the local community, to participate in a language partner programs (in Spanish and/or Arabic), and to earn a Co-Curricular Learning Certificate.

The last Muslim stronghold of the Western World, Granada was conquered by the Christians in 1492. The legacy of eight centuries of Moorish rule is very much alive in the architecture, the language, the legends and the communities of the city today. In present-day Granada there is a diverse Muslim population comprised of immigrants from Morocco, Pakistan, Iraq and sub-Saharan Africa as well as Spanish converts.

The Albaicín neighborhood of whitewashed villas on winding narrow streets is reminiscent of towns in North Africa and is home to one of the most recently re-built mosques in Spain. Along the streets of the Alcaicería and the lower Albaicín, lined with tea shops and colorful bazaars, passersby will hear more Arabic spoken than Spanish. Historically and geographically it has been and continues to be a crossroads of cultures and religions.

Granada is also a vibrant college town nestled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The prestigious University of Granada, founded in 1531, draws students from all over the world. An important percent of the student body at the School of Pharmacy are from Muslim countries like Morocco.

Islamic Studies starts with a month-long intensive Spanish language class taught at the University of Granada’s Center for Modern Languages. Students continue their Spanish language study throughout the semester in a required grammar or conversation and composition class. (Superior level students are exempt of this requirement.) Arcadia University classes are taught in English at the University’s Center for Contemporary Studies in Spain and/or at local research institutes affiliated with the University of Granada. Superior level Spanish students can opt to take direct enroll classes in Spanish at the University of Granada’s School Philosophy and Letters. (Option available for spring semester students only.)

In addition to the Spanish language class and the core course on Mediterranean Civilizations, students in the Islamic Studies Program will select two to three electives to complete their semester course load. Elective topics (taught in English) will include Arabic language, socio-politics and religion, arts and architecture. Spring semester students with a superior level of Spanish language (6 semesters of college-level Spanish or more) will also have the opportunity to choose from course offerings at the UGR taught in Spanish.

Arcadia University classes are taught by a diverse and experienced faculty from Syria, Iraq, Morocco and Andalucía. Their professional expertise and personal perspectives will add great depth to the subjects they teach and to classroom discussions.

Credits

You will earn the following semester hours of credit:

Fall and spring semester: 15-18 credits

Admission Requirements

GPA Requirements: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

You must be in good academic standing and not on disciplinary probation. You need to submit a complete application including a transcript, letter of recommendation from a faculty member, and an advisor's form before your application will be considered.